History Of Music For A Gen Z

A person’s taste in music can say a lot about them. It can give us a look into their personal life and which are the most prominent influences in it. These outside influences can be seen in the form of family, friends, relationships, social and cultural background, and a person’s search and journey to finding their own identity. 

My own music taste gives a broader look at my life. This comes in the form of artists I listened to in my childhood and still enjoy today, from my mother’s favorites to my recently found love of Puerto Rican salsa music. I can always identify what music I was obsessed with at different intervals of my life by looking back throughout it. Like when I was five and attended my first ever concert or felt super edgy in middle school listening to Halsey’s Badlands. So, I will give you a look at what the world of music is made up of to a Puerto Rican Gen Z.

Familial Influences:

The first types of music we hear aren’t our own choices. Sometimes, parents play music to children in the womb to help with their development or play songs that are meant to teach babies life concepts. As a young child, I vividly remember listening to Disney music and tunes from the Barney & Friends show, but these songs aren’t the ones that I still listen to or enjoy.

The music I think of most fondly lives on in the memories of car rides in my mom’s green Honda CR-V. She would play her CDs, and we would listen to Shakira’s albums; from Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, to Laundry Service. Another example of my musical first-loves was Juanes. His first two albums are still some of my favorites and ones that I have no problem shouting at the top of my lungs. These two artists are ones that I am highly grateful to have been introduced to at a young age and that I still love. 

My dad influenced my taste in music as well. I think when we are young, we admire our parents so much that we think the only acceptable thing to do is to be just like them. This includes liking the same things they do. So when my dad introduced me to the Bee Gees and told me that it was one of his favorite groups when he was young, I fell in love. To this day, some of my fondest childhood memories include going to Johnny Rockets with my dad and watching the waiters dance to Stayin’ Alive. Music worked as a way to bond and connect with my parents as a child, and it helped me build an emotional bridge with them and my family. 

Vintage Classics:

When I said a person’s taste in music can tell us a lot about their life, I meant it. But if I am honest, I often wonder what my random music taste tells others about my life.

In my house, no one is really a Luis Miguel fan; in fact, my dad hates his music and always says I am torturing him when I play it. But, when I discovered his songs, I became a little obsessed, and honestly, I don’t think I could say what it is that I like about his music so much, I just do. Luis Miguel has a lovely voice, and all his songs honestly always hit me right in the feels. It doesn’t matter if he is singing a ballad about a situationship or about a bad breakup, I will love the song and sing it as if it were my own personal experience.  

Another musical genre that I’ve recently come to love is Puerto Rican salsa. This may seem strange since I am a Puerto Rican living on the island, but I had honestly never really sat down and listened to our salsa musicians. When I came to this realization, I decided to be more appreciative of my own culture and to actively seek out Puerto Rican salsa singers. From this, I came out with a deep love for Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, and Frankie Ruiz. I know Rauw Alejandro recently did a cover of Frankie Ruiz’s Tú Con Él, but I must inform you all that I did it first, and there is video evidence. 

In My Feelings:

In a way, music has also become a way for me to experience my emotions throughout the years. Listening to particularly sad or emotive music has been extremely cathartic for me at many points in my life. Any time I am feeling confused or maybe overwhelmed with my feelings, there is a special playlist that helps me process everything. This playlist has helped me cope with moments of great emotional distress. 

This cathartic playlist is mostly made up of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Chapell Roan, and Sufjan Stevens. Taylor Swift is a great artist in my opinion, and her lyrics always resonate with me. When I am in need of letting go of my own feelings, songs like “Say Don’t Go,” “You Are On Your Own Kid,” “Illicit Affairs,” “The Lakes,” and “Invisible String” are my favorites. However, although I have cried while listening to these songs, I think nothing could ever compare to my experience of listening to Olivia Rodrigo. When I listen to her music it feels as if I could have written it, not because I am musically inclined, but because the way she describes her experiences with love, heartbreak, and life through her songs, is very similar to my own lived experiences. When I first listened to GUTS, I became aware of how similar the lyrics of her songs were to my own life. This made me feel, in a strange way, understood, and that I wasn’t alone. I feel like this type of emotional connection to music is what any artist wishes to inspire in their audience. 

Brat Summer, Hot To Go, and The Eras Tour:

Many artists constantly search for ways to develop, curate, and enhance their art. Some of them have become completely revolutionary with their dedication to music as of late, like Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, and Charli XCX. 

Taylor Swift has been a pivotal presence in the music industry for many years, but it is her latest tour, The Eras Tour, that has broken records and all expectations, becoming the highest-grossing tour of all time. It encompasses the majority of her music catalog and visually exhibits each album. Swift took her music and created an innovative and enhanced experience so her audience could enjoy her art in a new way. 

Similarly, Chappell Roan created an immersive experience for her audience with her elaborate stage presence and relatable lyrics. She has become a strong figure in the music industry and queer community with her songs. Chappell Roan writes from the deeply personal perspective of being a young member of the queer community, her own experiences on finding herself, love, and heartbreak. Chappell Roan became the voice that many needed to feel understood. 

Charli XCX’s influence has also been unmatched over the past few months, transforming everyone’s summer with the release of her latest album, Brat. This summer became known to everyone as Brat Summer, a term used to encompass the vibe of the album which embraced a “live and be free while you can,” and a “nothing matters so enjoy your life” type of mentality. Brat Summer has even been influential during the latest Presidential Election in the USA. 

Although I knew the massive impact that Charli XCX had this year, and while I can admit that I instantly became obsessed with “Girl, so confusing,” featuring Lorde—and all the edits that came with the song—I didn’t really understand the Brat Summer mentality until recently. This is due to the fact that while I was talking to a friend a few weeks ago, I came to the realization that I’d had my Brat Summer experience last year. And look, I had a lot of fun and would totally recommend people experience it at least once in their lives, but I am fine with doing that just once.

All-Time Favorites:

When it comes to music, I think that nothing can beat going out with friends and belting out Chiquitita or Dancing Queen on the dance floor, singing Sálvame at a karaoke bar, or being connected to someone you just met because you were both Directioners. These are songs and artists that aren’t constrained to phases. It doesn’t matter if the songs are made by a band I enjoyed when I was five or a band from the 70s. 

To me RBD, ABBA, and One Direction are some of these artists. While it may seem strange or maybe even basic, this is music I constantly go back to and have done so for years. RBD will always be a pivotal point in my life. They were my first ever concert, and I still know the words to every single one of their songs. They have also come out as one of my Spotify Top Artists every year since I can remember. ABBA’s music has an element of perpetuity. I think they can never and should never be forgotten. One Direction shaped the lives of many of us. They were pivotal to our youths and became the source of our crushes and developing music tastes. One Direction made our growing years fun and exciting in many ways, which is why I think they will continue to be missed and remembered. 

Music can be a lot of things; it can be fun or deep, it can be used to study or to have fun at a club, and it can make you cry or scream the lyrics at the top of your lungs. Music is a love language, which is why I love sharing my favorite artists or the song I am obsessed with at a particular moment with the people closest to me. Music has become a way for me to connect with every part of myself and with others.

• entertainment
• Gen Z
• HCUPR
• music
• puerto rico
• salsa
• UPRRP