Indie music, once a genre reserved for underground listeners, is steadily reshaping the mainstream. Artists like Laufey, Dhruv, Keshi and Sombr climbed the charts and spread across social media, changing how young listeners connected with music. At California Baptist University, students noticed the shift while also reflecting on what made indie resonate so strongly.
According to Andrea Zarczynski in an article written for Forbes, independent musicians captured more than half of the global recorded music market in 2023. Thanks to streaming platforms and short-form video apps, indie artists are no longer limited to niche audiences but could reach listeners worldwide.
Many use digital tools to bypass traditional labels, giving fans direct access to their work and creating communities built around authenticity. One example is Laufey, whose music became popular after she independently posted videos on TikTok. This accessibility has blurred the line between alternative and pop, making indie a cultural force that extended beyond just a music genre.
Zarczynski notes that indie artists are “taking more control over how their work is released and shared,” a shift that in her view allows them to bypass the constraints of conventional industry gatekeepers.
For Daniel Arriola, senior photography major, that sense of authenticity is what made indie stand out.
“I find it much more personal than other genres,” Arriola said. “It meshes quite well with my vibe in that it tends to be pretty chill but also takes on a wide range of emotions in kind of brief stints in the music.”
Arriola also saw how the meaning of “indie” evolved.
“The term ‘indie’ used just to mean ‘independent,’ but now it has a very specific sound attached to it,” Arriola said. “I used to have to specify what kind of indie I listened to, but now it seems that indie folk like Noah Kahan, dominates the genre.”
For Melanie Dieguez, junior criminal justice and political science double major, indie music’s appeal lay in its tone and lyrical depth.
“The lyrics and melancholic vibe [are] almost like the perfect rainy day song without being too sad,” she said.
She also noticed indie music’s broader exposure. “I do think indie music has become more mainstream,” Dieguez said. “It’s heard more on radios, there’s more exposure for indie artists on social media, and it’s beginning to be a preferred genre.”
On campus, however, both students agreed Indie has yet to make a strong presence. Arriola pointed out that he only noticed it through pop culture references, while Dieguez said she had not seen it gain traction at CBU.
Still, both believe the culture behind indie music explained its strong pull on young audiences. Arriola saw it as a rejection of mass-produced sounds. “Indie culture is basically anti-big companies,” he said. “We don’t want mass-produced music. We want something handmade and real. Indie seems to fill that need.”
For Dieguez, relatability is key. “I think people can relate to the music and the lyrics, which is why indie culture resonates with young people,” she said.
While indie has yet to fully dominate campus, its quiet rise in playlists and personal listening habits mirrored its larger cultural takeover. For many students, the appeal is simple: music that feels handmade, heartfelt and honest, shapes the sound of a new meaning to the genre.
