Editor’s Note: This article contains reference to violence and addiction.
Music has never been more prevalent than it is now. Thanks to streaming platforms and social media, music is easily accessible. Nowadays, we can listen to whatever music we want, and our music tastes represent a part of our identity or our experiences, some of which you don’t even know yet.
Listening to music from other countries is a great way to explore these aspects of yourself. You should listen to foreign music to introduce yourself to the perspectives of different cultures that could align with your identity.
For example, I love songs that display emotion and show an artist’s vulnerability because I can relate to them.
I am also minoring in Spanish, so I enjoy listening to corridos, a Mexican genre that can include tales of romance and love. The most famous artists of this genre are Natanael Cano and Ivan Cornejo.
Your connection to music doesn’t have to be large — it can be as minimal as you desire. For instance, I enjoy the Mexican artist Peso Pluma because I enjoy the stories Pluma incorporates in his work.
Listening to music can also combat negative emotions, and I often turn to foreign music to uplift me when I need it. I may listen to bachata, a Dominican dance genre incorporating African and Dominican indigenous Taino music. I recommend you listen to the group Aventura, my favorite Spanish-speaking group.
However, if you don’t know Spanish and want to listen to more English-speaking artists, you can check out Afrobeats. Although Afrobeats often use some of the Yoruba and West African languages, it’s easy to follow most songs. In Afrobeats, the essential words are usually in English. I recommend artists like Burna Boy, Asake, Rema, Tems and Wizkid.
If you don’t have time to explore all of these artists, one song that always makes me happy is “Sungba” by Asake.
Any variation of funk music also does the job for me. With Brazilian funk on the rise, I naturally gravitate to the genre. Great artists include MC Guime, MC Rita and Kevin O Chris.
Out of all foreign genres, the most up-and-coming foreign music belongs to another English-speaking country — the United Kingdom. British music has been popular for a long time; the country birthed Elton John, Adele and Coldplay. Now, it seems like a new musical revolution is beginning to rise: U.K. drill.
U.K. drill is very similar to versions of drill in the United States. It is usually about life in the streets of gang violence and about life of addiction. It is very high energy and raw and uses snares and 808s frequently.
Although U.K. drill is not a new genre, it has become revitalized by new artists like Central Cee. While he became famous through his funny song “Doja,” his career is anything but a joke. He has re-popularized U.K. trap and drill, so much so that he made the most popular artist of our generation, Drake, hop on a drill freestyle.
I listed several different types of music to listen to, but it’s not even close to the number of genres available.
Our current era of music can not be compared to any previous eras. We live in a time of connectedness due to social media and streaming platforms. Consequently, this connectedness causes many different genres to be influenced by others.
Every day, a new type of music is made, and you should find a genre you align with. I just believe that you should look abroad to find your sounds.
