Indie music has become increasingly popular among Gen Z, with the rise of artists such as Duster, Mitski, Laufey, Alex G, Boygenius, and TV Girl over recent years, thanks to their popularization on social media platforms. With countless tour announcements and this spring’s new Coachella lineup, many listeners are excited for what 2024 will bring.
This year’s Coachella (Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival), taking place in Indio, CA, has added rock/indie artists like Deftones, Blur, Lana Del Rey, The Beths, Faye Webster, Hatsune Miku, and Lovejoy to its lineup, garnering the attention of many Gen Z’ers. Artists in similar genres such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Mitski, Laufey, Lamp, Alex G, and Slowdive have all announced tours this year, too.
Many fans took to social media to express their excitement about these bands touring. One fan, @elleelzaxd, expressed their feelings on Instagram, “I WILL BE GOING, taking an eight-hour catch to go .” The user expressed their excitement and added onto it, speaking of a planned eight-hour bus-ride just to see a music artist perform. A Union Catholic student also commented, “This year I’m mainly excited for Black Country, New Road,” another indie rock band performing at Coachella.
As of now, Laufey, Mitski, and Slowdive shows are all sold out, which demonstrates how popular these new artists are becoming and how loyal their fan bases, consisting of mostly teenagers, are. A new trend is emerging among Gen Z towards shifting away from mainstream pop music, craving the authenticity found in independent artists who usually stray away from it. A quote by Mitski (ranked 72nd in the world on Spotify) in an interview with Pitchfork may suggest this: “I’m kind of a selfish musician who uses music to express something I wanna express; I want to make sure that I communicate to the best of my ability what it’s like for me to be alive and feel alive.” “That is the reason I live,” Mitski said.
This raw expression of experience and emotion in Mitski’s work can be what draws Gen Z to her music and media similar to it: art created to express, rather than to sell.
The future of Gen Z’s listening habits remains an ongoing mystery, but music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music make music easier to listen to than ever before. With this ease of accessibility, artists are able to quickly gain popularity. The effects of these unique circumstances surrounding music listening and technology among Gen Z are apparent in 2024, and many listeners cannot wait for the year to unfold!
