Should We Stop Labeling Music? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Should We Stop Labeling Music?

Genres are overrated.

80
Should We Stop Labeling Music?
DeviantArt

How often is it that you find an artist or a band that sticks to only one genre of music? It's hard to find even an album or EP that only limits itself to one genre, but a quick Google search will classify an artist or band under one, maybe two genres. We all know that each band has "that one heavy song" or "that one slow song" on each of their albums. The truth is, we categorize music based off of the majority of what each artist releases, and when said artist releases something that doesn't fit their style, they usually get backlash for it.

Take UK band Bring Me The Horizon for example. They released "Drown" in October of 2014.


One of the comments on this video is, "What the hell is this? What happened to the hardcore breakdowns and brutal BMTH mosh pits of 2010?"

Clearly, someone is missing a certain style of music, but does it actually make sense to ask a question like this YouTube user did?

It's a legitimate question. However, it's also common knowledge. What happened to Bring Me The Horizon? They released a song that didn't please the euphoric stimuli of some people's brains, that's all. They stepped away from their heavy roots for that one song and, well, people were disappointed.

The song ended up being on their new album, which they teased/announced a few months later. However, nobody was prepared for the entire metal-to-pop transition. In fact, when "Drown" was released, no one had any clue that BMTH's classified genre had officially changed. Some people liked it, but a lot of people hated it.

They officially released "Happy Song" as the first promotional single off their new album "That's The Spirit" a little over a year ago. The song (along with the album) is a lot lighter than what the majority of their old music sounds like. A lot of people were disappointed in this "rock" band. YouTube user "Vampire Kiss" commented on the video saying, "I used to think you were sick but turns out you're just a bunch of hipsters."

Umm, ouch?

Not really. I don't think there's any law or rule that says a band or artist can't venture out from their typical music genre and create something new, different, and adventurous. A musician isn't restricted to one type of music for their entire career. In fact, if you pull up any album from any band, you'll notice a pretty clear pattern. This pattern is pretty apparent in a lot of rock bands. The albums usually have one or two slow songs, one or two extremely heavy songs, and the rest of the songs are what fit their "style." You'll also notice that the heavier songs and the typical songs are their most popular ones.

No one really listens to the slow songs because it isn't "them," right?

But it is them. The musicians released the slow songs themselves, just like they released the heavy songs themselves. It's the same voice, same person, same everything.

Think about it. The same people, instruments, and voices that created "Count Your Blessings" and "Sempiternal" are the same people, instruments, and voices that created "That's The Spirit."

The same band released two very different types of music, but does that mean that one type of music that they create is wrong and the other is right?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

1408
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

16262
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3403
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments