MMA’s 2022 Year in Review

Here’s to a great 2023!

Man, what an insane year for music! It seems like all of our favorite artists dropped this year to varying degrees of success. This might be the most prosperous we’ve seen the music industry since the illustrious 2016. I’m taking this time to reflect on the successes (and future) of the Modern Music Analysis publication. I’m optimistic for the new year, but looking back at this year, it will be hard to top.

To begin, I want to shoutout all of the writers for MMA! Without you, there is no MMA. I am especially thankful for those that recommitted after the facelift to the submission guidelines. You didn’t have to stick around, we aren’t even the biggest music publication on Medium (shoutout The Riff btw), but you did and created extremely valuable and high-quality work. Additionally, the huge range of genres and artists that we’ve covered seems unfathomable. Robin Krause, Martine Betz, and Z-sides: Music Reviews really homed in on the underground and local scenes while maintaining that thorough, high-quality nature of our reviews. I appreciate all the work the writers of MMA have put out, both past and present.

If you’re interested in contributing to Modern Music Analysis, reach out to me or see the submission guidelines here. I would love to continue growing our team of writers and create a community that not only loves to write about music, but actively encourages each other to do so. If you’re a current writer for MMA and aren’t in the Discord, get in contact with me. Lastly, if you, or anyone you know, is interested in contributing to a MMA podcast, we plan on reinstating that to really start meaningful conversations about music. If you want to see how that might work, check out some old episodes below:

I have to give a special shoutout to editors Mark Chinapen and Paul K. Barnes, Paul being the newest editor for MMA! They’ve put in an insane amount of work not only covering some of the largest releases of the year, but also giving me sound advice and suggestions. We’ve created a vision and some common ground for what MMA should and shouldn’t be and I look forward to seeing how that evolves in 2023.

While I’m not usually the one to worry about views, but I have to gush about the growing number of views and minutes read. A lot of the interest lies within the major releases covered, largely because they were covered so timely, this publication often being the first to have reviews out. Being able to put out releases quickly while also providing in-depth understanding of the structure of albums and further, the nuance of the hidden meanings within the albums, is impressive to say the least. I could go through and list all of the major reviews for this year, but chances are, if it was a major artist, it was covered by one person or another on MMA — and we don’t plan on letting up any time soon.

I would really like to focus on a few things during the new year, a lot of which echoes sentiments that I’ve aired before. First, growing social medias, especially Twitter and Instagram. As a publication, we will be looking into creating a more recognizable brand and voice on social media beyond that of updates on album reviews. The focus will still be on illuminating the thorough nature of our reviews but also be condensed and digestible enough for the quick hits of social media apps, including TikTok. If you’re interested in keeping up with Modern Music Analysis, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok!

We have heavily weighed a considerable rebrand including a completely new name and logo. This change will be announced and teased heavily if or when it comes. If you have any suggestions for a name change, drop it in the comments below! Since I’ve graduated, I no longer have any educational requirements; therefore, I will be putting in much more time and attention in making MMA a successful publication.

Fortunately, I get to reside in the Music City, so I literally have nothing to do but immerse myself in music. Some new features you will see on the page will include reestablishing a website for Modern Music Analysis (or new brand), a live performance section highlighting concerts and more, and a “Meet the Writers” section where you can learn more about the motives behind the writers of MMA.

Is there anything you want to see from Modern Music Analysis? Be sure to let us know in the comments or email us at modernmusicanalysis@gmail.com. I would also like to take the time to thank each and every single one of our readers that took a moment to check our work — you are what makes MMA what it is, so thank you!

I look forward to putting the pen on paper in 2023. Be on the lookout for an album of the year list from the MMA staff in the new year as well. Until then, keep on listening!