Music has been incorporated in many different aspects of life, but overtime music has been split into four main genres. These four main genres are Pop, Rap, R&B, and Country. Oakmont is a very diverse school with lots of different music tastes. We interviewed many people and these are the results.
Pop: 6 votes
Many people enjoy listening to pop artists such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars and many more. This makes pop music the second most popular genre at our school. Pop music is usually described as binging light and fun with repeated chorises, verses and hooks. The phrase ‘Pop Music’ came from the root ‘Popular Music’. Freshman Jada Sandjon says that she loves Sabrina Carpenter because she loves her lyrics and the energy and lightness of her voice. Jada says that her favourite song by her is Espresso which is many people’s favourite, which shows as this song topped all of the charts worldwide. Sophomore Kat Pelkey says she really enjoys listening to Billie Eilish because of the, again, lightness in her voice. As well as the beats and music. Billie Eilish is a rising pop icon that many of the youth these days listen to. She is one of the perfect examples of pop music if you are still wondering what it is. Sophomore Gabrielle Comeau said that her favorite pop artist is definitely Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is probably the person you think of when you think about pop music because of the beats, lyrics and sound of her music. All of these singers have the same thing in common which is what makes pop music, pop music: the basic rhythms and tempos. This makes the music easy to dance and sing along to which then makes it ‘Popular’.
Rap: 4 votes
Rap music is one of those genres that typically younger people tend to listen to too. Which is a little ironic because it is usually pretty inappropriate. People under the age of 25 listen to rap more often than ones above 25. Rap is a kind of Hip Hop music that is typically ‘sung’ by African American people which stems from Hip Hop having African roots. Rap music is most commonly distinguished by the fast rhythmic pace and the lyrics. Sophomore Nathan Roukes said that he really likes Drake. Nathan says that he likes him because of his musical diversity and his lyrics which enforces that lyrics are very important in Rap music. Some famous and popular rappers right now would be Drake, Nicki Manaj, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B and many, many more. Junior Guliana Cucci said that her favorite rap artist is King Von. She says that she enjoys listening to ‘Crazy Story’ which is one of his biggest songs yet. Rap music has been important in vocalizing many world problems such as politics, racism, and limited opportunities for many people and groups. Elizabeth Bollina says she loves Nicki Manaj because she grew up listening to her as a child and she feels the Nicki manaj’s lyrics, again, empower her as a woman. Colombia School of Social Work says that Rap and Hip Hop music provides youth with a sense of identity and belonging which may be the reason why it is so popular today and most likely will still be years from now.
Country: 5 votes
Country music started off being popular to millennials Eventually Gen Z picked up the love for country music as well. Due to the majority of country music being about heartbreak most likely being the reason the country became popular for teens. Known to be popular to married homeowners. Radio slowly made country music spread to here. Many Country artists have grown popular recently making more teens listen to country. Sophia Campanale senior at Oakmont regional high school Says that her favorite country artist is Zach Bryan who just in 2024 grew tremendously in not only his music but expanded the listeners of country music. Molly Horgan, another senior at Oakmont High School says that her favorite artist is Megan Moroney, she has also grown very popular this year with her new album “Am I Okay”. Over the years country has grown to be more popular with all ages.“
R&B: 8 votes
Most people like R&B for its smooth steady rhythm being very popular to teenagers and young adults. Likely being the reason R&B is the most popular genre at our High School. Some of the artists making R&B so popular according to students like Jada Leblanc and Addison Roy are Sza and Frank Ocean. More that contribute to R&B being so liked are artists like: The Weekend, Beyonce, and Riahanna. In the 1940s R&B (Rhythm and blues) replaced “race music” created by African Americans. Elizabeth Bonilla sophomore student says she likes how R&B isn’t as inappropriate and swears all the time it is feel-good music. Sophomore Cece Sears says that she very much enjoys Beyonce because she makes very relatable music and she likes her vocals. Overall, R&B is the most popular music listened to by students in Oakmont!