Astroworld tragedy exposes cultural shift in the music industry – The Ticker

Job insecurity, student debt and political polarization are also contributing factors to Gen Zs chronic stress.

Additionally, the slew of traumatic historical events that have unfolded in the short lifetime of Gen Zers, like 9/11, mass shootings and the coronavirus pandemic have rendered young people incurably nihilistic.

Scott is just one of the many artists that rose to stardom by capitalizing on this disillusionment and aligning himself with anti-establishment, anti-traditional and anti-lawfulness. His songs resonate with so many people because they offer an escape from the drudgery of school or a nine-to-five.

Listeners dont have to strain their imagination to picture the utopia Scotts music temporarily transports them to, as his latest album concept does it for them.

Astroworld, named after a Houston-based theme park the rap artist would frequent in his youth, conjures images of an alternate dimension, rampant with sex, drugs and money. In this dimension life is a carnival of chaos and hedonism.

Lyrics such as, And it aint a mosh pit if aint no injuries/ I got em stage divin out the nosebleeds, which can be heard in Scotts 2018 single called STARGAZING. also reinforce the notion that violence is necessary to disrupt the quotidian, a symptom of social conformity.

Scotts music preaches hyper-materialism, anarchy and substance abuse as essential to a life worth living. Attending his concert is sitting one pew from the pulpit.

Its not unimaginable that seeing their idol in the flesh, reciting a gospel thats fed to them in their daily life, would incite a crazed reaction from radicalized fans and cause inappropriate, oftentimes barbaric, festival conduct.

A similar phenomenon has occurred at the concerts of artists such as Tyler the Creator, Playboi Carti and XXXTentacion, all of whom experienced rioting during their performances in recent years.

In 2015, the University of Queensland conducted a study that concluded listening to extreme music, or chaotic, loud and energetic vocals that contained themes such as anger and depression, might soothe listeners by giving them a healthy, nonviolent outlet to process complex emotions.

Thus, the practice of extreme moshing, which is one aspect of raging, might have become normalized among the younger generation because it allows them to physically express the anger they feel toward society.

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Astroworld tragedy exposes cultural shift in the music industry - The Ticker