2000s in Music - Overview

Overview

On the whole, the 2000s saw contemporary R&B, hip hop and urban music building incrementally, at times imperceptibly, on where they were in the 1990s, while new genres were not produced. Hip hop and R&B continue to be popular, at times blending with pop music, especially towards the end of the decade. Some mini genres did emerge in the decade, such as emo rock and pop, a more "melodramatic" fusion between Gothic rock and pop punk music, as well as electronic subgenres such as dubstep, grime and bassline. The 2000s also saw various 'phases' for genres which had a brief period of heightened popularity; this included electroclash (early part of the decade), crunk, screamo, dubstep, chill out (early part of decade) and snap (latter half of decade). The internet allowed unprecedented access to music and allowed artists to distribute music freely without label backing.

Nevertheless, distinguishable elements which can be attributed to the 21st century, from a musical point of view, is the common and mainstream usage of pitch correction software Auto-Tune, & later Melodyne technology, as well as the rise of the internet, media player programmes such as iTunes as well as music and video sharing websites such as YouTube. According to an article in the New York Times, the most distinguishable element of music in the 2000s is Auto-Tune; in such a way, the decade has been more musically innovative with regards to advances in digital technology and music production rather than songwriting styles.