The Exclusivity of Music Subcultures

Graphic by Emma Baynes

Music is supposed to surpass gender, race, religion, style, and all else. But, does it live up to its reputation? Music alone, yes, but the subcultures created within the music community are full of toxicity and exclusivity. From small indie artists to people as famous as Harry Styles, every fan base craves to be “different.” I always tend to float in the middle; a little bit of indie mixed with some music that your dad probably wants you to listen to with a dash of Top 40. To me, it is the perfect recipe, but to many others, I do not fit in one category enough to be a part of any subculture. Being someone who loves music, it saddens me that the shared love of an artist is not enough to make people leave behind their differences and celebrate together. Why do you have to wear dark eyeliner to listen to punk, and why do you have to wear Golf to listen to Tyler, the Creator? The answer is that you simply do not, but why are we conditioned to think that we have to?

Chasing exclusivity is not a new phenomenon, and it is not something limited to the music community. Think back on any high school movie that you have ever seen. “Mean Girls”, for example, shows the desire to be a part of something rare, limited, and unavailable. The girls in the movie fawn over a friend group that is so destructive and feeds on each other's insecurities, all while knowing that they will never be included in the group. It is in our human nature to want what we cannot have so the fact that this craving falls into the world of music, no matter how unfortunate, makes sense. 

I have been lucky enough to have only experienced a few forms of exclusivity in music. Some of it probably is in my head, but a lot of it can be seen if you are looking out for it. To start? The indie music community. 

Stereotypical indie listeners have an air of coolness to them; you can see their ease in the way they walk. They have the most unique style, but they are somehow always still on-trend. They listen to artists that you have never heard of and expect you to practically fall over when they recommend a new song to you. Let me say that I am not hating on the general indie population; in fact, I strive to be like them a lot of the time.

From the Flog Gnaw indie to the Girl in Red indie and everything in between, all forms embodied the same breath of rarity. It is the fine line between desiring to fit in so much you overdo it and not fitting in enough. As someone who loves a good indie song, I have had my trials and failures in this department. 

Let me begin with the style. Going to any indie event, the most stressful part is picking out what you are going to wear. Indie people somehow know and invent new trends before anyone else so it is nearly impossible to fit in with how you dress. Additionally, I have found that, without fail, every single indie listener is beautiful beyond compare. It is not all in their face or their body or their clothing, it is the confidence and the small hint of ego that shines through their smile. So how does one replicate that in an outfit? 

Once I was going to a small indie concert with a few of my friends, most of them had the indie breeze to them. As I contemplated what to wear, I compared myself to this immeasurable coolness that I felt that they had. I was trying to put coolness that, frankly I do not think I have, into an outfit. A pretty impossible feat by all means. I ended up wearing something that I felt confident in and it worked for me. If anyone looked at me twice, I did get pretty nervous because everyone was so gorgeous. I ended up having an amazing time, but that feeling of separation I felt from people whose sweat was literally splashing on me remained. I could not be closer or more connected to a group of people, but it became hard to lose myself in the music with the fear of judgment. With all of this said, I do believe that as long as you are confident in yourself, inside and outside, then nobody can say anything to you. If someone gives you a dirty look about your outfit, give them that indie, cool, ego simile (it works every time, I promise!!). 

In regards to a whole opposite subculture, for “fangirls” (and boys and non-binaries) the protocol is very different. Fangirls are arguably the most accessible subculture, but exclusive nonetheless. Artists that accumulate large followings have bands of fans that would legitimately die for them. Why do you think so many artists' fan bases have names? BTS army, Arianators, Swifties… it almost resembles a cult. 

When you first emerge yourself into a popstar fandom, odds are you will be accepted by few. The gatekeepers will rise and you will likely feel silenced. Questions of how long you have been listening to the artist when their birthday is, and so many other things that you have no idea about will fill your feeds. Fandoms can tear you apart in minutes for not knowing intimate details about an artist's life. They give each fan no room to oppose anything that the artist did because, in their possessed eyes, the artist is perfect and can do no wrong. 

I, sadly, have been pulled into this trap a few times. The obsessive demeanor of the fans is infectious. But not in an infectious laughter kind of way, in an infectious disease pandemic kind of way. But when you are in it, you cannot differentiate the two. You become one with the fandom and liking the artist becomes your personality. And if you resist, rejection is coming your way. It is all or nothing in fandoms; devout your whole life or be kicked out. Now, I am being a little melodramatic, but that is how it feels. Navigating crazy fans is a skill that I think I have mastered. You have to know your limits and remember that just because they think knowing what Harry Styles first pets middle name was makes them better than you, it does not. Celebrating artistry should not be culminated with a bank of facts about the artist. It should be culminated with a mutual respect and understanding for the people who celebrate the artist with you. 

Although subcultures can be a fun thing to talk about and immerse yourself into, in the end, you will be limitless in your subculture experiences if you are kind and confident. So much of the exclusivity comes from superiority complexes in people's minds, but in the end, it is just music and music is for everyone. No matter how much a person thinks that your knowledge or outer appearance makes you less suitable to like an artist, just remember that they are wrong, that is not what music is here for. It is not here to make people feel bad or less then. Music is here to uplift and bring people together. To form connections with people that you have never exchanged words with; to share sweat with strangers in a mosh pit. To become one instead of retreating into many. Music subcultures are only limiting in one's mind so believe yourself limitless and embodied the same.