Age-agnosticism: A Paradigm Shift in Music Consumption and Beyond

Who doesn’t enjoy a good karaoke session? Be it old classics or recent hits, the karaoke scene never fails to entertain. However, an intriguing pattern has emerged over the past decade. Data analyzed by the Hakuhodo Institute of Life and Living and Exing, from the JOYSOUND karaoke system, reveals a fivefold increase in the songs enjoyed across all age groups, climbing from four to twenty songs within a decade.

In the past, media’s influence largely dictated our musical preferences. People typically sang what was trending on TV. However, this seems to be changing in the digital age. It is now becoming increasingly common to see younger individuals, even in their twenties, belting out classics from decades ago, like Kazuyoshi Saito’s “Utautai no Ballad,” which was published in 1997 but regained popularity recently due to its feature on THE FIRST TAKE. This trend towards age-agnosticism or “age-blurring” in music consumption seems to be on the rise.

Traditionally, one’s age group largely dictated societal values and preferences. Age-related distinctions in values and preferences have been diminishing each year. The term “age-agnosticism” coined…