Google Trends and EDM

For me, the rise of EDM seemed to appear out of nowhere. I’ve always been a fan of electronic music or, as it’s known colloquially, ‘dance music’. Here, in Europe, EDM isn’t a commonly used term. It’s associated with loud, brash music with predictable drops that the public goes crazy for. However this is unfair, as good and bad electronic music has always been mainstream here and nothing new. The term EDM should technically apply to the USA, who own and dominate this term:

“The kids are coming up from behind,” quips LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy on “Losing My Edge.” Back in 2002, the song was just about a man grappling with aging and a youthful club scene. Today, it feels more like full-blown prophecy. Electronic dance music, or EDM, has broken free from the underground to become the driving beat behind pop music and product sales, the soundtrack of choice for a new generation.”
(Source:)

Through Google trends in the search term of EDM, it can be observed how what people are searching for, coincides with EDM’s boom in popularity. Particularly, in the US:

From 2012 onward, the interest just rises and rises, which is no surprise. You’ll hardly forget the smash hits many pop stars had by utilizing EDM (Sweet Nothing and Don’t You Worry Child to name but a few). When you break down the search trends to display the interest across the 50 states, the results reveal that all the cities considered to be the EDM capitals, coincide correctly:

California, Nevada, New York and Florida all contain the highest levels of regional interest, so these areas really are where it’s at. But do spare a thought for poor, boring Wyoming.

But what about the DJs you have been listening to? The big players in EDM? Afrojack is certainly a champion in regards to the rise of EDM. After his global hit with Take Over Control his name has become synonymous with the electronic brand thanks to his inimitable sound. In a recent DJ Mag interview he spoke his thoughts about his contribution: “I was there at the right time in America to see it all happen and grow with it. I was one of the first DJs that ever got booked in Vegas and to see it grow so exponentially, it’s just beautiful to be part of it.” (DJ Mag, Issue 526, Pg. 36)

The Google trends don’t lie. Since Take Over Control, his popularity sky rockets. It’s fascinating how the EDM capitals, including Las Vegas (his residency), contain the highest concentrated interest for the Dutch don:

The DJ mag Top 100 will be released soon, so to finish of this insightful look at our culture, here’s the Google trends for the top 5 DJs from last year. They all benefit from the big rise in interest but it’s not at simple. Look closely and notice how the pop friendly oscillate wildly, while throughout the years it’s the more prolific who remain steady as a rock:

As touched upon previously, EDM may have started as an American phenomenon but it’s nuances have been adopted internationally. 2012 was a huge year for EDM and in hindsight, 2013 will have been just as big. Who knows what the future will bring in which ways our interest will change… and inevitably decline

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