Roblox Listening Parties Bring Music To The Metaverse
An overview of the events this past weekend at Poppy's Roblox Listening Party
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The gaming platform Roblox recently held its first virtual event in a new arena: the album listening party. Last Friday, September 24th, Roblox hosted its first in a series of Roblox Listening Parties. The platform hosted the weekend-long event in collaboration with grammy-nominated artist Poppy. She released her new album Flux on 9/24 and took to the metaverse to celebrate its release with fans.
Taking a step back, because you probably have a lot of questions: What is Roblox? Who is Poppy? What is the metaverse? And how do all of these things fit together?
Roblox 101
You might have heard of Roblox if you have an elementary school-aged niece or nephew who can’t seem to be pulled away from whatever device they’re using. Roblox is extremely popular among children, but after researching it you will encounter tons of adults saying it’s not just for kids. In general, the game is lauded for its user-friendly chat feature, character customization options, and ability to play with several friends.
But Roblox is not a game in the traditional sense. Rather, it is an online immersive experience platform. On the platform, users are able to roam free and travel in and out of thousands of different worlds. One minute, you might be looking for clues to solve a mystery, and the next, attending a virtual high school. It all depends on your personal preferences.
Some parents have criticized the platform for its possible dangers for children. Since the chat feature and user-created content are both unmoderated, it poses risks for exposure to foul language or graphic content. Others, namely investors, are highly supportive of the platform. The company’s stock (NYSE: RBLX) debuted on the stock market last March to massive excitement.
What Is The Metaverse and Is Roblox Creating It?
The metaverse both already exists and doesn’t exist yet. It is the idea from dystopian (or utopian) novels that there will one day be an expansive virtual reality universe. A true metaverse would be all-encompassing.
However, Roblox and other 3D world-building games already exist in a metaverse of sorts. For players, Roblox’s virtual worlds are expansive and are a real place where players virtually hang out and experience things. Now, with the addition of Roblox Listening Parties, music streaming will add a new depth to the game’s universe.
Poppy’s Album Listening Party
For those who do not know Poppy, she seems an interesting and perfect fit for an event of this kind. The music artist blends genres, going from bubblegum pop and art-pop in her earlier music to metal and grunge later. She was even the first woman nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 2021 Grammys. She has amassed a loyal army of fans called Poppyseeds.
But what makes Poppy make the most sense for a Roblox streaming event is her multimedia artist status and knowledge of all things online. She began her career very entrenched in performance art. She went viral on YouTube and had an almost robotic presence. Many questioned her genuine intentions and whether she was trying to make cultural commentary on fame. For all of these reasons, Poppy has never shied away from novel ideas. A Roblox streaming event would be much like her: a novel concept, very online, and kind of meta.
Roblox Listening Parties and The Future of Virtual Listening Events
Roblox previously held concerts with Lil Nas X and Twenty One Pilots. However, it was not the first platform to bring music to immersive, virtual worlds. Fortnite has held multiple concerts, some even before the pandemic. Last April, electronic group 100 gecs hosted a music festival in Minecraft featuring artists like Charli XCX, A.G. Cook, and Kero Kero Bonito. These events were all huge successes. They brought together listeners across the world to provide a unique virtual concert experience.
Poppy’s album listening party in Roblox looked a little bit different than these events. For one, it was not a concert but rather a streaming party. Some fans likely were already playing Roblox and hanging out with their friends, and they got to hear Poppy’s new album while doing so. Others came just to virtually meet Poppy and attend events throughout the weekend.
Roblox has been trying to make strides in increasing the role of music in its expanding platform. Events like these have almost exclusively gone well thus far, making publicity for both the artists involved and platforms hosting. Poppy fans play Roblox for the first time. Roblox players hear Poppy for the first time. It’s a smart proposition for both parties. Plus, these virtual events provide accessibility to concerts for those with disabilities, those who live in non-prioritized countries or cities for music touring, and those at high risk during the continuing pandemic.
Not many of us listen to full albums anymore, let alone listen to one in a social setting. Roblox may be bringing back that old novelty, while simultaneously creating a new tradition in the metaverse.
Sam Bowden is an Author/Contributor Intern for the StreamLINE Music Blog. He enjoys making carefully curated Spotify playlists, thrift shopping, and playing trivia. Sam is a history and film studies graduate from Indiana University-Bloomington.