Whether listening to music casually to and from class or acting as a music connoisseur, recent band news has shocked all. Many older bands and artists are returning and releasing music or going on tour this year.
Some of these top artists include Stevie Nicks, John Mayer and Taylor Swift. Boygenius, an indie group composed of solo artists Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers, recently got back together and will release new music and videos soon. Fall Out Boy, an early 2000s pop-punk band, has released a new song. Within the pop-punk scene, Panic! At The Disco has announced that they will take a break indefinitely due to the lead singer’s commitments.
Scrolling through TikTok or Twitter, one can see diverse takes on all of these topics. From grievous outcries about Panic! At The Disco to celebrations about the Boygenius news, emotions have had a wild range.
Hallie Shea, a freshman who is currently undecided about her major, is not a big fan of the pop-punk scene generally, as she leans more toward what would be considered oldies. Still, Panic’s years-long popularity reached her. She believes that their announcement is good news.
“I just don’t really like Brendon Urie as a person,” she said. “Thank God they’re breaking up.”
In terms of music and genres that she wants to see more of, she confesses to liking more underground indie artists. Although, her love for the classics is unwavering.
“Dolly Parton country needs to come back,” Shea said.
This is a theme at Ohio University, as people often gain their music tastes from their parents or search out bands from other eras. There is almost a sense of stagnancy in the break-out music scene currently as people stick to what they know and love.
Madi Kamer, a junior studying sociology and criminology, believes the band group scene is dying. Kamer prefers older genres and solo artists, though they aren’t opposed to the current scene.
“I feel like the band scene is really limited,” they said. “I feel like it’s mostly solo artists.”
Meghan Trainor, another solo artist, recently released music that Kamer finds exciting as they say they miss 2010s pop.
One group, however, straying from the trend of solo artists is the band Boygenius. Boygenius has a relaxed philosophy: they can play together, make music and go on stage while still remaining highly influential solo female contemporaries of one another. Formed in 2018 and announcing new music in 2023, fans of Boygenius are often fans of the individual singers themselves.
Molly Stewart, a freshman studying film, primarily considers themself to be a Lucy Dacus fan out of the three Boygenius members. This doesn’t stop them from eagerly waiting to see what new sounds Boygenius plans to make this upcoming year.
“I will listen to any work they put out,” Stewart said. “I’m really excited to see where they’re going. I have so much optimism for them and their journey.”
Stewart believes that each member has their own rich songwriting background that they each bring to the table. As someone deeply interested in music, Boygenius’ regrouping is a dream come true for Stewart and for those interested in indie-rock.
“I don’t think they’re on a track to do anything less than brilliant,” they said.
