Scrunk Music Blends Crunk, Screamo and Auto-Tune
Wesley Yang — September 19, 2009 — Life-Stages
References: mothersagainstbrokencyde.net & myspace
Scrunk, also nicknamed “crunk-core,” is the new breed of music sweeping our youth. It seems like a mad experiment combining screamo, best known for its screaming vocals, and crunk, characterized by its looping drum machine rhythms. Despite how strange it sounds, the music is finding its way into more and more iPods--particulary among teens.
On the forefront of this movement is the band brokeNCYDE (pronounced “broke-inside”), who have built a devoted fanbase. They have 9,000 friends on Facebook and over 200,000 fans on MySpace. Not only have they attracted support, but they have hooked the attention of critics as well. Thrash Magazine calls them a “mockery to the world of music.” There is even a group called “Mothers Against brokeNCYDE” devoted to defaming the music group.
The group’s first full-length release is titled “I’m Not a Fan… But the Kids Like It,” which is ironic because it perfectly captures how most people feel towards the music. However, despite the mixed reviews, the album debuted at #86 on the Billboard 200 in July 2009.
Whether you agree with the hundreds of thousands of fans or with the critics who want to bury the genre, scrunk is surely becoming something to watch out for.
On the forefront of this movement is the band brokeNCYDE (pronounced “broke-inside”), who have built a devoted fanbase. They have 9,000 friends on Facebook and over 200,000 fans on MySpace. Not only have they attracted support, but they have hooked the attention of critics as well. Thrash Magazine calls them a “mockery to the world of music.” There is even a group called “Mothers Against brokeNCYDE” devoted to defaming the music group.
The group’s first full-length release is titled “I’m Not a Fan… But the Kids Like It,” which is ironic because it perfectly captures how most people feel towards the music. However, despite the mixed reviews, the album debuted at #86 on the Billboard 200 in July 2009.
Whether you agree with the hundreds of thousands of fans or with the critics who want to bury the genre, scrunk is surely becoming something to watch out for.
Trend Themes
1. Scrunk Music - The blend of screamo, crunk, and auto-tune in Scrunk music presents an opportunity for music creators to tap into a new genre that appeals to young audiences.
2. Criticism Culture - The polarizing reactions to Scrunk music and the band brokeNCYDE indicate growing opportunities for businesses to offer platforms for people to express and monetize their criticisms.
3. Teen Consumerism - The increasing uptake of Scrunk music by teens creates opportunities for marketers to use the genre to craft targeted campaigns for this demographic.
Industry Implications
1. Music - The emergence of Scrunk music presents opportunities for artists and record labels to create and distribute more engaging and unconventional music.
2. Social Media - The strong social media presence of the band brokeNCYDE and the formation of a group against them highlights the need for social media platforms to develop and implement effective moderation policies and tools.
3. Marketing - The popularity of Scrunk music among teenagers presents advertising agencies and brands with opportunities to craft targeted campaigns for this demographic using the genre's unique blend of sounds.
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