Malaysia Edition

Culture Next: The Trends Defining Gen Z and Millennials in Malaysia

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Listening to Southeast Asia’s next generation:

Who’s shaping our future?

We’ve heard so much about Millennials and their impact on every aspect of culture. But how has that changed as they’ve gotten older? And what about Gen Z? What makes them tick? Here at Spotify, culture is part of our DNA, and we’re always tuned in. We recognize how complex the world has become for all of us, especially young people. We also understand how important these audiences are to brands.

Partnering up with research agencies Culture Co-Op, and YouGov, we commissioned our first Culture Next Trends Report. The journey took us all around markets in Southeast Asia — speaking to 3,000 Gen Zs and Millennials in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand as well as Taiwan — unpacking their evolving relationship with culture, brands, content, technology, and their communities.

What became clear through our research is that Gen Zs and Millennials are in the midst of a major wake-up call. At the breakneck speed of social and technological change, they are finding new ways to show up, join forces and shape culture as we know it.

We hope this report can help your brand better connect with these empowered, cross-cultural, and socially aware audiences, and more crucially, show you how audio can power your marketing strategy through the next normal.

Scroll down to explore a snapshot of these five trends.

Key insights from Malaysia

86%
say they expect brands to be part of the debate, to promote more progressive values and play a more meaningful role in society.
71%
believe that brands have the power to create communities based on common interest and passion.
59%
believe online aesthetics have altered what their generation expects to see in the real world.

Download our Culture Next 2020 Report

Band of Others

The world is more diverse, cross-cultural, and migratory than ever, and young people are responding by forming communities that span the globe. Made up of renegade tribes who celebrate the same micro-cultures, fringe fashion, and social causes, these groups are forging bonds beyond social media to incite change and push the boundaries of belonging. Unanchored from roots and rules, they are drafting their own cultural manifestos — and they believe that music has a key role to play.

YUNA, SINGER-SONGWRITER, MALAYSIA

“It's great to have people from other countries listen to my music. I come from a place rich with culture, and I travel the world touring to share my music, but audio/music streaming media made it easier to give my fans an introduction to who I am — it’s so nice to see that they can relate to me. I don't just get to share my music, I get to connect with other artists, work with them, grow with them, and most importantly learn from them.”

Subliminal Attraction

It’s not news that our real-world desires are often rooted in our digital lives: apps tell us where to eat, influencers tell us what to buy, and social media dictates our visual aesthetic. From Pantone colours that influence photographic moments, to mutiple photos of dalgona coffee that you just have to try it at least once — we are subconsciously attracted to things in the real world based on our online content consumption.

JASMINE SOKKO, SINGER-PRODUCER, SINGAPORE

“...I am a huge fan of algorithms and see it as a new form of personalized neat categorisation. Some days I’m just amazed by how well my personal algorithm knows my taste.”

Polyfly

In today’s pop culture, politics, activism and discourse around social issues are unavoidable. Driven by the proliferation of digital media access, Gen Zs and Millennials agree that politics has never been as influential in pop culture as it is today.

ALEXTBH, SINGER-SONGWRITER, MALAYSIA

“Today’s generation is driven on making societal and political changes to address many inequality issues, whether it affects them or not... Societies are more conscious than ever.”

All the Feels

There’s a palpable strain of melancholy running through culture today, that Gen Zs and Millennials are openly addressing. As they go through key life stage transitions, they're learning how to deal with these new experiences, and are seeking solace in music.

FAIZAL TAHIR, SINGER-SONGWRITER, MALAYSIA

“With information becoming easily accessible now, we're realising that mental health is just as important as other health issues. People are also becoming more open now in sharing their personal experiences to help spread awareness.”

Surround Sound

After a decade dominated by visual media and culture, sound is taking center stage. This is due in no small part to the innovation and ubiquity of streaming audio. Through playlists, podcasts, connected cars, smart speakers, and more, sound envelops our everyday.

RIZKY ARDI, PODCASTER, INDONESIA

“Many of the younger generation currently like audio content because they do a lot of multitasking work, where they can still listen to the content they like while doing work on the devices they are using, such as computers or mobile phones.”

Listen to the music inspiring the next generation

*Source: Spotify Trends Survey among 3,000 respondents, 18-37 (SG, MY, ID, TH, TW - May 2020), 15-37 (PH - February 2019)