A Youtube Renaissance? The New (Old) Place for Musical Content
We are in the midst of a Youtube Resurgence! Here's why:
With the Instagram battlefield becoming increasingly more cold and impersonal, it can lead the average person or artist to wonder:
where has the feeling gone?
Good news! It’s moving to Youtube.
Remember when you first got an Instagram when you were like seven (thirteen for me, my parents weren’t having it).
Perhaps, your username was something along the lines of patrickstar13 (the regular patrick star was taken). You would post every single conscious thought you had on your main feed, attached to a duck lips selfie that all your friends approved of. Perhaps a “Like for a TBH” every now and again, if you were feeling frisky.
Bliss. A world where you could simply announce to your 150 followers that you would in fact be attending your local Dairy Queen following the neon safari dance, and everyone would also in fact be carpooling with someone’s PTA mom to meet you there. You would have the time of all times in your Delia*s attire, and you WOULD ALSO IN FACT be directing and starring in a Video Star music video, set to Kesha’s “Blow” in said Dairy Queen.
Ah, the Internet Circa 2010-2015: cue the costume jewelry, galaxy leggings, and skater skirts. Finger mustaches, Pop Tart Kitties, and British boybands.
Even digital had its awkward phase.
In 2016, Instagram sough out a number of changes, including the introduction of Instagram Stories, amongst a slight rebrand. Instagram stories allowed users to share more casual, 24 hour long, day-to-day updates, in real time. Users were now able to track viewership, unlike your general in-feed post.
More opportunities for surveillance of content, more time on the app. Enter stage left, influencer culture.
I mean, rightly so, right? If you had a machine that cloned marshmallows into, even more marshmallows—simply why not? But how much is too much of a sweet thing?
How does this translate into the music world? Accessibility to artists, information , content, and drops is at an all time high. In an attempt to feed this insatiable hunger, we are met with overflow. Digital has done for attention spans what mega-malls have done for consumerism, encouraging a simply indigestible, instantaneous amount of stuff.
Do we need all of this? Perhaps this question is only one you can answer.
Enter an old friend, Youtube (shoutout if you remember when the app was a tan TV screen). Remember the internet awkward phase I talked about earlier? Youtube users old and new are embracing this wholeheartedly. Whilst this niche has been bubbling up for the past few years, I believe it is finally here. Here are three archetypes of musical Youtube content that I am living for:
1. Video Essays
Kate Brunotts
This first example happens to be a good friend of mine. Kate Brunotts is my favorite video essay (er) (lol) and not to mention, an incredible artist. Her eloquence is so flawlessly translated into her Youtube content. Her analysis of music and media creates a space that is wonderfully thought-provoking and poised, whilst leaving room for an open conversation. In each topic she discusses, the structure of her dialogue invites you in, as though you are simply grabbing tea with an old friend.
Kate’s words on a Youtube resurgence: “I think people are yearning for something that they feel connected to on more than a surface level. Something that is hard to create.”
“Why people listen to podcasts and commentary videos is because it’s not meant to capitalize on your attention. It’s nice that I can listen to something and have a thought-provoking moment while doing the dishes, or going on a walk, or being in transit. The pendulum always swings, that’s why BeReal had its own moment.”
“I also think Youtube is having a moment where it’s becoming more decentralized. Creators with less than 10K subs pop into my algorithm more than ever. It could be apart of Youtube’s strategy. It could be becoming a resource for people who don’t have an established audience.” Furthermore encouraging more niche content to be at the algorithmic forefront.
In October of 2023, Kate created a video essay discussing FKA Twigs and her career trajectory; touching on important discussion points such as the BIPOC double standard, and knowing your creative worth (love that).
This video is so gloriously rich, and I suggest everyone watch. The piece resonated with audiences, and even got viewed by FKA Twigs team. The video spoke to the project, so much so that they asked Kate to fly to LA to co-moderate a panel for FKA Twigs’ four year anniversary of her beloved project, “Magdalene”.
This incredible story and content speaks to the notion that Youtube holds power and influence within the musical orbit. Teams are looking for the next place to cultivate an authentic voice, and oftentimes, the more specific and real to you, the better. THANK U KATE!
Said piece: FKA Twigs and the Stolen Spotlight
2. Production Recreation
Artist and producer devlimes (otherwise known as artist devlemons) makes casual, jovial production content. Primarily recreating popular and iconic songs without hearing them on her Youtube channel. Perhaps this has popped up through your Youtube algorithm lately (how I found it). These videos often results in off-the-cuff moments that bring production down to comedic and relatable state.
I love this concept. Listen, the amount of times I have laughed at myself while in the production process (it’s even funnier because I’m almost always alone while doing it, so they’re inside jokes I have with myself.) Whilst production can oftentimes be a grab bag of intense gatekeeping, and dizzying trial and error, I commend Dev for deciding to have fun with it in a way that is public facing. Dev challenges the status quo of what it means to produce, whilst cultivating a community of likeminded individuals that just don’t take things so seriously. Further encouraging the growing popularity of comedic production content.
One of her most popular: her re-make of “Hotline Bling” by Drake
3. Musical Reaction Videos
I love Ajayii. Her reactions are electric. Her videos make me feel like I am reacting to my favorite album alongside a BFF. As if we were counting down the days til its release. With plenty of pauses of tracks and impromptu dance breaks, inebriated off the anticipation of an initial first listen. A few weeks later, we would get together, log onto Ticketmaster, with dozens and dozens of identical tabs open — obsessively hovering over the refresh button, just barely scoring those $500 (each) floor seats (worth it.) We celebrate in our pajamas and we show up late to fourth period that day.
This type of content makes me giggle in my room with my feet up on the days that I miss being a fangirl, and on days that I miss being fifteen. It is content that I will always be thankful for.
I especially treasure Ajayii’s reaction to Lana Del Rey’s project, “Norman F****** Rockwell”
In the early ages, the internet identity was a question mark. No one really knew what it meant at that point. We were navigating it, and it felt like fun. Who’s to say that the times cannot make a full circle? History tends to boomerang back to a familiar state. Hopefully this time, with more acquired thoughts and experiences.
All this to say, I believe that digital music consumption as a whole is being questioned. Not just by consumers and musicians, but the internal industry. How do we want to represent ourselves within digital? Not just as public-facing accounts and compiled pixels, but as humans.
Is a more casual and personal space on the internet something that could benefit the livelihood of the music space? Could it influence music curation and discovery in a positive way?
back to this question: where has the feeling gone?
I think it’s been there all along. Perhaps, we all need to acknowledge it more from the heart. The heart is awkward and vulnerable, maybe how we communicate musical content can also be awkward and vulnerable. Perhaps, community building and an interpersonal feel within music is what we’re all craving after.
So, embrace the awkwardness. I will now go delve into my Youtube ‘Watch Later’ playlist, draw a mustache on my finger, and dust off my One Direction vinyls. See you!
Love,
Grace