Phonk Music: The Unseen Giant Dominating YouTube and Social Media
In a surprising twist, the music artist with the largest audience across YouTube platforms over the past month was not global superstars like Bad Bunny or Taylor Swift. Instead, it was Slxughter, a relatively unknown phonk producer whose name might not ring a bell for most listeners. However, if you have spent any time on social media, you have almost certainly encountered his work, even if you did not realize it.
The Unconscious Soundtrack of a Generation
It might be more accurate to say people have "heard it" rather than actively chosen it, as the vast majority of consumers do not recognize phonk as a distinct genre. Yet, this music is constantly playing in the background of YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels, serving as the unconscious soundtrack for a generation that spends hours doomscrolling online. Phonk has quietly risen to become the most popular music on vertical videos, earning fortunes for its producers—often teenagers who create viral tracks from their bedrooms and become millionaires through royalties in mere months.
The sound of phonk is versatile, blending elements of electronic dance music, hip-hop, trap, and funk. It accompanies a wide range of content, including:
- Dance clips
- Gaming montages
- Fan edits
- Workout content
- Sports highlights
- Motivational clips
All of these aim to convey high-energy vibes, making phonk an ideal fit for fast-paced social media platforms.
YouTube's Metrics Reveal Phonk's Dominance
Kevin Meenan, 43, the music trends manager at YouTube, expressed his excitement about this development, stating, "I've been waiting for this conversation for the past, like, five years." He explained that Slxughter's massive following is calculated by combining traditional YouTube views with listenership on all YouTube platforms, including Shorts. This month, Slxughter's music reached an astounding 981 million unique users, more than double Taylor Swift's 394 million and over six times Bad Bunny's 150 million.
Josh Mateer, 34, head of A&R at SoundOn (TikTok's distribution platform for artists and labels), described phonk as a "sleeping giant." He noted, "There is a huge juxtaposition between the volume of internet traffic around phonk and the sort of culture as an underground musical movement." This highlights the genre's rapid ascent from obscurity to mainstream popularity without widespread cultural recognition.
The Roots and Evolution of Phonk
The origins of phonk trace back to the Memphis, Tennessee, rap scene of the late 1980s and 1990s. Producers like Tommy Wright III and Three 6 Mafia pioneered a raw, sinister sound characterized by heavy bass, eerie lyrics, cowbells, and hypnotic loops. By the end of the 2010s, Russian and Eastern European producers began to influence the genre, leading to its modern iterations.
Tyler Blatchley, 41, co-founder of the phonk label Black 17 Media, was working at Sony when he discovered an obscure track by Russian producer Kaito Shoma on TikTok in December 2020. Recognizing lyrics from Three 6 Mafia, he contacted the group's DJ Paul to clear the song for monetization. This marked the beginning of drift phonk—named for its use in clips of drifting cars—and the genre's explosive growth on social platforms.
Today, Blatchley enjoys a luxurious lifestyle in a villa with a pool and basketball court near Miami. He remarked, "We don't even know how to pronounce half of them. These kids are producers that work out of their bedroom from all over the world, and they're watching the algorithm to see what's popular on vertical video, and then they're adjusting the kind of music that they make accordingly."
The Rise of Brazilian Phonk
The latest evolution in the phonk genre is Brazilian phonk, initially called Automotivo phonk. It often gets confused with traditional Brazilian "funk," an older genre with authentic local roots. This branch of phonk is more aggressive than drift phonk but can be more danceable in some cases. It is this variant that has propelled Slxughter to the top of the charts, showcasing the genre's adaptability and global appeal.
In summary, phonk music has transformed from an underground movement into a dominant force on digital platforms, reshaping how music is consumed and produced in the social media era. Its success underscores the power of algorithms and viral trends in today's music industry, where bedroom producers can achieve unprecedented reach and financial success.
