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| Folk-pop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1960s |
Folk-pop is a broad musical style that includescontemporary folk songs withpop arrangements, and pop songs with intimate,acoustic-based folk arrangements. Folk-pop has been popularized by mainstream media in recent years.
Folk-pop incorporates the sounds of the acousticguitar andbanjo of traditionalfolk music and combines it with the more electronic and synth beats of today'spop genre.[1] The folk genre is recognized for its simple melodies, story-telling nature, and cultural themes and messages, while pop music is recognized by a repetitive but catchy chorus and fast-paced tempos.[2]
Recording production values created a unblemished style that appealed to a mass audience, and thus led to commercial success as measured by high record sales, particularly as illustrated by hit records reaching theTop 40 onAM radio in the United States. Folk-pop developed during the 1960s folk music andfolk rock boom.[3] Key example of folk-pop artists includethe Kingston Trio andPeter, Paul and Mary with contracts with major record labels (Capitol Records andWarner Bros. Records, respectively).
Folk-pop not only contains musical aspects of both the folk and pop music genres, but is recognized by its popularity in mainstream media.[4] Social media platforms such asTikTok have allowed artists a large platform to reach a broad audience, which has led to the increasing popularity of songs and artists that use folk-pop elements in their music.[4]Some rising artists exploring the folk-pop genre that have appeared on theBillboard Hot 100 in the last year includeTyler Childers,Noah Kahan,Zach Bryan, andThe Lumineers.[4]
Popular music today contains "inherently nostalgic properties"[5] by referencing either past events or aspects of culture reflecting the timeframe in which the song is written.Taylor Swift'sFolklore (2020) album has examples of folk-pop songs referencing aspects of both current and past culture. "The Last Great American Dynasty" tells the story ofRebekah Harkness, the woman that previously owned Swift's Rhode Island home in the 1940's-1970's.
