As an example. I grew up in hip-hop but at a certain point I stopped listening to new people and realised recently that I’d slept on some bangers. Like Kendrick particularly, but even people like Juice WRLD and Xxxtentacion.
The same for the Kendrick and Drake (the nonce) beef which has given some rabbit holes to go down.
So I’m wondering what I can do to keep in the loop with my younger brothers and sisters?
Is it something as simple as watching trending videos on YouTube (somtheing I’ve never done) or are there people to follow etc. I don’t like Twitter though so hopefully it’s not that.
Edit: Man I got so many replies. You guys are awesome. I am going to work my way through them all today, but I’m hella tired and off to work so may take a while. I will reply to you all.
Edit part deux: God damn I think I got all the replies.
That’s one of the reasons I spend a lot of time in forums like this. To keep up with the latest stuff.
But then the latest stuff started being hella weird and I still couldn’t follow it even knowing the origins and context of popular trends and now I’m grumpy about kids on my lawn. 😬
You can only sort of ever keep up.
The main issue preventing you an Old, from finding more about people who are Young, is that the Young don’t exactly love the old filling up their spaces, trying to remain hip.
This is exemplified by the slow death of social networks as they grow in popularity. A new social network pops up, its quickly populated by the youth. Slowly, as it becomes more popular, Olds start creeping in, until there are so many Olds that the youth want to go somewhere else because they no longer have privacy.
When Mom and Uncle Jim are in the conversation, everything is suddenly less cool.
Happened to MySpace first, and it’s happening to Facebook right now. It’s basically ghost towns of people who will be dead soon.
We are limited because the youth will always want their own private spaces where they can truly be themselves without their weird expectations of the older generations. If you’re older with zero expecations for the youth, congratulations: you’re unusual, so don’t hold it against the youth that they assume you’re just another boring old person who is going to judge them for something. Most adults are out here judging them, so give them a break on assumptions they might make about you.
I used to keep up with music through YouTube channels, but even the ones I used to follow are aging up and soon enough those people I was listening to are Old now too, and they’re doing the same thing as me, trying to keep up with what’s hip and good.
I understand the desire to do so. New music is often so good, and I really get sick of people who act like the music they grew up with is the best in history. It’s not, and it never will be. Music is always growing and making music is more accessible than ever, which means its really exploding and evolving. There’s never been a better time to love music.
However, as Olds, we’re just going to miss a lot of what’s cool with the kids simply because we’re Olds. So much is just going to naturally be hidden from us.
I think the difference is that as a kid music is forced on you from all kinds of sources: parents, friends, radio, etc. So you don’t realize how much time you actually spent just listening to new music.
As an Old, you probably don’t have nearly as much random exposure, i.e. you control when you listen to music now. Which means the answer to your question is that you have to consciously set aside time simply to listen to music. It may feel like a “waste of time” for each track you think is shit, but that’s just part of the process.
Good luck, and thanks for coming to my Ted talk.
I just take older bands/artists that I like, and look up “artists similar to…” On Google, and start from there. Easy enough.
music-map.com works great too.
Yes I’ve seen this before but never saved the link. Thank you.
Listen to music.
yeah, but what if the music i listen to isn’t ‘with it’? what will the kids thing of me? as an old?
https://everynoise.com/engenremap.html
I’m in my mid-40s and I love searching for new (and old) music. It makes me happy. Maybe I start with an artists I like and just go thru the rest of the label. You just have to break the habit of listening to the same thing and challenge yourself.
Honestly, just follow some Instagram meme pages or browse SoundCloud’s rap playlists. As a young person™️, this is how I’ve always found stuff, including xxxtentacion and lil peep when I was younger and they were both still around. If you’re worried about “invading” our spaces like the other comment says, I think that sentiment is changing. I’ve befriended some older peeps online just for having anime pfps and stuff lmao.
Bandcamp is nice, they have a curated genre section that updates frequently. College radio stations as someone mentioned, then just Shazam or whatever or look at their playlist online. I hate Spotify because it just gives you pop shit and doesn’t do anything niche or indie. There’s also SoundCloud, they make curated playlists of new stuff frequently. Sound cloud also has labels on there which curate some of their newest bands. It’s super easy to find niche indie labels I think. Lastly, look at lineups of local music spots. I used to listen to Deezer for finding non-US artists, but haven’t used it in a while since Bandcamp is kinda great about covering everywhere.
just let the algorithm feed you the cultural gruel
The algos are not all there cracked up to be, they get quite repetitive.
It depends on which algo/service. Pandora and I have never meshed so I just avoid that one. YouTube occasionally tosses a good one in my feed. Spotify does well enough that I pay. SoundCloud is probably my favorite.
Aside from that, I’m subscribed to a few music communities here. That has widened my net. Same with imgur - 99% of the time I’m there for the memes but occasionally someone will post something that helps me find a new band.
I’ve gotten back into going to concerts. I go by myself and end up meeting bunches of new people and we all end up talking about music, sharing the names of our favorite tracks and bands.
You’re going to have to blaze your own trail. There’s so much new music being made every day that it’s very much a “needle in a haystack” thing.
Plus, don’t automatically rule out a band because they’re not new. That is, Alien Ant Farm was never on my radar until last year. Their cover of “Smooth Criminal” hit my SoundCloud recommendations. It’s from before MJ died…anyway, I’ve listened to some of their stuff and added some to my playlists.
Keep your ears and mind open.
Hang out with high schoolers.
Found Matt Gaetz’s account.
Hey now, I didn’t say to take them across state lines.
Start dating a 19 year old.
Bro I ain’t drake.
I am aware that at this age gap is have nothing in common with a 19 year old other than sex.
19 is about 9 years too old for Drake.
By listening to their interests you’d keep your fingers on the youth’s pulse.
True.
I also realise I have no idea why Drake is rated so highly, dudes goofy as fuck and his music is mid at best.
Because he used to be in a wheelchair and now he’s not.
Just listen to what you like, don’t be a creep
This is a weird take. It’s creepy to want to keep up to date with current trends.
Kendrick Lamar is a certified beast and my life is better having found his music than not.
Anyway, what does it say about a person if they don’t want to continually learn, grow, and move out of their comfort zone.
I hope you’re not projecting.
🚩 asking Internet for help to keep up with the young crowd and you say others are projecting. Old creep your comment is projecting 😂
Motherfucker read the room.
The only person here with a weird take is you fam.
sounds like you don’t know what the words you’re using mean, owing to the incredible stupidity you have
Hey, yo, the music’s not yours m8. you didn’t make it, so who’s being the creep
Never take a break from culture. As soon as you take a year off you will be irrelevant. If that sound exhausting (it is) then congratulations; you have discovered why older people are never on top of pop culture.
Nah, tired advice. I was literally on a remote island for most of a year, and missed out on Harambe and clowns and whatever else happened that year. But if you have a real interest in pop culture you stay in tune. Most older people don’t stay on top of it because they don’t care to, which is fine it’s not for everyone.
“You will be irrelevant” to who? People whose identities are so wrapped up in popular culture they can’t conceive of someone liking something from 30, 50, 80 years ago? Lmao
You can’t, it’s over, let go.
Switch to Classical music.
