The Semantic Death of Musical Genres
Unlike film or literary genres such as horror, drama, or comedy, musical genres have a tendency to mean one thing... until they mean another. We've seen this manifest itself time and time again, with some examples being more blatant than others. But how widely acknowledged or understood are these misnomers? For instance, what does "emo" mean to you? Is it a shortening of "emotional hardcore"—a style relying on introspection and a charged sense of vulnerability—or is it a fashion trend captured in scene and pop punk? What about "R&B"? Do you use that term to describe charted "Black popular music," or are you referring to a style adjacent to gospel, soul, hip-hop, jazz, and disco?
In this article, I will break down three highly visible (and personally appreciated) genres, their original meanings, and their later redefinitions as misnomers.
