Friday Five: Why Did Pop Music Get Slower?

In this week’s Friday Five we’re leading with a piece from Rolling Stone on why today’s pop music got so slow, and we’ve also got pieces by Mixmag, Decoded Magazine, Music Think Tank, and The BBC. Have a great weekend!

1. How Did Pop Music Get So Slow? – The average tempo of a pop tune in 2017 dropped by 23BPM in the past five years. Why is that? Rolling Stone chats with DJs, producers and enthusiasts to investigate the lower tempo trend in pop and chart music Read more
2. Will Hi-Res Music Go Mainstream? – Audiophiles and exacting music geeks have sung the praises of high-resolution audio files for casual listening, whether that’s through an expensive sound system or headphones. With faster internet speeds and the “death” of the MP3, will hi-res downloads and streams become the next big music file format? The BBC has it Read more
3. The Fight For DJ Gender Equality Isn’t Over Yet – There is no shortage of female talent and skill when it comes to DJing and producing (DJ Perly won DMC US Finals, The Black Madonna won Mixmag’s DJ Of The Year, and so on), so why are women still underrepresented in festival line-ups and club nights? And why are there no women in Forbes’ top 10 list of highest paid DJs? Decoded Magazine has it Read more
4. How Long Should You Be Practising For? – Music Think Tank presents a guide that explains how much you should be practising if you want to gain proficiency. It also warns against over-practising, and shows you the signs to look out for. Find that practice routine sweet spot by reading this piece Read more
5. Interviewed: DJs With The Worst DJ Names – What’s in a DJ name? A lot, most especially if you’ve been given the dubious honour of having the “worst” DJ name ever. Your moniker says so much about you and the music that you play, so much so that picking a name can itself be a daunting task. Whatever you choose, you can rest assured it won’t be as bad as any on this list. Mixmag has it Read more

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