Welcome to Day 20 of the Best of YAP 2024!

Our team’s taking a little holiday break, but don’t worry—we aren’t going anywhere.

Because over this holiday period, you’ll be treated to one of our fave articles in your inbox each day.

So whether you’re sitting by the fire with a warm cup of cocoa (lookin’ at you, Northern hemi folks), or hitting the beach (for those of us having a summer Christmas), you can catch up on some reading and remind yourself of what a wild year 2024 was.

Catch ya in 2025!

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

How MTV Became Culturally Irrelevant

In the 80s, MTV revolutionized the music industry.

In the 90s and 2000s, it was the epitome of cool.

In 2024, the cable network station could be likened to your millennial aunt who’s stuck in a noughties time loop and can’t quite let go of her fading youth.

Or the Steve Buscemi 'How do you do, fellow kids?' meme.

MTV used to be a tastemaker, dictating trends and attitudes in fashion, music and youth culture.

Its influence was so powerful, the ‘MTV effect’ was felt not only in the music industry, but even in the worlds of art and advertising.

So, how did the juggernaut of culture wither away into cultural irrelevancy?

Unfortunately, the downfall of MTV is a tale as old as time. When a brand loses sight of its roots and struggles to keep up with the zeitgeist, it pays the ultimate price. It’s a story not unfamiliar to the fate of many brands, which is why we should pay attention.

So what exactly led to MTV's demise? And what can we do to make sure we don't suffer the same fate?

Put simply, MTV wavered from their brand identity.

What does MTV stand for? Not brand wise, I mean the literal acronym.

That’s right. Music Television.

What did it end up not being? A Music Television station.

Before MTV, music videos were a niche concept. The brand flipped the script by turning music videos into an art form and marketing tool.

Accompanying visuals to a song became a way for artists to express themselves in a completely new way. Music videos became a vehicle for connection with a global audience.

MTV was the facilitator for the global audience and became a powerhouse in the music world.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer