Curating Reality: How Algorithms, Hustle Culture and the Death of the Mainstream Are Reshaping Music Communities

Every time we open an app, hit play on a playlist, or scroll through a feed, we’re not just consuming culture, we’re curating reality. The stream of content unfurling before our eyes isn’t a neutral reflection of the world but a personalised collage shaped by algorithms, biases, and behaviours. It’s an eerie thought: what you see online is almost as unique as your fingerprint. One person’s world might be a carousel of radicalisation and outrage, another’s might be a loop of cat videos and soothing lo-fi beats. And somewhere between those extremes, a fragmented version of society exists, splintered into niche interests and self-reinforcing ideologies. In this algorithmic labyrinth, the notion of a shared cultural centre has crumbled. The mainstream — once the gravitational core around which pop culture orbited — has dissolved into a sprawling delta of micro-scenes and niche subcultures. For the music industry, this transformation poses a fundamental question: can scenes still thrive without a central stage, or are we just shouting into isolated echo chambers? The Death of the Mainstream and the Rise of Infinite Tributaries There was a time when culture felt collective. Chart-topping singles, Saturday night TV performances, and shared rituals like waiting for […]

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