70s: punk, glam rock, metal. 80s: synth-pop, post-punk, new wave. 90s: grunge, riot grrrl,
britpop. 2000s: pop-punk, contemporary R&B, indie rock. 2010s: recession pop, dubstep, grime.
But what now? Do the 2020s have a sonic identity?
If social media has done one thing to music, it’s splintered it. But its also now more accessible
than ever. I’ve compiled a little guide to all the new – and old – genres making waves in the
2020s, and what we can expect from the rest of the decade.
Post-Punk
Post-punk originally emerged in the late 1970s, replacing, as the name suggests, the punk
music that defined alternative sounds of the decade, from Ramones to the Sex Pistols. Post-
punk doesn’t have a set definition; even the terms coinage was controversial and ambiguous.
The genre tends to just be defined as anything that came after, and responded to, punk music.
It’s a lot more of an avant-garde genre than the simple, 3-chord, shouted punk tracks, and
diverges from other evolutions of the sound like the hardcore wave of the 1980s. Non-rock
influences crowd in, with more electronic, mainstream sounds fashioning the new-wave genre,
and darker melodies becoming goth. It keeps the DIY elements of punk while taking in a wider
range of influences. Examples of classic post-punk bands include Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Joy Division and later Depeche Mode.
It’s interesting, then, that a post-punk revival has swept music scenes, particularly in the UK and
Ireland. There hasn’t been a prominent wave of punk music since the 1990s post-hardcore
offshoots, and the 2010s mainstream alternative sound was much more inspired by indie rock.
However, punk always comes in the face of politics, and this new wave of post-punk has been
dubbed ‘Post-Brexit New Wave’. After the shocking 14-year Tory run, it’s no surprise people are
running towards these politically charged genres. Big names like Wet Leg and Fontaines D.C.
incorporate this sound into their work, alongside bands like IDLES and Black Country New
Road.
Hyperpop
While the 2010s was the decade that birthed hyperpop, the 2020s has changed it irreparably.
Characterised by its maximalism, it’s similarly avant-garde to post-punk, in large part because of
the role of trans culture in shaping the genre. While the genre remained pretty underground for
most of its early years, TikTok has played a huge part in bringing it into the mainstream. The
Covid pandemic launched artists like 100gecs into the limelight, while more established artists
like Charli xcx continued to thrive. Of course, its easy to see how this has proliferated into the
mainstream, with Charli xcx’s brat launching one of the most iconic press runs and awards
cycles of the decade.
Characterised by glitches, autotuned vocals, and a style highly influenced by the internet, artists
include Caroline Polachek, Slayyyter, Jane Remover and the late SOPHIE, whose death
marked a left-turn across the genre. While hyperpop going mainstream may have toned down
its intensity, its influence can be felt across all genres. Metal band Bring Me The Horizon, for
example, have turned towards a hyperpop-metal fusion in their 2020s work.
Singer-Songwriter
While the Singer-songwriter has always found room in the mainstream, a particularly prominent
wave of acoustic music has held claim over the public consciousness post-Covid. In tandem
with the rise of bedroom pop – literally music that can be made in a bedroom – stripped back
sounds find their place alongside the intensity of the hyperpop wave. Huge artists like Taylor
Swift and Phoebe Bridgers released career-defining acoustic albums at the beginning of the
decade, sparking many copycats in their wake. Gracie Abrams, Maisie Peters, and even Olivia
Rodrigo owe their success in part to the popularity of Folklore and Punisher, creating a need for
a specifically female singer-songwriter scene – while Lewis Capaldi and James Arthur belted
their hearts out in the 2010s, the 2020s sees the female ballad more popular than ever. Olivia
Dean, Audrey Hobert and Adrienne Lenker have developed this sound into their own distinct
tone, and artists like Ethel Cain take the basic principles of this acoustic sound and transform it
into something much darker.
Only halfway through the decade, there’s no telling what comes next for music, but I would
expect to see these three genres float through the mainstream, even if in a form diluted by other,
more timeless genres like classic pop and rock.