We are used to categorizing music into main genres, like pop, country, rap, hip-hop, classical, jazz, metal, etc. But, as the music scene and technologies took over the world, many hybrid subgenres appeared from the main ones.
We all know that pop is a too general category, and there are subgenres like synth-pop, art pop, orchestral pop, pop rock, pop-folk, and many others. Once rap was a huge genre, but today we have trap, country trap, gangsta rap, jazz rap, etc.
So, if you love some style and can’t categorize it in any of the well-known main genres, it probably belongs to some of the most popular subgenres or hybrid genres.
One thing is for sure. You probably enjoy some of these subgenres without even being aware of it.
So, let’s talk more about them.
1. Latin Trap
Latin trap or trap Latino is a subgenre that originated in Puerto Rico. The influence of Latin music and reggaeton are visible from the first seconds of every Latin trap music piece.
Regarding the best artists, we can say that Bad Bunny is the king of Latin trap, together with J Balvin, Daddy Yankee, Anuel AA, Ozuna, and many other talented names. Most of them come from Puerto Rico or are somehow related to the country.
This subgenre rocks the music scene, and the sold-out bad bunny tickets 2022 tour is the main proof of it. Also, millions of people have already viewed the new album videos and are excited to attend some live concerts.
2. Acid Jazz
Acid jazz is a jazz subgenre that combines elements of soul, funk, rock, and disco music. It was invented in London, so it’s understandable why the British music jazz stars first embraced it.
One of the best-known acts is the band named Jamiroquai. Even though some artists keep to the acid jazz, it also resulted in many other subgenres, including neo-soul, jazz rap, and jazz-rock.
3. Trip Hop
Trip hop is another British music subgenre, which is a mixture of hip hop and electronic music but slowed down, with added elements of jazz, R&B, reggae, soul, and funk.
Due to the slow tempo, it gives a psychedelic impression. If you love Massive Attack and Portishead, you already love the trip hop.
4. New Age Ambient Music
A new age is a genre that was created for relaxation, inspiration, and meditation. The goal is to calm down the people and give them a piece of mind.
The new age ambient music combines rhythm, acoustic forms, and electronic music elements. It sometimes reminds me of the native sounds of ancient times, rituals, and meditation methods. Yoga teachers use it to give an authentic feeling to the classes.
Even though there is no exact definition of this subgenre, we all know what’s it about.
We suggest listening to artists like Mike Oldfield, Enya, Era, Kitaro, and even Jean-Michelle Jarre and Vangelis so that you can enjoy these ambient sounds.
5. Indie Rock
Indie refers to the independent record labels and bands who make music for the “alternative” scene. Many bands and rock artists keep their unique sound even when signing contracts with record labels. Even though it’s a subgenre, it helped many other styles develop, like noise pop, emo, math rock, etc.
Indie pop has a calm sound and an atypical rhythmic structure. Even though it sounds odd, this type of music is really pleasant and works well as background music.
If you find this subgenre interesting, you can listen to The White Stripes, The Hives, Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, The Shins, and Dead Cab for Cutie.
6. Urban Contemporary
You probably know hundreds of urban contemporary songs already. It’s a term invented to replace the “black music” subgenre used to describe the crossover of pop, rap, and R&B.
This is not something innovative. In the 70s, a radio DJ named Frankie Crocker coined this term to explain the diversity of this subgenre.
The most popular artists? You know all of them! They are Ciara, Rihanna, Nicole Scherzinger, Chris Brown, Akon, Flo Rida, OutKast, Snoop Dogg, and many others. They also belong to general categories like rap or R&B, but they make music for the masses, placing them in the urban contemporary artists group.
7. K-Pop
K-pop means Korean popular music, which includes the whole music scene of South Korea. Artists promote their culture through popular genres like pop, rock, R&B, jazz, and even folk and country, with a mix of traditional Korean music.
The term K-pop was coined back in the early 2000s, so the world can easily understand what the word “gayo” means. This subgenre refers to a whole music culture of one country, covering the whole South Korean contemporary scene.
The K-pop artists created the K-pop wave that influenced the music in East Asia and also the Western world. Of course, it’s worth mentioning that the most anticipated artists are BTS and Blackpink.
