By Rita Li, Staff Writer

There are many different types of music that people enjoy listening to such as kpop, anime, and rap. Some of my personal favorite music genres include classical, 80s dance/synthwave, meme songs, and gaming music.

Currently, a lot of people listen to and play rap music. Rap music often celebrates the artists’ rags to riches stories and leaves listeners with feelings of optimism and positivity. The verses are confident and full of pride, which appeals to a lot of people. Personally, rap songs are not my cup of tea, but I do like it when Suga from BTS raps.

Along the lines of BTS, Kpop has also become, arguably, one of the most popular music genres today. Kpop originated in South Korea and is influenced by hip hop, rock, jazz, gospel, rap, electronic, folk, country, and classical music. I was introduced to Kpop by one of my friends, who was obsessed with the music and dancing visuals. Not only is there good music, but there are also dances and visuals to accompany Kpop songs that have made it more appealing to more listeners. Some popular bands include BTS, Blackpink, and Twice. I especially liked the dances and music videos of BTS’ hit songs: DNA and Fake Love. 

While I do enjoy kpop music, old school classical music is always a go-to for me. My favorite music artists of this genre include Pachelbel, Mozart, and Beethoven. These songs are usually played on pianos and orchestras, making the music soothing to hear. My favorite song from this genre is Canon in D by Pachelbel. Canon in D has influenced many songs today such as Memories by Maroon 5, Basket Case, Bad Things, Graduation, and Don’t Look Back in Anger.

Synthpop, called synthesizer pop or also known as techno-pop, music has a retro electronic style that is different from modern dubstep and is rather upbeat. An 80s band I really like is Modern Talking, a German pop duo that had reached the Top Five in many countries. Modern Talking featured its hit; You’re my heart, You’re my soul in 1985. Some of my other favorite songs from this genre include Together Forever by Rick Astley and synthwave versions of anime songs from Evangelion and Pokemon. 

Meme songs are another of my personal favorites. Even though they consist of songs from all genres, I am going to group these songs into one genre based on two defining traits: humor and catchiness. Meme songs usually become viral when someone uploads a funny viral video featuring that song. An example of this is the eurodance song Dragostea Din Tei, which became a meme after a cover labeled “Numa numa” went viral. The meme songs usually become very remixed on youtube. You can type in “Pokemon synthwave” and “Evangelion synthwave” in the Youtube search bar to find examples of these songs.

Iconic video game music, such as The Super Mario Bros. theme song and Megalovania, are my preferred music when I want to throw some jams on. I listen to Mario music regularly on Spotify, and even suggested adding it to a class Spotify list! When the song came on in class, my classmates got really happy and nostalgic. It is usually in an old school chiptune style, which is super catchy and usually nostalgic. In comparison to other genres where I lose interest quickly, I never get bored of listening to the classic Mario Bros. music. 

While there are so many different music genres to explore and listen to, some of my favorites are synthpop, meme songs, and gaming music. Now I am going to listen to more Mario, synthwave, and classical music on my computer to brighten up my mood and relieve the loads of stress from everyday life life.