What are teens listening to?

Teenagers spend most of their time listening to music, most likely be either on Spotify or Apple Music. That’s how musical identities are discovered as well as music preferences. Music is seen a medium through which teenagers express their emotions.

This year has brought some fresh new songs in different genres, such as R&B, new boy bands, Rap, and Latin music. Multiple new artists such as SZA, Cuco, Brockhampton, Billie Eilish, The Internet, Clairo, Omar Apollo, and others have gained popularity and recognition among teenagers. New artists find new ways of engaging with their audiences on a much more personal level, using lyrics with emotional depth and better technology to show more their authenticity. Some artists are making comebacks with better music. Teenagers are one of the biggest influences of what music is being bought and downloaded, but what are they actually listening to?

“I prefer Apple Music over Spotify. Usually the type of songs I listen to are the ones that get me hyped and ready for school, such as rap or pop, even though I don’t really have any preferences at all,” said Julia Dunlop, a grade 11 student at Riverside. “My favorite artist would have to be Eminem because he came back better than ever after his long break, showing us all that you can still make a comeback even after such a long break.” With his new debut album Kamikaze, Eminem came back to No. 1 on the Artist top 100 Chart.

Others use music to help them deal with of emotions and problems. “In my opinion, I like Spotify Music better than anything else. I always listen to calmer music or background music at school because I can focus more when working,” said grade 11 student, Isabelle Attar. Music is said to be very good to help students concentrate while studying, even though some other types of music can have different effects on people and could distract them instead. “My favorite song now is Chamber of Reflection by Mac DeMarco, but my all-time favorite is Holding on To You by Twenty-One Pilots. I like alternative, rock, indie and rap. Music affects me personally because I struggle with mental health issues like many other people, and lyrics and music really move me and helps me persevere through dark times,” said Attar.

There are different opinions on which platform was better: Spotify or Apple Music. Some students stated that they liked Spotify because it provides concerts alerts, personalized playlists, and useful tools to discover new songs and artists. Others said that Apple Music is better because it always provides exclusive releases and has more generic radio stations for all users.

It is evident that not all high school students have the same taste in music; but there is also going to be those students who will prefer Spotify music over Apple Music. Teenagers, as the biggest audience and influencers, certainly have an impact on what music is trending and being downloaded.

photo by Highlight Magazine