To Dance or Not To Dance

Regardless of genre, era or language, all music shares a common thread across the planet - dance. From the Talking Heads to Kendrick Lamar, every song has a groove or beat that compels people to move with the rhythm; however, the artists of 2026 have been asking themselves and their audiences, “Is anyone dancing anymore?”

Dance-a-demic

Gen Z is among the first to grow up without a significant monoculture in music. There isn’t a singular sound or aesthetic that everyone is trying to follow; there are no Beatles or Nirvana to drive culture into a genre. The internet opened the floodgates for music, leading to more choices than ever. The best aspect of all these choices is that you don’t have to choose just one genre anymore; one can participate in multiple subcultures/subgenres at once - mixing music like psychedelic rock, EDM, bluegrass, all on one playlist.

Music hasn’t been the same since the turn of the century. While “pop music” has been the prevailing genre, “pop” as a genre is colloquially closer to “mainstream.” Rather than function as a distinguishing label of what makes one popular artist different from another, it files them all into the same category. Even the role of “popstar” is constantly split between a few major fanbases - like the Swifties, Arianators, Beyhive, etc. However, these fanbases aren’t based in reality. Most fans interact with one another, the music and the artists through social media and the virtual landscape. If you bust a move and no one is there to see it, did you even dance?

Technology interfering with music and listening habits has long been a topic of discussion; since MTV aired its first music “Video Killed the Radio Star,” it’s been a concern that people would begin to value the superficial over pure sound. Despite The Buggles’ catchy concerns, MTV dominated the 90s with sound and spectacle alike for audiences across the U.S. Some music videos employ extravagant visuals while others utilize thoughtful choreography, but regardless of tactic, these videos are meant to enhance the story of the sound.

While music videos succeed in some aspects of constructing unity, they still remain a digital exclusive. For BTS and other K-pop groups, music videos became a major outlet through which they could connect with global audiences. The barrier of language could easily be broken down by dance as the groups rework moves from other genres and subcultures such as American hip-hop. Despite this ability to forge a connection with their fanbase, BTS and similar groups struggled to breach the digital gap. 

When Covid-19 put the whole world into a state of stagnation in 2020, it affected listening behaviors in a way that is still rippling through today’s culture. As we sat in our own rooms witnessing singular people on a small screen replicate the dance of the week, we forgot that dance is a group activity. The “return to normal” is still in process; from concerts to clubs, people are relearning the dance. 

The Current Rhythm

Whether we are a society in motion or not is still up for discussion, but most artists are talking it out on the track. In March of 2026, Harry Styles released his 4th album “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.” Styles grew up in the pop music industry, starting his stardom in the biggest boy band of the 2010s - One Direction. As he grew up, he grew into his own sound, which continues to develop with the listener landscape. One of the standout tracks from Styles’ newest album is “Dance No More,” which features the following chorus:

“We wanna dance with all our friends / DJs don't dance no more / It's feeling like the music has been Heaven sent / And that there's no difference in between the tears and the sweat, uh”

Later that same spring, Slayyyter released “WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA,” a decisive step away from her early 2000s hyperpop persona of the past. Shifting her aesthetic and sound has led to newfound fame for Slayyyter, who established this intensity on her first track of the album with the chorus: “I kinda hate you, but / It doesn't matter, let me dance.”

Although these two tracks are entirely distinct from one another in sound and effect, their messages both maintain a disconnect with dance. Both Styles and Slayyyter identify with dance as a means of expression, but see themselves as the driving force rather than the music creating motion. Now more than ever, music acts as an escape while dance designates the physical form as the center of the experience. Styles and Slayyyter try to reframe dance as an equalizer, an act in which participants are no longer a singular self, but continuously changing with their emotions.

The Queen of Pop, Madonna, returned with her first album in seven years to address the dancefloor that once originated her fame with “Confessions II.” Multiple tracks contain commentary on the culture that she majorly aided in creating, but her website points to the opening lyrics of “One Step Away” as a summarizing sentiment:

“People think that dance music is superficial / But they've got it all wrong / The dance floor is not just a place, it's a threshold / A ritualistic space where movement replaces language”

If the dance floor is inherently a spiritual place of community, how does removing the dance aspect affect both the community and music?

Body Movin'

In 2024, listeners globally were celebrating “brat summer,” in honor of Charli XCX’s hyperpop/EDM album that seemingly rewrote the industry standard. While many thought “brat” heralded the return of crazy clubs and high-energy dance music that were prolific in the early 2000s, XCX’s experience on tour left her with an alternate perspective. 

With her most recent release, “Music, Fashion, Film,” XCX took a different direction after reaching the pinnacle of popularity with hyperpop music. The lead single, “Rock Music,” and its chorus, “I think the dance floor is dead / So now we're making rock music,” reflect XCX’s shift away from the sound that made her so successful. Although the album wasn’t really rock, it represents a reaction to the culture around dance music - or lack thereof.

XCX’s fans are young; they grew up with Rihanna on the radio, but witnessed the death of clubs before they even got the chance to be let in. When engaging with her music, they witness it as a spectacle, not as active participants. They’ve never seen the moves modeled, or lack the courage it takes to execute them in a highly surveillant society. 

The conversation currently culminates in Tinashe’s “Popstar,” an album that’s topping charts and gaining global recognition. Specifically, the track “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore,” evaluates the current push and pull between Gen Z and the dance floor. The second verse encapsulates every worry and hope with an effortless groove: 

“You got a lotta friends, but they don't wanna dance / Too cool with their sunnies and their baggy pants / But I'm drippin' sweat, I don't need the clout / They got their hands in they pockets or their phone out.”

The cultural shift around dance is deeper than just body movement; it’s the idea of being perceived without control. Although dance can be very strict and demanding, at its core, dance is a form of self-expression. Rockers headbang, hippies twirl - dance informs the viewer not only about the genre, but also the individual’s personality. It can create unity, involving everyone in the same ritual without any experience or knowledge necessary to participate. 

Dance in the post-Covid world has come to be seen as something done solo, with the intention of gaining attention; when an entire generation is only exposed to dance via TikTok videos, it becomes an isolating act. Even challenges or attempts to make connections via virtual dance only lead to comparison, the thief of joy. 

Bring the Beat Back

If we don’t want to live through the death of dance floors, the solution may be more simplistic than it seems. Next time you want to dance, invite a friend, partner, or even a stranger, if you feel so bold, to join you. Ask them if they have a go-to dance move, try to come up with one together, and engage with the music and moment fully. There is no wrong way to dance, especially when dancing together.