“What’s Your Genre?” : How to Answer an Artist’s Favorite Question
I feel like there are a lot of questions that artists get asked that make one feel like they’re being put underneath a spotlight and dissected like a frog in 8th-grade biology.
Dramatic, I know.
But for real: how DOES one answer that question? It’s so subjective, sure, but there at least has to be some kind of guideline, right? How can you define what it is you do so that your tribe can find you or people can be intrigued by your music?
I might not have all the answers, but here are my thoughts on the question itself and how to best answer it.
“What’s your genre/What’s your vibe/What kind of music do you write?”
I never know how to answer this. Which is weird…because it’s MY OWN MUSIC and you’d think I’d be an expert on the topic.
But especially if you’re coming into the music scene as an independent singer-songwriter or you combine genres to create whatever art is your own, the answer is never simple. In our minds, we’re trying to be unique, to do something only we can do, so it can be difficult putting that into a box, nicely and neatly packaged.
People are also subconsciously obsessed with categorizing things; yeah, putting a label on something helps serve as a point of reference, but does everything NEED one? 🧐
Me being a skeptic aside, short answer: yes. People wanna know what they’re signing up for. Give the people what they want, papa. You can answer that question in several ways:
Compare yourself to artists who emulate similar sounds/vibes - I’m not a big fan of this one because c o m p a r i s o n but it at least serves as reference points for people using artists they may also be familiar with.
Select 2-3 genres that you feel best fit what you’re doing - It’s not an exact science but if you listen to your stuff and boil it down to the most basic components, you can come up with a formula for your music. For example: “My music is like jazz + pop, with a little bit of RnB”.
Describe it in an eclectic way - This is what I’ve found that I normally do. Because i’M diFFerEnT.
I have a cousin who would describe sounds like flavors because he ‘s a musician and a chef. I’ve heard people use colors, images, etc. as descriptors. And sometimes, I feel like that gets a better image across.
I’ve said these statements about my music before:
“If Laufey was the PI in AAPI and she listened to R&B all day”
“It’s a late night, drinking tea, watching anime at 3am kind of vibe.”
“It reminds me of VHS tapes, chai tea, and warm yellow string lights.”
All that to say, I hope that the next time someone asks you “what kind of music do you make"?,” you can answer it with a lot more confidence in who you are and what you create. Stay green, folks. ❣
