Feel like all music sounds the same? You might be right.

Lyrics across all genres have become simpler and more repetitive over time, according to researchers who analysed over 12,000 English-language songs across genres from 1980 to 2020. They examined the emotions expressed, the complexity of words, and repetition.

One explanation the researchers found for this phenomenon: many artists produce with streaming platforms like Spotify in mind where people have plenty of choices. When people are faced with lots and lots of choices, they tend to prefer things that are easier to process and more straightforward, according to Michael Varnum, a cultural psychologist. Repetitive and simple lyrics are easier to remember which contributes to the popularity.

Not only within the music industry, but almost in any other industry we see that algorithms increasingly dictate what we consume, but also what we create. Today’s designers for example are often remixing what receives lots of likes straight away; that’s what’s aesthetically pleasing (instead of what seems to be functional). 

With the dominance of algorithms and dominant platforms to decide the success of your creative work, as well as the rise of AI tools that often source their output as a common denominator of a large dataset, originality and creativity seem at risk.