Imagine telling someone that you just wrote a new song. Without any other information, their first question is probably, “What kind of music is it?”
Depending on your answer, they might not be the least bit interested in continuing the conversation. Especially if your answer is “I don’t know.” Even worse than that is a long-winded explanation of how each one of your songs is artistically unique, has multiple influences and transcends all genres, space and time. That’s a telltale sign that you’re out of touch with what people want. And for the record, “pretty chill” is a vague description, not a genre.
A recognizable genre and style is an open door to listeners that have preconceived notions about what they like and don’t like. There are many people that only listen to a select few genres. You have an opportunity to appeal to these listeners before they decide whether or not they even like your music.
Industry professionals are no different. You have a much better chance of catching their attention if your song fits what they expect. People are always receptive to cool new music – if it fits what they’re looking for. Just imagine how much success your amazing Death Metal song will have when you send it to a Top 40 radio station. Your Metal masterpiece doesn’t stand a chance because the DJ and the audience aren’t looking for Metal.
One important distinction to make is that songs and albums typically fall into genres. However, artists don’t necessarily need to be so narrowly focused. There are several examples of artists with hit songs in multiple genres. When asking yourself what genre your song fits in, don’t take the answer too personally. There’s a chance that your songs will fall into several genres over time and no single genre will define you as an artist. Then again, you might be perfectly comfortable with the idea of being a Jazz pianist or Country singer.
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