Drum ‘N’ Bass music has seen a massive rise in listeners on Spotify, who claim the genres streams have increased by 94% in the past three years.
According to a new mini documentary based on the genre called DnB: In for Life, statistics based on user data show that their “yearly average streams of the Drum ‘N’ Bass genre have increased by 94 percent since 2021”.
The short film produced by Spotify traces the evolution of the UK sound and subculture, featuring big names in the scene like Charlie Tee, Kanine, Sota, Singer and DJ Flight. In the documentary, Charlie praises its freeing nature and fandom, describing it as “the most exclusive universal club – but the only criteria is that you have to love the music.”
An article from MixMag notes Spotify’s Top 10 artists in the scene – Chase & Status, Bou, Rudimental, goddard., Sub Focus, Charlotte Plank, Skepsis, Hybrid Minds, SHY FX and Nia Archives.
It also notes the most streamed D’n’B tracks of the year – Chase & Status and their collaboration with Stormzy, “BACKBONE”, as well as Rudimental and Skepsis with “Green and Gold” feat. Charlotte Plank and Riko Dan, and goddard. and Cat Burns with “Wasted Youth”.
Research from How Music Charts marks a rising interest in the sound – the most followed electronic music playlist on Spotify, called Mint, saw an increase in the number of drum and bass tracks added annually, and the audiences for Spotify’s “Massive Drum & Bass” and “Jungle Classics” playlists both doubling.
Data shows that a younger crowd are being drawn into the dance genre, with 68% of listeners below the age of 34. This could be for several reasons – a crop of new musicians and DJ’s championing the sound, popularity on social media and an increased diversity in both style and performers.
Artists like PinkPantheress, Nia Archives and Piri & Tommy have found success by reimagining the breakbeats and tempos of the D’n’B sound with dreamy vocals, smooth instrumentation and pop-style song structures. Nia’s album Silence Is Loud saw her mix jungle rhythms with indie rock influences, and Pink Pantheress has incorporated hyperpop and alternative flavours into her eclectic style that she describes as “a form of D’n’B that’s acceptable to listen to at home.”
In an interview with DJ Flight from the BBC, she shared her excitement for a new wave of female artists on the D’n’B scene, saying “it’s so incredible that there’s so many women coming through now, because with the internet and that visibility, it’s like they can’t be stopped”.
Social media has played a part in the expansion of electronic music as a whole – Tik Tok has mentioned that electronic music is one of the apps most celebrated genres, with fans and artists using its features to share and remix music, create trends and post their favourite live sets. The company says that the tags for “#ElectronicMusic” video creation is up 70% this year, and “#DnB” is up 50%.
@boilerroomtv Best of 2023: @chaseandstatus • Boiler Room: London #boilerroom #boilerroommoment #newmusic #electronicmusic #rave #ravetok #dnb #drumandbass #chaseandstatus ♬ original sound – Boiler Room
While the popularity of D’n’B has flourished, the nightclub culture that cultivated the genre is dying in the UK, with the Night Time Industries Association predicting that unless action is taken soon, UK clubbing could be “extinct” by the end of the decade. An average of three clubs a week are shutting permanently, and if this pattern continues then all spaces in the UK will have disappeared by 2030.
DNB: In for Life, the mini documentary from Spotify and Drumsheds is out now and available to watch on Youtube.
