Music to My Ears
It’s been a long day. It’s time to unwind with some music, right? Put your bag down, plop onto your bed, and in just a few clicks of a button, think of what kind of music you want to start blasting on your laptop speakers.
Hold on: recall the Crosley record player on your nightstand that you got in 2014. It’s been collecting dust, but as you start to unwind, you forget about how good it felt to play a record.
It’s time to slow down, relax, and listen. Which, in 2023, is a bit difficult to do: at the same time, however, we virtually have access to every song imaginable through the internet. Yet, there’s a retro charm to vintage music technology that we just can’t shake.
Record players aren’t the only retro music tech that's spiked in popularity. Cassette players and tapes, Walkmans, iPods, MP3s, CDs, and big over-ear headphones, have all become staples of Gen Z culture—despite technological advancements that make our lives easier.
Even Apple has hopped on the bandwagon, saying bye to Bluetooth with their Airpods Max headphones: large over-the-ear headphones that scream the 90s.
People are even using over-the-ear headphones as accessories by pairing them with their outfits. It isn’t uncommon to see passerby keeping their headphones around their necks while performing mundane tasks like running errands, grabbing a bite, and walking to class— nonetheless, wearing them while performing activities where headphones aren’t typically worn.
Tech fatigue isn’t the only reason why we’re reverting to the past. It’s no secret that now more than ever, generations are becoming more and more impressionable over time.
The influence of film and television is impossible to negate: especially through music, fashion, and pretty much all mediums of culture today. **Taking place in the 1980s, Netflix's original, Stranger Things, displays a plethora of retro tech that younger generations aren’t familiar with, sparking interest in the use of gadgets never before seen by many. Most significantly, in the fourth season of the show, characters are seen with portable cassette players.
This trend has gained so much popularity that news outlets like Teen Vogue and Instyle have named it a fashion trend. Byrdie’s Melanie Forcier names this resurgence “headphone flair”, and it’s certainly true. We’re seeing headphone cases, headphones with ribbons, and much more*.* The renaissance of music tech is certainly making its debut, but this time around, it’s becoming more personalized by users today.
Record players have also come back in full force. Back in Tumblr’s hay day, they started gaining popularity. Specifically, the Crosley suitcase record player took over the internet. To have one of these prized possessions was not only a status symbol, but marked your place as the pinnacle “Tumblr girl.”
Today, the reuse of vinyl, headphones, MP3s, iPods, and even walkmans is re-climbing in popularity. Stores like Urban Outfitters, one of the top retailers for record players and vinyl records, have dozens of albums for customers to choose from. The store is one of many major retailers with music tech, but it doesn’t stop there.
Aside from major retailers, indie record stores have also become staples of Gen Z culture. Since 2007, Record Store Day occurs every April and November to encourage fans to support their local record stores. The campaign has garnered extreme success in recent years, showing just how important listening to records still is.
Retro music technology has come back with full force. But the question is why?
The infamous trend cycle proves its relevance by the second. We’ve recently seen this through the resurgence of Y2K fashion like low-rise pants, baguette bags, and, of course, rhinestones on just about everything. Just because we typically think about the trend cycle with fashion, does not mean that other aspects of our lives are immune. Your mother’s vintage record player is just as cool as her vintage dress.
Perhaps another reason why people are reverting to older technology is to reject modern technology. More and more people are deleting their social media, staying offline, and taking time away from the screen as modern technology advances.
It’s pretty hard to pinpoint the rapid rate of technology now. After a pandemic when we couldn’t experience things like concerts and other in-person events, it can be pretty hard to fathom the rapid pace of technological utilities While we embrace the past, we mustn’t be afraid to embrace the present and future.
Despite the technological music resurgence we’re facing, it’s really about what’s **truly music to your ears. Should you choose to salvage your mom’s old mixtapes, listen, feel, and remember the importance of music to you. The power of sound can only be recognized by its listener.
Editor in Chief, Creative Dir: Pilar Bradley
Creative Dir, Music Curator: Gracie Kahn
Managing Editor: Nova Krasner
Senior Photo Dir: Phillip Lewis
Senior Fashion Dir: Monica Robles
Junior Photo Dir: Justice Tilford
Social Media and PR Dir: Maddie Paradise
Editor at Large: Madison Collins
Models: Alexandria Ramos, Dara Weinstein
Photographer: Leah Nelsen
Stylist, Junior Fashion Dir: Brianna Tirado
Assistant Stylist: Madi Hough
Makeup Artist, Senior Beauty Dir: Gillian Tokar
Hair Stylist, Assistant Beauty Dir: Rhia McGowan
PA: Annie Cui
Videographer: Ronnie Gilmore
Graphic Designer: Suma Deshpande
