Guest Column: The Courage to Say, “You Should Hear This”… and the Curiosity to Listen With Care
Music x Media’s Guest Column invites professionals from across the industry to share their perspectives on current issues, their work, values, events, or any other topic they find relevant.
This contribution was written by Laura Fuentes, a creative sector professional specializing in communications and content. While an emerging voice in the field, Fuentes has built versatile experience across the music industry and the wider creative sector. Over the past two years, Fuentes also became known to many through her role as Head of Comms for ODDfest, one of Finland’s latest festival newcomers.
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The Courage to Say, “You Should Hear This”… and the Curiosity to Listen With Care
You can feel a certain stir in the air when you observe the way younger Finnish audiences, myself included, approach music and culture these days. AI content and algorithmic personalization devour an increasingly large part of our lives, and conversations around authenticity seem to be growing ever louder. Now, many young adults feel themselves drawn towards more tangible and grounded experiences, reflected in the growing popularity of offline hobbies, the re-emergence of analog devices, and the fervor towards community-driven events. Whether it’s a conscious reaction to digital fatigue or simply the next cultural cycle, Helsinki’s youth is flocking to second-hand vinyl markets, listening bars, and nightlife and daytime experiences that bank on real human connection that simply can’t be replaced or replicated by AI.
If we look a bit further back, over the past decade or so, Finns have broadened their taste in music and gradually transformed from a dedicated rock and pop nation into one with ever more vibrant subcultures and fan bases. Hip hop and rap have taken the country’s youth by storm, and several other genres like RnB and Soul are gaining a steadier footing. In fact, being adventurous in music has, in a way, become a badge of honor for many people my age. Humorously, this can especially be seen around the turn of the year, when the annual Spotify Wrapped cultural ritual commences and younger listeners around the country rush to proudly showcase their listening minutes and eclectic genre choices to their peers. At the very moment music has become more diverse, however, discovering it can ironically feel surprisingly narrow. Recommendation algorithms are incredibly good at giving us more of what we already like. That’s exactly what they’re designed to do. But, discovery, in the truest sense of the word, has never been about familiarity. It’s about surprise and uncovering the unknown: stumbling across an artist, record, or genre unlike anything you’ve experienced before.
This conversation has become even more relevant in Finland following Spotify’s—a streaming platform which reportedly holds a market share of 90% in the country—decision to move editorial curation from Finland to Sweden at the end of last year, raising important concerns within the industry over the loss of local cultural knowledge in music discovery. A discussion further spurred on by growing frustration over the increasing role of algorithms and AI-generated content, or “AI slop,” as the internet calls it, flooding the ecosystem. At the same time, streaming platforms and listeners alike are grappling with the sheer volume of new releases, AI or otherwise. All things considered, in my eyes, it’s no wonder recommendations from real people seem to carry more weight again. The choice paralysis and AI fatigue are very real and present.
I’ve certainly noticed this in my own circles. People are constantly asking where to go, what to listen to, which events are worth going to, and which artists deserve their attention. At least in my own experience, the demand among younger Finns for easily accessible human-to-human recommendations and unique experiences far outweighs the supply. Event platforms like thehelsgoingon, hiddenHEL, and the newly launched Finnish branch of the global cultural media brand Time Out are responding to that demand, making cultural recommendations and human commentary on them easier to find. New event concepts also continue to pop up left and right, reflecting changing habits around nightlife and socializing, with coffee raves and alcohol-free offline gatherings rising alongside traditional partying. Yet when it comes to music, discovery still often begins and ends with whatever algorithm happens to serve us.
Paradoxically, many of us say we want more original music, more adventurous programming, and more distinctive cultural experiences than we’re actually prepared to explore. When it’s time to buy a ticket, press play, or recommend something to a friend or an audience, we often default to what already feels familiar. That’s understandable. Exploring takes time and energy, and after being catered to by algorithms for so long, an active choice can feel foreign. Recommending and choosing differently—especially publicly—also takes courage in today’s polarized world. The higher the price tag, time commitment, or perceived risk, the harder it seems to become to take that step. Many new, larger-scale cultural concepts struggle to gain ground as people are especially less adventurous when it comes to more costly purchase decisions, a direct consequence of the current economic climate and rising unemployment rate. In turn, bigger event organizers are more hesitant to experiment with their programming. People are afraid of investing in something, be it time, energy, or money, that they won’t end up liking. But here’s my question to you: is it better to digest a constant stream of pretty good, or experience the full spectrum? Better yet, can culture evolve without the full spectrum?
This is my little ode to venturing out into new waters. And hey, perhaps next time you’re looking for something new to experience, don’t rely on the algorithm. Call a friend, read a review, turn on the radio, go to an event unusual to you, or ask the record store employee. If you stumble upon something you enjoyed or found interesting, pass it on. Algorithms are exceptional at predicting what we’re likely to enjoy. People, on the other hand, introduce us to what we never knew we were looking for.
Written by Laura Fuentes
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Would you want to write for Guest Column?Contact: lotta.savolainen@musicmedia.fiThe stage is yours.
Important topics are also addressed at Music x Media. Music x Media will be held in Tampere on October 1–2, 2026. Tickets on sale here.