[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: Dua Lipa, The Weeknd and Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, 24kGoldn, Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat and SZA, Silk Sonic, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, Justin Bieber and Daniel Caesar and Giveon. End description]
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In 2021, the charts started to open up again after the lockdowns, but we're mostly seeing how this is affecting newer up-and-coming artists. Olivia Rodrigo's Driver's License was notable for shattering streaming records upon its release, making Rodrigo the first female artist since Carrie Underwood to have a single debut at number one. With her debut album, Sour, the trend of music of the 2020's playing homage to previous decades will continue. Good 4 U is obviously inspired by the pop punk of the early 2000's. The Weeknd's Save Your Tears continues the synthwave influence of his fourth album, After Hours. Levitating, like most of Future Nostalgia, is nu-disco. And Silk Sonic, a musical project conceptualized by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak with assistance from funk legend, Bootsy Collins, obviously takes influence from the funk and Philadelphia soul sound of the 70's. I like how the final decade in this series feels like a look back at the previous years we've covered. It's like everything is coming full circle.
But the 2020's isn't just made up of homages to the years prior. As far as trends to look towards, obviously TikTok is going to have a major say in what reaches the charts (I believe almost all of the songs listed trended at some point). Could be a chicken and egg thing, since obviously songs that are already popular are going to be more widely used on the app. But as we'll come to see, TikTok will also help to bring songs to the forefront that otherwise wouldn't have charted. Lyrically, the music of the 2020's pop scene also seems more introspective than the start of the previous decade. This works well with the lean towards the "bedroom pop" sound, but even the uptempo dance songs bring up queerness, depression, therapists, and anxiety. Whether these songs handle these topics well is another debate I don't feel like having, but it speaks to a shift in both awareness as well as self-image.
iann dior Shares "I Think You Should Go" Video from Brand New 'BLIND' EP
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24-year-old hitmaker iann dior shares the new video for breakup anthem "I Think You Should Go." A punchy and sharply-written bit of guitar pop, "I Think You Should Go" speaks on the kind of conflicting feelings, commitment issues, and breakups that everyone goes through in their youth. In the video, iann retreats to the Cali desert–where plush pink teddy bears grow on trees and dwells on the potential of betrayal that lurks behind each relationship.
"I Think You Should Go" is a highlight track from BLIND, iann dior's new EP. Spanning six tracks, the new EP is packed with cathartic angst and infectious melodies, with production from seasoned pro John Feldmann (formerly of the band Goldfinger, among others) adding heft to each cymbal crash and cascading riff. Highlights from the EP include recent single "House On Fire," a dramatic power ballad that progresses from gentle acoustic guitar to a thunderous climax, and the driving "Kill You Slowly," which shows off iann's falsetto. BLIND is available everywhere now via 10K Projects.
"I Think You Should Go" and BLIND continue iann dior's run as one of his generation's premiere hitmakers. He scored a #1 hit at just 20 years old when he collaborated with 24kGoldn on "Mood," which spent multiple weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020. The 4x Platinum single spent 33 weeks inside the Top 10 and has amassed over one billion audience spins at radio and over career 3.7 billion streams. "Mood" earned iann dior 2 VMA nominations for Song of the Year and Best Collaboration, Billboard and iHeart Radio award nominations, and more.
Since then, he's continued to grow his fanbase, dropping four more GOLD-certified singles, and releasing albums like on to better things in 2022. on to better things earned coverage from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NME, and many more, and featured contributions from the likes of Travis Barker and Lil Uzi Vert. In 2023, iann dropped leave me where you found me, reuniting the Puerto Rico-born artist with the superstar producer-artist collective Internet Money, home to singles like "do it all" and "10x3." Outside of music, iann dior has become a popular figure in the world of fashion, starring as the face of German luxury house MCM’s 2022 Spring/Summer campaign.
With an international tour in the works, and upcoming performances at So What Festival in Fort Worth, Texas and Stampede! in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, dior is ready to make 2024 his year. Stay tuned for more.
Hitmaker iann dior Returns With 6-Track 'BLIND' EP
A prodigious talent who scored a Billboard #1 hit before his 21st birthday, iann dior has continued to refine his sound, exploring matters of the heart with conviction and melodic verve. The 24-year-old singer lets his emotions get the best of him with BLIND, his new EP. Spanning six tracks, the new EP is packed with cathartic angst and infectious melodies, with production from seasoned pro John Feldmann (of the band Goldfinger, and producer for Avril Lavigne, Blink 182, 5 Seconds of Summer, and others) adding heft to each cymbal crash and cascading riff. Highlights from the EP include recent single "House On Fire," a dramatic power ballad that progresses from gentle acoustic guitar to a thunderous climax, and the driving "Kill You Slowly," which shows off iann's falsetto. BLIND is available everywhere now via 10K Projects.
"Everytime I link with Feldy, he always knows how to match my energy - we are able to build a world that blends all my elements and inspiration." says iann dior.
BLIND continues iann dior's run as one of his generation's premiere hitmakers. He scored a #1 hit at just 20 years old when he collaborated with 24kGoldn on "Mood," which spent multiple weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020. The 4x Platinum single spent 33 weeks inside the Top 10 and has amassed over one billion audience spins at radio and over career 3.7 billion streams. "Mood" earned iann dior 2 VMA nominations for Song of the Year and Best Collaboration, Billboard and iHeart Radio award nominations, and more.
Since then, he's continued to grow his fanbase, dropping four more GOLD-certified singles, and releasing albums like on to better things in 2022. on to better things earned coverage from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NME, and many more, and featured contributions from the likes of Travis Barker and Lil Uzi Vert. In 2023, iann dropped leave me where you found me, reuniting the Puerto Rico-born artist with the superstar producer-artist collective Internet Money, home to singles like "do it all" and "10x3." Outside of music, iann dior has become a popular figure in the world of fashion, starring as the face of German luxury house MCM’s 2022 Spring/Summer Global campaign.
With an international tour in the works, and upcoming performances at So What Festival in Fort Worth, Texas and Stampede! in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, dior is ready to make 2024 his year. Stay tuned for more.