Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 1244 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
- Between roughly 2009 and 2018 a loose, internet-native wave of artists fused electronic production with strong pop songwriting to make some of the era's best, most timeless songs. Many of these tracks were anthemic and inventive but never became mainstream hits.
- There was no central curator like MTV’s 120 Minutes, and music media and industry shifts (including commercialization and 'poptimism') meant this music stayed scattered in niche corners instead of reaching wide audiences.
- Naming and defending this alternate Millennial pop canon matters — building new ways to curate and promote these artists could help the best music reach more people and alter contemporary pop culture for the better.