Transformation of Youth and Adulthood in 2000s Western Popular Music

The study examines the categories of youth and adulthood regarding music: their peculiar characteristics, development and current relationship. Their genesis is being observed on the examples from pop music’s institutional structure during the 20th century, mainly, through introducing new sound-recording mediums and the concept of standard. The list of oppositions by meaning is being drawn from the scientific papers on this problem: adult music is recognized by traditionalism, conformity to social norms, succession to previous styles, timeless and everlasting topics of wealth, work and family among lyrics, whilst teenage music is supposed to be innovative, challenging social rules, focusing on leisure and raising questions of sexuality. According to the rotation scheme of teenage and adult in pop music through the last century, the new and fresh teenage music styles, as they emerge, force the older ones to move into adult segment. The recent transformation of these categories implies that adult music starts to be treated as teenage, conversely turning the order. The purpose of this work is to clarify the current interrelation between those categories, the analysis of two cases is being conducted: Adele and The National. From the one hand, both attract young audience: being nominated for and winning teenage music awards, topping the charts of streaming services, favoured by millennials, and headlining music festivals, which they attend. From the other hand, the cases can be seen as totally adult as well by the artists’ works, their presence in media, images, videos and performances. The ambivalent nature of this musicians and the twist in relations between adult and teenage music is proved with bringing public reception into view.