2000s

The future arrived and it fit in your pocket. The iPod changed how music was owned; Napster and then iTunes changed how it was bought. Pop reached peak polish — Beyoncé's emergence, Usher's confessions, Eminem's fury. Indie rock carved out space for The Strokes, Arcade Fire, and a thousand blog-hyped bands. Emo made feelings loud again. Kanye West proved a producer could be the star. Auto-Tune went from tool to aesthetic to meme. The last decade where you might still buy a CD, the first decade where you might never need to. Music became infinite, portable, and deeply personal. Your playlist was your identity.