A Deep Dive into the Meaning of Music Genre

 A few posts ago, I discussed what Spotify thought about my listening habits... and for reasons beyond my ability to think about, people really focused on my aside that 141 genres of music appear to be overly broad. Subsequently, I read a post in the Babymetal subreddit about how "other" "kawaii metal" bands just aren't very good. Which got me thinking. If we take what genre means to its logical conclusion, is the conclusion that every band (and, by extension, any television show, movie, book, etc.) is, in fact, its own genre. Perhaps, in fact, that every single song by every single band is its own unique genre.

Before we deep dive into this concept, I do think it is important to realize that there are reasons why humans tend to want to categorize things (in this case, music). If we want to listen to a rock song, hearing an old Louis Armstrong song is probably not what we have in mind. If I wanted to hear a country music song, I'm probably not expecting to hear something from Iron Maiden. On the other hand, Metallica's "Mama Said" could be considered a song with a lot of country influence. Meanwhile, Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" is taking in a lot of the psychedelic rock of the late 60s and bringing it into Davis' standard jazz mix. Is Taylor Swift a country singer, a rock singer, or a pop singer? The answer is yes. So, even though we know that the boundaries of the genre labels (at a larger end: Rock, Blues, Jazz, Classical, Country, Folk, Electronic, Pop) there is mixing (after all Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash are each inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), human beings have some expectations of what music belongs in these overly broad genres. Which, if you want to listen to rock music, you know if something doesn't fit. 

On the other hand, there are genres that don't really make sense... yet we keep them. One could argue that the Seattle Scene of the late 80s/early 90s gave us Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam. Some smart marketing expert decided to market this as grunge, a term that persists to this day. But, an honest listening to these four bands, while certainly all belonging in the general rock genre, do not really sound similar to one another. This is also true of The New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Punk, Hair Metal, New Wave, New Romantic, Metalcore, Shoegaze, Black Metal, Blackgaze, Folk Metal, Americana... and even, Kawaii Metal. The further and further one subdivides genres, the fewer and fewer bands should be in the genre. To the point that, that genre doesn't exit. It is simply what one band does. 

I also recently came across a Loudwire list of the top 11 Prog Metal Albums of 2025. I can not speak of these specific 11 albums from this year (as I have listened to the entirety of any of these albums), I have knowledge of seven of the bands that are on this list. Are Dream Theater, Jinjer, Amorphis, Rivers of Nihil and Green Carnation all metal bands? Sure. Are they all "progressive?' In thier own ways. Does Dream Theater sound anything like Jinjer? Not really. Should Rivers of Nihil really share the same genre as Green Carnation? Not really (although both bands have used Saxophones in their songs). They are very much doing different things.

But, then again, Was this not true of The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and The Who? Pink Floyd, Boston, and Kiss? Bon Jovi, Metallica, and Guns N' Roses? Radiohead, Oasis and Blur? Limp Bizkit, Creed and Bush? One can go on and on (and, yes, I am purposely doing groupings of 3 just to make you think I am an AI recreation of myself.). These bands are very different from one another... and yet, are obviously connected to one another for a variety of reasons.

But, if genre listings are not useful in determining what any individual may want to listen to, what can one do? Terrestrial radio for many large genres are not available to listen to in many areas. MTV (and other music video channels) no longer exist in the original forms. Is there a method to find music you may wish to listen to?

The answer is, yes. However, it does take some level of self-determination. Utilizing subreddits of bands that you do like and asking what else is out there can be determinative. But, you are going to have to listen to bands to see if you like them. Which, you may not. Or, one can read good reviews of albums. Not to see if the album was rated as a 5 of 5 or a 0 of 5, that is only useful if you are the person writing the review. However, a good review may well point to other bands that you do have an interest in. Really good reviews may knock it out of the park not by pigeonholing the band, but by giving an expansive reading of the band's influences. For example:

Do you want a band that melds Elvis Presley, Social Distortion, and generic Metal. Try Volbeat.

Do you want a band than melds Metallica and the Beach Boys with British Snark: Here are the Wildhearts.

Is there a band out there that is a newer version of Blue Oyster Cult that is more "satanic", a bit more traditional metal, but has a lot of pop sheen? Oh, you mean Ghost?

Now, these are just my quick and dirty analysis of three bands that I happen to listen to. They are also not strictly exclusive... all three of these bands (and every other band out there) are not only the sum of their influences but also the sum of their individual parts. 

So, now that I have gone down this path of musical self-reflection, what does it all mean?

Well, music listening can be (and is to me) a very personal experience. And, therefore, the songs, albums, bands that I listen to and like are going to be material that appeals to me. Which is more than likely the same for you.

Why do I like Babymetal? Primarily because I like the vocal stylings of Su-Metal. Secondarily because I enjoy the expansive pallet of the metal that they play. I enjoy that they are not staying still and that they appear to want to move forward as they grow. 

Babymetal, however, is unique. Because they are a "Heavy Metal Dance Unit". Comparing Babymetal to Band-Maid (or Trident or Koiai or Fate Gear or Hanabie or Gacharic Spin or Loverbites) isn't fair to any of these musical groups... all of them are far more traditional bands who play their own instruments. However, comparing them to Bis (or Bish or LadyBaby or PassCode or Iron Bunny or ReiRei) also doesn't make sense. While all of these bands have the same idol-type upbringing as Babymetal does, All of those groups utilize the entire group of vocalists... where Su-Metal is clearly the lead singer of Babymetal. Babymetal straddles the delicate line between being a rock band and being an idol group largely because they are an idol group with one dedicated lead singer with heavy music being their backing music.

So, Kawaii Metal may as well mean Babymetal... and it really may as well mean Babymetal from their first album. It's a self-described marketing slogan which may not even be necessary anymore. For Babymetal is Babymetal. No one else is (or can be).

Then again, this is the same for any group. 

So, listen to music. Find music that you like. And, don't listen to music you don't like. Life is too short.