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Hip-hop continues to reign supreme.
In 2017, something happened that the music industry had been hinting at for some time: hip-hop became the most popular music genre. With artists like Future, Kendrick, and Drake leading the charts, the relatively young genre finally began to breathe the rarified air that it had been excluded from since its genesis: ubiquity. A year later, and hip-hop’s charge has continued to gain steam, finding a host of its artists on Spotify’s “Songs of Summer 2018” playlist.
Out of the 20-track playlist, 11-tracks are purely hip-hop, with two additional tracks featuring hip-hop acts; six songs are in the top-10. Unsurprisingly, Drake finds himself as the list’s most popular artist, securing five-songs, including “In My Feelings” at number-one and “Nonstop” rounding out the playlist. Other rappers, like Cardi B, Post Malone, the late XXXtentacion, and Juice WRLD, occupy this highly sought after real estate. While Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” holds the second slot, it has a Cardi B feature. Hip-hop’s allure cannot be denied.
Hip-hop’s power is unquestionable; it can no longer be relegated to protest music or fit into a definitive mold. Hip-hop is pop music; hip-hop is the most popular genre whose ascent hasn’t broached its summit–not even close.
Check out the full Spotify playlist below:
