WHAT IS GENRE-BENDING MUSIC?

Genre-bending music is what happens when artists mix musical styles that don’t usually go together. Many think the first example of genre-bending music that went mainstream is rock and roll; a mash-up of black R&B and white country. To those people, Elvis Presley was the first cross-genre mashup artist.

Fast forward to today and the genre-bending scene is huge. Artists from different backgrounds collaborate to create chart-topping sounds, like The Chainsmokers & Coldplay. On social media, you'll find countless inventive mashups from amateurs that go viral because fans love the creativity.

In this article, we look at cross-genre mashups as an opportunity for creators to stand out on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. First, we'll explore why mashups work. Then, we'll look at their history, including their current resurgence. Last, we'll show you how you can use this strategy in your own content.

 

Why does genre-bending music capture our attention?

Genre-bending music is popular with audiences for three main reasons:

Surprise

We associate individual music genres with certain moods, cultures, and instruments. When a track defies these conventions, it gives us a fresh and unique musical experience.

A famous example is Blondie's Rapture, mixing pop/rock with a long rap verse voiced by Debbie Harry. This made the band one of the first prominent genre-bending artists. When the familiar and unfamiliar blend well with each other, it hooks listeners in.

Broader appeal

Cross-genre music is a way for people to experience music they're unfamiliar with. They are a great way to bridge fan bases and encourage people to explore a new sound.

For example, Run DMC's genre mash-up of "Walk This Way" with Aerosmith in 1986 introduced rock to hip hop fans and vice versa.

Greater creativity

Artists enjoy the “freedom of movement through and between musical worlds” with cross-gen collabs. That's according to the Bloomsbury Handbook of Popular Music and Social Class.

Fans love the thrill of artists taking us somewhere new - while still hearing echoes of familiarity.

Think Freddie Mercury's album collaboration with Montserrat Caballé. Mercury felt he couldn't make this type of music as Queen's lead singer or as a solo artist. But with Caballé, he found a partner he could explore a completely different musical identity with.

 

The rise of the cross-genre mashup

A "mashup" scene began to develop in the late 1980s. A "mashup" can be:

• A new track created by combining two or more existing songs.

• An original composition featuring elements from another song or other songs.
  
  

KLF did the latter in 1987 with "The Queen and I". They fused the chorus of Abba's Dancing Queen and two Sex Pistols' songs with their own hip hop vocals. Legal action by Abba and the MCPS resulted in the forced withdrawal of the album from sale.

Mashups gained more momentum in the 1990s. A famous example is Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner", originally an a cappella album track from 1987.

Two British record producers sampled Vega's vocals and built a brand new dancefloor track underneath them. They released their genre-bending cover unofficially to clubs but A&M, Vega's record company, threatened to sue them. Vega liked the track, so A&M struck a deal with the producers instead.

In the 2000s, English DJ and remixer Roy Kerr, known as the Freelance Hellraiser, created "A Stroke of Genius". This track was a mashup of the Stroke's indie rocker "Hard to Explain" with "Genie in a Bottle", a pop track by Christina Aguilera.

For many, this was the beginning of the "bastard pop" genre. This was music produced by combining tracks downloaded from file-sharing platforms.

Perhaps the most famous example of bastard pop was 2004’s “The Grey Album” by U.S. musician Danger Mouse. This release cleverly fused Jay Z's rap lyrics from "The Black Album" with instrumentals from the Beatles "The White Album".

"The Grey Album" proved how influential creators could be. The rise of user-friendly software made creating mashups easier, which helped to popularise the art form. And the release of stems (isolated vocal, drum, and instrument tracks) gave amateur producers what they needed to be more inventive.

 

How to use mashups in your content

Genre-bending means more than just mixing two or more songs of different styles together for its fans. True skill in the art form requires a keen sense of the choice of tracks and the timing of the mashup.

For example, choose a point where the narrative needs a shift in energy, tone, or attention. That could be to signpost a change in pace, like moving from a period of reflection to another one of high energy.

As a creator, you face a limitation using mashups in your content. If you use copyrighted work, like many of the mashups mentioned earlier in this article, you risk demonetisation. There are two other ways to use mashups, however.

First, if you have the equipment and knowledge to create your own mashups, download stems from a royalty-free music library. Universal Music for Creators lets you download stems from our library so you can create your own sound mash-ups.

Second, another option is to download music inspired by mashups from a royalty-free library. Five of the many options available now from Universal Music for Creators are:

• Fun and energetic: The "Electro Swing" album is a vibrant collision of retro and modern sensibilities. Combining lounge, pop, rock, kitsch, and easy listening, it's ideal for food vloggers doing a fast-paced recipe runthrough.
• Big world vibes: If you want epic, dramatic, and motivational music, choose "Remixed Eternal Hero". This mash-up of orchestra and beat fuses hip hop and dirty electro to full orchestral recordings. Imagine a travel vlogger's stunning drone footage or a gamer's highlight reel.
• Edgy and modern: Mashed-up hip hop and sports energy meets Asian instruments in a 2020's urban texture. The grit, swagger, and scale of these tunes will power a cutting-edge tech review or a fashion influencer's latest lookbook. Check out "Asia PHONK" now.
• Elegance and style: These tracks are great for luxury properties, premium jewellery and other luxury items. "Style and Grace" is a classical crossover with new arrangements, backed by infectious beats and high production values.

The perfect soundtrack turns great videos into unforgettable videos. Mashing up genres to create a sound of your own gives your content a distinct edge, helping you stand out and improve sharability..

For 50,000+ better than royalty-free tracks, great stems, and 200,000 SFX+, join Universal Music for Creators today.