Courtesy of @chancetherapper
It is 2016, and the Netflix series Stranger Things pays an homage to 1980s culture, while BeyoncÌ©’s most recent birthday party evoked Soul Train vibes — with a dress code to match. The Weeknd’s recent video for “Starboy” evokes pulp horror, and Tame Impala continually channels spacey, psychedelic rock styles borne of the 60’s. Film and fashion also follow suit (see 1978’s Grease, 1994’s Pulp Fiction, and Gucci’s recent collections). From nuanced efforts to devoted recreations, modern music carries a nostalgic penchant for revival of early decades — all in diverse manners.
The aesthetic and subtle musical elements of the 60’s and 70’s are laden in Columbian R&B singer Kali Uchis’s work. “Rush” is a gauzy trip into a 70’s road trip, from the wardrobe to the hum of the bass undercutting Uchis’s honeyed timbre. Her devotion to pulling from the past does not stop here — her aching single “Know What I WantÛ, on the other hand, invokes the 60’s in its visuals in its video (peep those go-go boots!)
This trend is not unique to Western music, spanning both decades and continents. Korean pop group SHINee achieves a complete 90’s revival in their newest single, all the way down to colorful suits and turtlenecks in the upbeat, intensely nostalgic snares of “1 of 1Û, purportedly inspired by the styles of the 90’s new jack swing era of pop, hip hop, and R&B. The band reportedly sold cassette versions of their subsequent album of the same name.
Perhaps the most recent pop release channeling sounds of the past is Lady Gaga’s glam-rock influenced upbeat ballad “Just Another DayÛ, from Joanne. The raspy power behind her voice carves a melodic space in the brass infused, piano-tinged tune. Gaga claims influences for the song ranged from the Beatles to David Bowie. Yet another subtly incorporated blast from the past is found in steel drum tinged, calypso-inspired, electro-hip hop track “Love$ick” by Mura Masa, featuring A$AP Rocky. A brilliant fusion of the ultramodern with classic calypso, the piece tucks in history within its driving beat.
Go ahead, listen to your 90’s grunge playlist. Don’t want to? You will not have to search far to find pockets of past decades in your favorite synth melodies, a spare guitar riff, an oddly familiar lyrical sample (“Screamin’ Annie are you ok?’Û, Kendrick Lamar’s King Kunta, 2015). Artists can repackage musical elements gathered in the cornerstones of popular music from past decades in reminiscent and spectacular ways.
