Postmodern music is a subgenre of music that emerged in the late 1960s, largely as a result of large-scale social changes. This genre of music is distinguished by its adherence to the same ideas and points of view as other postmodernist movements. The absence of a single defining structure or ideology is embraced by the postmodern philosophy and art movement. Musicians who work in the postmodern style frequently take stylistic cues from a diverse range of sources. Postmodern poets tend to ignore formal rules that they believe stifled written verse’s creativity in the past, and the same principle naturally applies to postmodern music.
Because many postmodern pieces of music borrow artistic elements from a variety of sources, it can be difficult for music scholars to pinpoint a definitive description of postmodern music. Some musicians may even wish to redefine the criteria for determining the artistic value of music. A single piece of postmodern music can be composed in a variety of styles from various cultures. It may also include unusual lyrics or sound effects, as well as changing major and minor keys. Postmodern musicians frequently use technology as a medium for their work, and the instruments used in this music genre are quite diverse.
Postmodern art and culture are frequently characterized as reactionary responses to the modernist era that preceded them. Artists working with postmodern ideas frequently seek to refute, discredit, or even attack the modern era’s materialism and conformity. These goals are sometimes expressed in postmodern music through irony, hyperbole, or social criticism. In order to leave a lasting impression on listeners, shock value elements are occasionally included in this music.
This genre of music, like postmodern fiction and poetry, is full of contradictions and stylistic elements that can clash at times. Postmodern popular music is frequently an attempt to combine styles that have traditionally been considered mutually exclusive. Another important aspect of postmodernism in music is relativism, as musicians frequently create with the understanding that their messages will have very different meanings for different people. Postmodern music is frequently associated with other cultural trends that were prevalent at the time a particular piece of music was composed and recorded.