Despite the opinions of some hipster elitists, Top 40 music has redeeming qualities. Some people like to deem popular music a collection of vapid, repetitive, and substance-lacking pop songs with unoriginal beats and lyrics; however, that opinion is an untrue generalization. More recently, more popular radio stations have been including indie artists in their repertoires. Although Top 40 certainly still has it’s share of headache inducing beat drops and uninspired lyrics, the increasing popularity of independent artists on the radio is a shining beacon of hope in Top 40 music. Although the artists’ charting singles are fantastic, becoming a stereotypical bandwagon fan who only likes their most popular songs can earn one extreme disrespect from his or her pretentious, hipster friends. Have no fear, however, for this week’s playlist contains the best of these artists, so you can become and expert on the emerging popularity of indie.
The majority of indie artists on the radio are new to the music scene. Most notably, New Zealand singer Lorde took the radio by storm with her singles “Royals” and “Team,” taking home a Grammy for the former. Despite her singles’ immense popularity, they do not show the best of Lorde’s lyrical potential in her debut album, Pure Heroine. Her songs “White Teeth Teens” and “Ribs” show the full extent of her immense talent. Bastille, who also dropped their debut album in 2013, achieved great success with their single “Pompeii.” While “Pompeii” is a great first single, Bastille has other great, unique songs in their album, like the slowed-down “Things We Lost in the Fire” and the interesting, synth-filled “Flaws.” Other new artists include the 1975 and the Neighbourhood, who have received recognition for their singles “Chocolate” and “Sweater Weather,” respectively. “Chocolate” is a perfect sample of the 1975’s unique sound and fun repetitiveness displayed in their debut album, which is full of other radio-worthy, upbeat songs. The Neighbourhood’s acoustic feel in “Sweater Weather” is simple in comparison to some of the other songs, like “Female Robbery,” from their first album. The success of Brooklyn-based band American Authors came before they could even drop their debut album, as their first single “Best Day of My Life” quickly climbed the charts. They replicate their single’s extraordinarily fun, folk-esque sound in “Hit It,” and prove their lyrical profoundness in “Home,” which is a slower, more low-key song in comparison to others.
Although the novices of indie seem to be receiving all the recognition, some veterans of indie music have been awarded with the success that they rightfully deserve. The fifth album from UK-based Arctic Monkeys, AM, has garnered much more attention than their previous works. Singles “Do I Wanna Know?” and “R U Mine” may not be on Top 40 radio, but they are certainly some of the most successful from the band. The band’s experience in indie has made them diverse in sound in their all-around fantastic album, switching from the fun beat and backing vocals of “Knee Socks” to the melancholy tune of “No. 1 Party Anthem.” Vampire Weekend, known for being a staple of any indie-lover collection, won a Grammy for Best Alternative Album with “Modern Vampires of the City.” Most known for their single “Diane Young,” Vampire Weekend is also musically diverse, with backing violins combined with a head-bobbing base line in “Everlasting Arms” and the impossibly fast singing in “Worship You.”
While some indie fans might cry out in refrain of the increasing popularity of indie artists, their success proves not only that indie is a credible and fun genre, but that the music taste of the general population is greatly improving. So ignore all the complains of “I knew that song before it got popular,” because now you can be just as musically diverse as they are.
-Rachel Spang
