Why I hate modern EDM

Let me just start off by saying that, obviously, there is a fair amount of good modern EDM in existence. Certain artists such as Avicii and Robin Schulz seem to be fairly competent, but the massive majority of EDM in the mainstream is terrible. Notice I said mainstream so you can come to me all you want with your underground producers, I'm talking about the big guns.

So why do I hate EDM? Well, first we have to see how it even broke into the mainstream. It seems to have originated from Disco in the underground and gradually became popular in the UK through the popularisation of House, Garage and Drum & Bass among a bunch of other genres. By the early 2000s loads of European EDM was clogging up the charts - Darude's 'Sandstorm' for example. Still, this wasn't bad at all, and although I wouldn't voluntarily listen to much of it I could definitely jam to it if it came on the radio. EDM quietly bubbled along as one of those genres that would quite regularly have large hits but was still semi-obscure in Britain, until a combination of big tracks in 2006-7. 

These were 'Put your hands up 4 Detroit' by Fedde Le Grand, which was a number one smash in the UK that was arguably the first absolutely massive song to have a very conventional drop, and just before it was 'Sexyback' by Justin Timberlake which introduced the general public to heavy artificial instrumentation. Another significant event of 2006 was a little DJ called David Guetta breaking into the mainstream with a mash up of his minor hit 'Love don't let Me Go' with another song, 'Walking Away', that led to a top 3 smash in Britain. 

This is also when EDM started to break the US charts, and by 2009 the Black Eyed Peas had cemented it as a chart powerhouse with 'I Gotta Feeling' (Which was produced by Guetta) and 'Boom Boom Pow'. So now we can finally start to look at my problems with EDM.

1. They all sound the same

Firstly, is it just me or do all EDM songs use the exact same instrumental effects every time? Think of how many songs currently on radio rotation use the 'handclap' or 'Click' effects as percussion. Plus many EDM artists use the same sounds in almost every song they release. Try telling one Kygo drop from another - it's pretty difficult. Obviously, in every genre there are artists who will follow the trends, but in EDM it seems like nobody isn't following them, making a whole load of very similar sounding music.

2. They lack personality (i. 'Trademark sounds')

One of my absolute favourite genres is synthpop, which has some qualities very similar to EDM. As you would expect they both have a heavy reliance on synths and artificial instrumentation. However, comparing these genres brings up my next problem - the lack of personality most EDM has. Very few producers actually sing on their creations instead relying on trademark sounds for any kind of recognition. Unfortunately the problem is that since so many big DJs seem to move to whatever's popular 'Trademark sounds' are quickly tossed away. Look at what happened to DJ snake, where his signature pitch shifting vocal-melding drops were quickly watered down to the point where two songs in the UK top 10 currently use them. 

2. They lack personality (ii. Guest artists)

Even worse than this lack of personality is the over-use of guest vocalists. For me, the mark of a good EDM song is if it can stand on it's own without vocals - think 'Levels' by Avicii or 'Animals' by Martin Garrix. However, most EDM artists insist on shoving a guest vocalist onto every single they released, lots of the time seemingly for guaranteed success rather than because the artist fits the song. For example, I see no reason why Justin Beiber is on 'Let me love you' by DJ Snake, his voice actively drains energy from the song. Compare this with 'Turn down for What', where Lil Jon is pretty much perfect for the song. It whiffs of selling-out.

Despite having the choice of most singers working today, most charting EDM seems to throw about singers who all sound very similar. At this point I've heard so many husky-voiced women and whimpering European men behind identical sounding instrumentals that they tend to bore me - even if the instrumental is banging. 

3. Worthless lyrics

Because so much popular EDM is written to be sung by another artist the lyrics tend to fall into three very wide categories: Partying, Love and Heartbreak. Out of these 3 only partying is explored in any kind of depth and even then... it's partying, it's on of the least deep things in existence. Most pop music is about Love and Heartbreak, but lots of it also goes further than 'I'm really sad', which is where most EDM draws the line. When people point out that songs on the radio aren't about anything, EDM is the main reason why. 

4. Drops are getting less and less listenable

As EDM slowly runs out of ideas for different drops, they seem to get worse and worse. The current trend is pitch shifting in the drop (As mentioned earlier) which is starting to become unbearable. The first case I heard of this on the radio was 'Runaway (U + I)' by Galantis which was ear-splittingly high pitched to the point that it actually gave me several headaches. Apparently the song appealed to enough people to make it a huge top 5 hit and the song has led to a large amount of imitators. Right now, 'Starving', 'Sexual' by NEIKED and 'In the Name of Love' by Martin Garrix all have electronic screams mirroring the vocal line of the pre-drop that make me turn off the radio. 

The other kind of drops are percussive, empty sounding drops that have no melody and sound downright bad. This kind of drop has fewer hits to it's name - it seems like even the public's got tired of it by now - But still songs like 'Be right there' by Diplo and Sleepy Tom and 'Where are U now' by Skrillex and Diplo have these ugly drops, I think trying to simulate 'Animals' by Martin Garrix which had an  incredible percussive drop. 

5. Overexposure

This happens to most popular genres at some point, but EDM has constantly been overexposed for years now. I really got into music at the start of 2011, just before 'Party Rock Anthem' made the drop massively popular once again, meaning that so far I haven't passed a year where EDM has had a large chunk of the chart - especially since I live in the UK where it's much easier for EDM to crossover. I'm so burnt out on EDM that I no longer listen to top 40 radio. Most genres that spend this long in the limelight burnt out quickly (Think of the pop-punk crazes in 2000 and 2005-6), but EDM has been lodged in our ears for over 5 years now and has barely changed in that time. 

The newest colour of EDM is tropical house which is easily the most bland sounding EDM yet, hence why it's been embraced by the blandest pop artists (Justin Bieber, Sia, Maroon 5). As Rap, R&B and Rock continue to produce great albums every month, EDM is dawdling along, having incredible success but very little impact on anything other than the artists nobody cared about in the first place.

Nonetheless, I challenge you to make your own opinion of EDM - music is very subjective after all - so here is the most recent (as of writing) Billboard top 50 for dance and EDM (Although I definitely wouldn't call some of the stuff on here EDM). It has a few great songs (Flume, Kunes and Clean Bandit for example) but the rest is pretty much what I've described. Here you go: