The mainstream is dead. It died as music networking advanced to online algorithms that link talented producers with artists pushing the boundaries of their given genre. That’s how 17-year old New York artist maxxant took off: invisible connections constructing the new face of music.

“One day [Katozai] had posted on his Instagram story that he would give out a feature for a homework budget,” maxxant told me over Zoom on an early February weekend.

“And I was like, ‘what’s a homework budget?’ so I slide up [on Katozai’s Instagram story],” maxxant continued. “Basically he is like, ‘Help me do these two biology lab assignments and I’ll give you a feature.’”

“That’s how “generic,” maxxant’s first released song — featuring viral rapper Katozai — was born. Since its release, it has garnered tens of thousands of streams across all platforms. However, that was 2022. Since the release of “generic,” the young artist has never hit the brakes.

“‘I’ve been trying to push a new sound…I’ve dropped nine songs in January [of 2025], including features,” maxxant said. Each of the nine new songs is filled with flashy staples of maxxant’s sound. From bouncy synths to sudden switch ups, the tracks are spilling with fast-paced, digitized pizazz.

It wasn’t always this way, though. In mid-2023 and early 2024, maxxant branched out into an alternative lofi sound for two EPs: mercy and still searching. The two projects are fascinating “what if” moments in maxxant’s larger discography, full of hazy guitar passages and vocals pumped with reverb. This could not differ further from the blown out vocals of the recent single “Bungalow,” or the catchy melodies of a song like “blush.”

For any digital immigrant, this vast contrast in sounds appears foreign. For most young listeners, it’s par for the course. The genre-blending process is pushed to its outer limits by guinea pigs like maxxant, as algorithms behind streaming, social media, and online connection allow for greater freedom in experimentation. Want to switch to acoustic, secure a feature, self-produce a tape? It’s at the touch of a button.

“It’s obvious: [social media] has been connecting the whole world with [music] [...] that’s why I feel like the whole scene [has] so many more artists coming in. People [are saying] it’s starting to get oversaturated, which is a fair take,” maxxant admitted. He paused after this, recognizing the cost of gaining traction: a pressurized scene. Even as the internet gifts the freedom to experiment, to brand oneself, to flourish before a first tour, the sheer mass of online creators brings modern challenges. Oversaturation, sudden falloffs, and selling out are standard now. Though, the internet also allows for solutions.

From New Jersey, to Philadelphia, to New York, East Coast artists inspired by the early Soundcloud innovators are churning out distorted 808s and forging unheard of collaborations. Producers, rappers, singers, and even managers, have risen from the ashes of an aging generation that found success in 2015’s digital rap renaissance. This time, an entire aesthetic is following it. Fashion is ingrained in the culture; fit pics and album covers are interchangeable. Short films complement EPs, and every major label’s mistaken notion of “high” and “low” art collapsed when social media’s digital music ecosystem was born. With an upcoming performance at Bentley University’s Black United Body (BUB) Fashion Show in late March, maxxant’s bridge from fashion to music is clear as ever. It all goes back to where he was raised.

“Growing up in New York, [taste] came naturally [...] I was exposed to a lot, it wasn’t like I had to go out of my way,” maxxant told me. Growing up downtown, taking in the city’s sound, maxxant’s release of the aptly titled QueensBaby is a return to his roots. The five-song mixtape drips with flair: maxxant’s audacious delivery over sidechained kicks rocks each listener into a steady nod. It’s the soundtrack of youth cruising onward into the online world.

With several other singles on the way in the coming months, maxxant has plenty to keep listeners busy. He is set to perform at Bentley University’s BUB Fashion Show on March 29, 2025. Until then, take in the new sound — it’s here to stay.

maxxant and the new mainstream