InState Magazine

We are rapidly approaching the final stretch of 2013. New Year’s is around the corner, which makes this the perfect time to look at some of the year’s big hits, surprise returns, impressive new artists, and more.

 

The Big Hitters

Macklemore is a name that cannot go unmentioned. He had two different songs hit the number one spot on the charts this year, “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us.” His song, “Same Love,” also picked up momentum as the gay rights movement saw tons of progress earlier this year. The only other artist this year to share the honor of reaching number one with more than one single was Bruno Mars with his songs, “When I Was Your Man” and “Locked Out of Heaven.” It seems that Frank Sinatra crooner swag is not behind us just yet.

 

Justin Timberlake made a huge impact this year with the release of his album, The 20/20 Experience. The album, weighing in at 968,000 sales in one week alone, became not only the year’s fastest selling album, but also one of the largest album releases since the early 1990s. Lady Gaga continued to be uniquely herself in her album “ARTPOP” and Justin Bieber avoided blowback from his personal antics as he still has his “maniacal” following. Psy avoided being an American “One-Hit-Wonder” with his highly anticipated single “Gentleman,” and Taylor Swift remained at the top of the country music scene despite many former fans strongly believing that she is no longer a true country music artist.

 

Oddest Moments

 

Miley Cyrus gained some serious national attention this year, especially after her highly controversial performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. The former Disney Channel child star has been trying to separate herself from her “Hannah Montana” image since the show ended in 2010 and her sexually-charged music video “Wrecking Ball” battered whatever was left of those impressions.

 

The brothers of the popular Norwegian comedy duo, Ylvis, and talk show, “Tonight with Ylvis”, garnered international attention after their EDM rooted single “What Does the Fox Say” went viral. Since September, “The Fox” has gotten more than 230 million views.

 

Baauer was another artist that reached fame through the Internet. Baauer’s single, titled “Harlem Shake,” became a huge internet sensation. The “Harlem Shake” became a video trend in which people would compete to make the biggest, funniest, and most surprising “Harlem Shake” flash mob dance video. Many videos reached anywhere between 10 and 90 million views each on YouTube.

 

A Year of Diversity

 

The music industry seemed to thrive on diversity this year  Les Miserable, the legendary musical, controlled the box office in 2012. In 2013, it continued its popularity with its soundtrack reaching the number one spot on the Billboard 200. Eighties heavy metal band, Metallica, hit the box office with a documentary and a live performance by singer Josh Groban aired in theaters across the nation. Artists like Bruno Mars and Daft Punk kept funk alive in some of their latest tracks. Black Sabbath and Dream Theater managed to keep metal relevant with their latest albums reaching top-ten spots. In the rap and hip-hop world, Eminem, Macklemore, and Jay-Z each provided completely different styles. Between them and the many more

innovative artists to hit the airwaves, 2013 had something for everyone.

 

The Rise of Indie

 

2012 saw the rise of crowdfunding, Kickstarter in particular. With Kickstarter, any independent filmmaker, musician, artist, or designer can announce a project and have the public help fund their endeavor.

 

2013 was a continuation of the indie publishing boom. Music Kickstarters alone saw over 5000 successfully funded projects from all kinds of genres. Kickstarter backers hail from 90% of the worlds countries.

 

Raheem Jarbo (Also known as Random or MegaRan) is a former teacher, current rapper, and Penn State alumni. With several successful drives, averaging $10,000 more than his initial goal each time, he is a seasoned Kickstarter veteran. His latest Kickstarter funded his entire rap tour of Japan this past summer and helped him gain enough recognition to become the top name in his niche demographic.

 

One of the largest musical Kickstarters this year, with more than 4,200 backers, making 1200% of its initial goal, was for a full symphony album. The symphony, to be titled “The Northerner: Soule Symphony No. 1,” is composed by Jeremy Soule. He has composed for many films and video games including the Elder Scrolls series.

 

Summary

 

Though it may not have been a revolutionary year in music, the rapid growth of the indie movement and the diversifying pop music scene seems to bode well for the future of the music industry. Technology is playing a larger than ever role in the industry and both artists and consumers are finding ways to take advantage.

 

Farewell 2013, overall, it was a solid year for music.