new terms: 'genre-fluid form'

By Ouyang Yu

 

"Genre-fluid" refers to 

a creative approach in art, music, and literature that transcends, blends, or ignores traditional genre boundaries. Rather than adhering to a single style, genre-fluid work mixes different genres, moods, and forms to create a unique, often "genre-less" experience. 

Key Aspects of the Genre-Fluid Form:
  • Blending Styles: It involves combining elements from multiple, often unexpected, genres (e.g., merging jazz with world music, or indie with dance).
  • Mood-Driven Consumption: Particularly driven by Gen Z, this approach focuses on emotions, energy levels, or vibes rather than strict categorization.
  • Artistic Freedom: Artists use this form to express identity and create a "creative collage" of soundscapes or narratives, rather than fitting into a pre-defined category.
  • Fluid DJing/Music: In music, this often means constructing a set that moves between styles (e.g., techno, hip hop, trap) to maintain a cohesive, yet eclectic, energy.
  • Literature and Writing: Genre-fluid writing can blend different forms like memoir, poetry, or fiction, often in a way that is "queer" (open to new forms) and "feminist" (multi-vocal), sometimes referred to as "genre-bending" or "hybrid". 
Contextual Examples:
  • Music: Artists like Billie Eilish or genres-bending DJs often mix pop, avant-garde, and electronic elements.
  • Film: Films that refuse easy classification, such as those blending horror, musical, and Southern Gothic elements.
  • Literature: Maggie Nelson’s "The Argonauts" is cited as a "genre-fluid memoir" that blurs the lines between autobiography and critical theory. 
This approach is characterized as a "journey" or a "collage" rather than a rigid structure, aiming to create something unique and "greater than the sum of its parts". 

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