What should we call this era of pop music once it's over, instead of just "2020s pop"?
Every major era of popular music eventually gets a defining label that captures its sound, culture, and technology — Classic Rock, Bubblegum Pop, New Wave, Grunge, Y2K Pop. But we almost never nail the name while we're still living in it. So let's try.
When I think about what defines pop music right now, a few things stand out: the dominance of streaming and algorithmic playlists shaping what gets heard, the hyperpop-to-bedroom-pop pipeline, artists blending genres so aggressively that "genre" barely means anything, and production that's simultaneously maximalist and weirdly intimate at the same time. Oh, and everything being either a viral TikTok sound or deliberately engineered to become one.
So what do we actually call this when it's over and music historians are writing it up?
My dumb suggestion: Digi-pop or Algo-Pop.
Genuinely curious what other people think. Do we even have a cohesive "sound" right now, or is it too fragmented to get a single label? And do you think we'll look back on this era as one thing, or will it splinter into 10 different sub-genres with their own names?