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As True Music reaches its 10th anniversary, we asked five writers from across the globe to share their thoughts on the evolution of music culture over the past decade, from the dominance of the internet to the scene post-pandemic and beyond.
Edited by music journalist Shiba Mazaza, this article features contributions from key journalists in Brazil, Poland, Spain, and South Africa.
For as long as anyone can remember, music has been a significant aspect of culture. It provided comfort, entertainment, and reflection of society’s evolution. It reveals both our identity and aspirations, and music journalism has always been at the forefront, highlighting and providing a valuable exploration of this essential form of self-expression.
Then with the birth of the internet in the 90s, the world was able to connect with music in unprecedented ways, fostering a deeper appreciation of our individuality and cultures.
As access to the internet grew, there then began a homogenization of music cultures, as it became a means of cultural influence, defining standards of power, desirability, and acceptability. The occidental world, influential in politics and popular culture, set benchmarks for success, wealth, and happiness. Conforming to ideals of lighter skin, slimmer figures, conservative values, and the use of Anglophone languages became important for musicians seeking global recognition.
But that’s how it used to be.
In the past decade, this cultural dominance has waned, giving rise to the phenomenon of “glocalization,” ushering in an era of new cultural standards. Amid a global pandemic, economic instability, civil rights movements, and women’s rights advocacy, dance floors have become spaces for resistance, activism, and liberation.
From Sao Paolo to Johannesburg, Krakow to Zaragoza, local music scenes are emerging, reflecting the everyday experiences and concerns of their communities. This shift favors narratives that are more relatable and relevant to those closer to home.
“There’s been a significant shift,” notes Spanish journalist Eduardo Pérez Waasdorp. “The influence of Southern American styles on mainstream music combined with electronic music production, and the industrialization of techno-related styles, has created a unique musical moment. A decade ago, one could never have imagined the fusion of reggaeton or Latin-infused music with house, tech house or techno; or even the edits that prominent international artists have crafted from popular Spanish rock songs, as a nod to a crowd that has gained prominence on international calendars—not solely for Ibiza, as was once the case.”
Whether they’re housing Baile Funk or Amapiano, dance floors have become a place of self-reliance and self-acceptance, where ravers are taking the reins and asking for more of what they want to see – themselves. Genres and gender norms bend. People of all ages can find their spot front left. Day parties and outdoor scenes take hold. Artists on the fringe are looking inward, producing groundbreaking work, starting careers, building homes and businesses, crossing borders, winning GRAMMYs and amassing legacies that will leave something worthwhile for generations to come.
Names, connections and a living can be made from sharing our unique identities, where there’s room for nuance and novelty, and there’s no wrong way to move, live and love.
“Every Brazilian is born with a predetermined future, and when you come from a poor family, it seems like there’s no escape,” says Peroli from Sao Paolo. “The role of music in these cases comes as a cry for freedom, where [Baile] funk MCs, for example, play an important role. In the last 10 years, we’ve seen an increase in what we know as “ostentation funk,“ where MCs transitioned from the phase of “manifestation“ and now describe their success and flaunt their real earnings.
They vibrate from the top, where they arrived with their art, influencing people who come from roots like theirs, giving this sense that the impossible is now palpable.”
“In the last decade, we have witnessed a crucial shift in electronic music,” expresses Sebastian Narváez Nunez. “The new generation is no longer trying to emulate the European sound or follow global trends but is immersed in the exploration of our own sonorities.”
Though far apart, this is something South Africa and Colombia share. The coastal town of Durban brings an oceanic gqom to the scene with a depth and dexterity of sound to counter every back-breaking vosho. Bolo House invites athleticism in story and song to the region of Limpopo, while Afrohouse bridges the gaps between tribe, nationality and culture for a continent in flux. Amapiano from Gauteng offers warmth, soul and nostalgia to truly make house a home, in a historic change from the segregation of years past.
The same hands that once woke up at 4am to make a living cutting grass, sweeping streets and selling snacks, only to go home to craft melodies under corrugated iron roofing on cracked software – now hold in their palm’s crowds in Ibiza, Berlin, Tokyo and Paris.
Languages that were once disparaged now captivate audiences in New York, London, and Amsterdam. Through our music, marginalized voices have found unexpected power, overshadowing a history of oppression that spanned centuries. On the dance floor, we not only free our voices and bodies, but also expand our minds. As traditional genre boundaries blur, there is a growing resistance to excluding LGBTQ identities, dismissing black contributions, and ignoring migrant experiences in club spaces.
“Dance music empowers marginalized voices and helps them thrive in Poland’s club culture,” says Artur Wojtczak. “In 2022, my city became home to around 2 million refugees, bringing a great creative energy with them that has found a place in our nightlife. DJs, producers, DJ collectives, and record stores have integrated into Polish clubbing society, performing in our clubs or hosting their own parties. Since then, our city has become more diverse and inclusive.””
In just 10 years, a new world of possibilities has emerged, and we’ve evolved with it. Embracing the full spectrum of human experience and tackling intersectionality has sparked innovation, insight, and new ideas, enriching society. In music, we see how far we’ve come—and how much further we can go, together.
Shiba Melissa Mazaza
A music researcher, journalist, curator and voice over artist based in Cape Town, South Africa; specialising in African expressions of identity and their sonorities over time. Shiba’s published with platforms such as mixmag, DJ Mag, RA, mixmag and The Face; worked on dynamic projects for Music in Africa, Black Major, Ballantine’s, Platoon Africa and Boiler Room, from her own stable dubbed Mount Makeda, where she continues to aid in shifting African electronic music’s narratives.
Eduardo Perez Waasdorp
Eduardo is a Latin-European music journalist & curator, artists & club manager, who has dedicated his career to put the spotlight on the new tendencies and stars taking over global dance floors. Originally from Venezuela, he lives in Zaragoza, Spain, a thriving cultural and musical hotspot in Spain.
Peroli
Peroli started her DJ career in 2018, bringing in her sets songs she would like to hear on the dance floor. In 2021, she had her name mentioned in an article by Pitchfork – one of the most important media for world music, which brought a list of references from women promoting the grime scene in Brazil. Her passion for music, culture, and curiosity for trends is often translated in her research and posts she writes with more depth.
Sebastián Narváez Núñez
Sebastián, a journalist and music editor, won the National Simon Bolivar Prize for Journalism in 2020. He has contributed to media outlets in Colombia, the United States, Spain, and Poland, and has worked on socio-cultural projects for the British Council and the Ministry of Culture. Formerly the editor of Noisey en Español, he now serves as the director of Sudakas Media.
ARTUR WOJTCZAK
A tireless ambassador of the club culture in Poland, Artur is a journalist-freelancer cooperating with magazines such as MIXMAG Poland and MIXMAG UK, MUNO, Electronic Beats Poland). The very first Pole in history to be the official speaker at Berlin’s legendary techno-parade Rave The Planet , where he spoke about the legal protection of clubs as cultural venues.
Welcome to The Drop; a content series that highlights incredible music subcultures from across the globe.
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