While Spotify provides a large library of music with which you can make your own playlists (we at BTS have made many), it also curates a number of these playlists that manage to influence which music becomes popular. The most-liked playlists tend to consist of present-day music from select genres. For example, Rap Caviar compiles the newest hip-hop songs, Are and Be is made of modern R&B and State of Jazz consists of contemporary jazz. Perhaps the most dynamic of these playlists, though, is the ALT NOW playlist, which, as the name suggests, puts together some of the most popular alternative songs of today.
Of course, alternative music is difficult to define, an inherent feature of any genre whose existence is defined by being different than, or “alternative” to, mainstream music. Thirty years ago, “alternative music” once referred primarily to alternative rock music, the province of bands like Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins, bands whose more lo-fi, noisy style stood in stark contrast to the overproduced mainstream rock and metal of the 80s.
However, with rock music declining in the mainstream and the traditional alternative rock style of the 90s surviving mostly as pastiche, “alternative music” today refers to a far broader category of sound, ranging from indie rock to varieties of hip-hop and electronic music. The genre is built primarily in contrast to the popular sounds of a given era, which means that a playlist claiming to represent “alternative music” can simultaneously contain decades-old new-wave bands like Depeche Mode alongside 100 gecs, a duo who inhabit a genre, hyperpop, that has barely existed for a decade.
To provide a taste of what this playlist offers, we’ve put it on shuffle and listened to the first five songs that come up. Here they are:
Milky Chance- Living in a Haze
Remember “Stolen Dance“? The creators of that minor hit from nearly a decade ago are back with this song, the title track and lead single of their upcoming album. While this song is faster and more percussion-heavy than their big hit, its sound will be familiar to long-time fans, incorporating a similar guitar tone and vocal style.
The Band CAMINO- Told You So
This song, meanwhile, bears more resemblance to 2000s pop-punk bands like Boys Like Girls or the All-American Rejects than it does to anything like Milky Chance. Nashville-based band, The Band CAMINO, self-describes the track as “rock-pop.” In practice, that means a greater reliance on electric guitar than most of the other songs here, leading to a rather distinct sound.
100 gecs- Hollywood Baby
In a group of relatively dissimilar artists, this one is by far the most unique. 100 gecs broke out around the turn of the last decade as leaders in the hyperpop genre, which is defined by heavily distorted synths and vocals, designed to provide a maximalist take on mainstream pop music. This song approaches pop-punk from that angle, creating a track that on paper might resemble the last one, but in reality, is markedly different.
Pierce the Veil- Emergency Contact
This band is the oldest of the five discussed here, with their first album being released all the way back in 2007. In the past, the band has been described as belonging to the metalcore and post-hardcore genres, but this track is far lighter and poppier than those labels suggest. This track resembles the early work of bands like Brand New and Taking Back Sunday more than the hardcore punk that PTV is known for.
little image- OUT OF MY MIND
This band, meanwhile, is the newest on the list, so new, in fact, that they lack even a Wikipedia page. This Dallas-based indie rock trio is gearing up to release their debut album, SELF-TITLED, on May 12. The band’s label page cites French electronic group M83 (who also appear on this playlist) as an influence. Although, this track is more reminiscent of the bass and percussion-heavy sound of acts like Tame Impala or GROUPLOVE.
The throughline between these five tracks is that there isn’t one. The songs don’t share a genre, an artistic background or even a melodic instrument in common. What you’re going to get out of this playlist, or any grouping of “alternative music” in general, depends on what you’re looking for. If you like one song that’s labeled as “alternative” and you’re looking for more like it, this is not the way to go. But if you’re looking for an eclectic grouping of music that shares little in common besides being different than the most popular music of today, you’ll enjoy this a fair bit.
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