When I started the research for this weeks’ post, I once again was facing the task of featuring a talented young artist. Yes, Niko Rubio would be next on a list of several artists who represent the future of popular music. There is a message I send to those my age and older who feel the music of today will never last. It will thrive. There will be stars and megastars now and in the future. The young folks of today will grow older, and despise the new music and artist to come. Every generation has lived with that feeling about music coming from the younger ones. Yet, the changes remain and music continues its cycle.
This week is really about something more than just generational music. It’s more about music categories. Yes, the word frequently used is genre. A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from musical form and musical style, although in practice these terms are sometimes used interchangeably. For many years the music industry placed artists comfortably into these categories. Things have changed in this regard, and we will discuss that later in the post. For now, we will discuss the singer/songwriter Niko Rubio.
Much of her music comes from her life. That of course is true of almost every artist. Art imitates life. Nike Rubio explains where her inspiration comes from.
“I grew up in the South Bay of Los Angeles, yes. My mom had me at 19, so I moved around a lot during my childhood, which was hard but was also an adventure at times, too. No matter where we ended up, I was always close to my grandparents and could spend the weekends there, which is how I learned to speak Spanish. Living near them was really important to me and integral in understanding my Mexican culture. Similarly, the Pisces in me drew me to the water early in life. The ocean made me feel whole. My mom and I would drive or take the bus to the beach, so I could be near and play in the ocean. I really want my project to give off a lot of the feelings I get from the memories that make up my story: Growing up, falling in love, driving by the water. Those are my favorite feelings.”
Rubio explained the origins of her sound in a concise statement. Like most artists, Niko Rubio was influenced by her parents and grandparents. She enjoyed a childhood that helped her understand her Mexican roots and culture. Geography also plays a major role in what kind of music an artist delivers. Rubio’s California upbringing, especially the time spent close to the ocean, created a real foundation for the sound of much of the music to come. Something else that plays a role in inspiration is other artists. Interestingly, the artist Niko Rubio mentions as a major influence on her career is Linda Ronstadt. Much of Linda Ronstadt’s accomplishments came before Rubio was born. However, she mentions her reasons and helps us understand.
“I love Linda because she was one of the first Latinas to basically say, “Screw everyone! I’m making rock, pop, funk and then I’m gonna give you a full album of Mexican classics. No one can box me in.” Seeing her discography gave me hope that I could one day hopefully do something similar and that there are no boundaries for my dreams.”
As I read Niko Rubio’s quote, I understood why Ronstadt was her choice of influence. She could relate on a personal level. The Mexican heritage, singer/songwriter, and down to the style of music, all of those factors were things that caught the attention of Niko Rubio. Ronstadt is a great choice of influence. However, I rarely hear her name from artists of today. I feel there might be a similarity between Rubio and the 75 year-old retired Ronstadt. It would be great if were witnessing the beginning of a Ronstadt like career.
However, there is another aspect of Niko Rubio’s career that we will discuss in this post. Several times in the past I have written about genre lines being erased by artists of our day. Niko Rubio is actively erasing genre lines. What do I mean? Take a look at what Rubio had to say:
“My music taste is so all over the place that it almost makes no sense. Early on, it was all about Paramore and Green Day and Linkin Park. My mom had me young, so I guess I was going through the pop punk/ rock phase with her. When I was 11 or so, I discovered Twenty One Pilots, Lana Del Rey and Tyler, the Creator, and never looked back. I guess my genre of music according to the categories on DSPs would be singer/ songwriter because I write my music, maybe? Who knows? Honestly, f**k genres! I’m gonna make a sound bath album.”
Reading her words may help you to understand my point. Niko Rubio is actively working to erase genre lines. There are other artists who deliver eclectic albums of music, but I haven’t heard one of them state the intentions publicly. Nevertheless, here we are, and Niko Rubio and possibly several other young artists are ready to effectively erase the way music is categorized. Is that a good thing? I think it might be. Years ago I worked on music that should have crossed genre lines, however thirty years ago there were many in place to make sure all music was placed in a box. Broadcast radio executives definitely label music in an attempt to sway advertising dollars to a particular audience. That audience is now not as clear-cut anymore, and those lines are not as defining as they were years ago.
What does the future look like for Niko Rubio? It appears to be very bright. The music so far has been met with much critical acclaim. Next we are geared to receive that big breakout hit, and then things will really get crazy. Rubio is ready for it. While she’s making music the genre lines will most likely disappear as well.