The Rising Genre Debate and Its Relevance on Campus
IMG students listen to everything from country and rock to rap and reggaeton. Does this correlate with personality? Sport? With the assertion that our personalities tend to shape our preferences and behaviors, it’s rational to think that most people would be inclined towards “yes, there must be a correlation.” People may often assume quieter, more introverted individuals enjoy relaxed music like R&B, while those who are high energy or more extroverted favor louder, more active music like rap. However, in a survey we conducted, it was found that this might not necessarily be the case.
From a sample size of 40 respondents in sports including soccer, basketball, tennis, track & field, football, baseball, and others, results showed an array of musical taste.
Results of a December 2020 survey conducted on 40 IMG student-athletes, exploring the intersections of music and the athletic department.
Surveyed individuals had diverse identities, coming from a variety of athletic and geographic backgrounds. However, it was discovered that these aspects had little impact on their music taste. Michaela Bonamy, a survey participant and gymnast who described herself as “pretty calm and collected,” displayed rap as her favorite genre. Meanwhile, Megan Tinseley, a soccer player, described herself as “outgoing” and “[high] energy” named R&B as her preferred taste in music. These trends weren’t rare. While looking at the data, it was clear that many of the stereotypical personality traits associated with certain musical genre preferences didn’t accurately reflect participants’ actual personalities.
Not only did the participants' music taste have zero correlation to personality, their preferences didn’t just encompass one type of music. 92.5% of participants reported enjoying a mixture of genres including rap, R&B, and pop.
The array of genres displayed in this survey connect to the recent, rising debates surrounding genre and its necessity in the music industry.
The abolition of musical genres has recently become a hot topic of discussion, involving many celebrities. Artists such as Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, and James Bay, musicians who often like to incorporate many different elements and styles in their music, are among those that have been vocal against the idea of genres, as they believe it unfairly categorizes their music while limiting their creativity.
These artists have expressed concerns about the presence of genres within the music industry because they feel as if these categorizations hinder their say in the distribution of their music. Additionally, artists claim to feel as if they are “trapped in their genre” or forced to fit the stereotypes of their designated “style,” negatively impacting their artistic freedom.
However, many disagree with their perspectives. Some believe that categorization is necessary for musical organization in apps like Apple Music and Spotify, which provide suggestions based on the owner’s taste and most commonly listened to genres. Those who disagree also believe that genres are essential to the music awards system, where awards are distributed based on musical type.
Regardless of whether or not you think genres should exist, it is impossible to deny the unifying nature of music. But we’re forced to reconcile with a few questions: Should genres exist? In music? In movies?