Why Every Artist Needs a "Third Place" Sound

Sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term "third place" to describe the social spaces between home and work — cafés, parks, barbershops. We think the concept applies perfectly to the current music landscape.

The most exciting artists of 2025 — KODA, Luna Sage, Sable Noir, Pharaoh Bliss — all live in a "third place" sonically. They're not quite one genre, not quite another. They exist in the space between, and that's exactly where the magic happens.

This isn't about being eclectic for eclecticism's sake. It's about authenticity. When your influences are genuinely diverse — when drill and jazz actually both shaped your childhood, when Afrobeats and indie pop actually both feel like home — the fusion isn't forced. It's natural.