Is Alté Dead?
The Alté community seems to be taking a backseat lately, especially in the music scene.
With the new wave of underground acts popping up with new sounds, a lot of people are transitioning away from the regular alternative sounds we used to love, and it’s not just in the music side of things; people are beginning to shift away from alternative fashion, as the word ‘Alté’ is slowly being coined a slur, with loads of memes demonizing the craft.
But is Alté truly dead?
In 2024, The Recording Academy and Wikipedia describe the fusion genre of Alté as “any artist with a unique visual aesthetic whose music blends elements of Afrobeats, pop, rap, R&B, soul, and dancehall.” And that hasn’t changed.
With the new wave of acts like Zaylevelten, Egertton, and Igwe Aka, blending traditional Afrobeats or other local Nigerian genres with pop, rap, and R&B, and acts like ARTSALGHUL and Luwa.Mp4 with their unique visual aesthetic. Alté remains very much alive. It has just taken on a new face.
The main point of the movement has always been "Self Expression", and that hasn't changed. In fact, we think people are expressing themselves now more than ever.