Why is Afro House Gaining Popularity? (It’s not about the production)
Why is Afro House, out of all genres, suddenly gaining traction throughout the world? You might think, "Oh, it's because it feels fresh," or "It fits the vibe of today." And while those are true, something about these answers didn't sit right with me. Why specifically was Afro House selected? Because no matter where I looked, it seemed like no one else was talking about this. My journey to understanding Afro House began with a simple question: What makes certain genres and artists take off? It seems random at first, but when we take a deeper look, it all starts to make sense.
Most people see industries as separate, individual, and self-reliant. This is the result of the human brain's tendency to think in a linear, logical fashion. Mathematics teaches us that A plus B is C, which is an example of this. However, seeing the world in this way can be limiting, as it forces us to zoom in on culture rather than seeing the big picture.
Instead of viewing music, fashion, and movies as separate entities, true cultural analysts see it as an interconnected system, like a galaxy where every industry is a star orbiting around a central core. When the core shifts, everything changes with it. These shifts aren't random, they're responses to deeper societal movements, technological advances, and evolving human needs.
This interconnected perspective reveals why looking at trends in music alone can be misleading. When we examine Afro House's rise, we're not just seeing a genre gaining popularity, we're witnessing a reflection of broader cultural shifts, changing social values, and evolving global perspectives. The music becomes a mere manifestation of these larger movements, rather than just a standalone phenomenon.
Understanding this systemic nature of cultural trends helps us move beyond surface level analysis. It explains why certain movements gain traction while others fade away, and why some trends seem to emerge simultaneously across different cultural spheres. This perspective helps us better understand why certain trends, like Afro House, emerge and gain popularity at specific moments in time.
So here is my take on why Afro House is gaining popularity.
In society we are seeing a shift from chaos and confidence to calmness and authenticity, which is baked into the afro house genre itself. Drums in afro house tend to have minimal processing (authentic), and the genre tends to be a slower tempo (around 120 bpm), which is mirroring this change. We are already seeing this trend in other parts of society, such as the recent Elon Musk controversies. It's important to note that, despite what most people believe, controversy does not cause someone to lose relevance. It is the result of underlying cultural shifts that make the person feel out of place. It is then when the culture brings up something trivial to criticize them about. Elon Musk's chaos that is baked into his brand is losing its grip, and the rise of afro house is showing that the culture is moving toward a slower pace, with less focus on hyper stimulation. Another artist that I have been keeping track of is Playboi Carti. Carti is the antithesis to Afro house, as Carti represents chaos and mystery. Carti's recent album performance is a sign that the culture is changing. Again, the audience doesn't know subconsciously why his album doesn't hit, only that it feels out of place. They will call his albums 'mid' without knowing why. This will cause people to subconsciously start hating him, and bring up trivial things to tear him down. This is why growth for artists like Keinemusik can almost feel effortless, because it is this effect happening in reverse.
Anyway, I will try to keep posting these every week.
Cheers,
David