3 of the Most Overshadowed and Underrated Music Genres of the 21st Century

Country, rap, and pop are the big three music genres of the 21st century. Frankly, and in regard to commercial success, the genres have monopolized the industry to a massive fault. Though that can of worms shall be opened another time. What this musical monopolization has produced is a public memory that forgets some incredibly nuanced and novel genres of music.

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Now we aren’t talking about Americana, punk rock, or EDM, as all those genres have cult followings and substantial platforms, even if they aren’t nearly as big as the three genre giants we mentioned. The genres we will list are the ones that only exist in certain corners of the world, and are only played for people who absolutely and utterly adore the sound of them.

Zydeco

Zydeco music was born in the swamps of Creole country in the mid-20th century. It is a culmination of blues, jazz, as well as French and Caribbean music. It is truly a stand-alone genre that has no competitors in terms of its unique sound. Despite the enticing elements we just listed off, Zydeco only exists in tight circles and communities.

Honestly, that might be for the better, as it has remained true to its origins ever since its birth. Regardless, some of the more notable 21st-century Zydeco bands include Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience and L’Angélus. If you’ve never listened to Zydeco, do yourself a favor and press play on the video tagged above.

Delta Blues

Now the blues, without a doubt, inhabit every single popular genre of music in some way, shape, or form. However, the purest form of the blues, the Delta Blues, seems to become rarer and rarer every year. Although there are a handful of musicians keeping the genre alive.

As stated previously, the blues primarily exist in every major genre of music, but there are very few musicians who play them in their original form. Some musicians in the 21st century who are doing just that are Gary Clark. Jr and Cedric Burnside.

Funk

Like the blues, elements of funk music exist in most major genres in some capacity. However, the type of funk that coincides with the days of Bootsy Collins and Sly and the Family Stone is rather obscure. In the 21st century, the most notable funk album has certainly been Bruno Mars and Anderson. Paak‘s 2021 album, An Evening With Silk Sonic.

Since that album, a purely funk piece of music has seemingly not graced he mainstream. However, funk music is still around; you just have to look in some unfamiliar places. Though you can start with these three bands: VULFPECK, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, and The Motet.

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