FOLK / SONGWRITER
Originating from oral traditions and early 20th-century American and British folk music, the Folk/Songwriter genre centers the composition and its performer as a singular entity. The form is defined by a primacy of lyrical content, with musical arrangements—typically sparse and acoustic-driven—structured to support narrative and thematic weight. Core instrumentation features the acoustic guitar and voice, often complemented by harmonica, piano, or subtle orchestral textures. Its ethos champions authenticity and direct communication, evolving from traditional storytelling and social protest to deeply personal, confessional modes of expression that gained significant commercial and cultural traction in the latter half of the 20th century.
Subgenres
- African Folk Music
- Afrikaner Folk Music
- Ambasse bey
- American Folk Music
- American Folk Music Revival
- American Primitivism
- American Roots Music
- Anti-Folk
- Apala
- Appalachian Folk
- Appalachian Folk Music
- Arabic Folk Music
- Art Folk
- Asian Folk Music
- Australian Indigenous Music
- Avant-Folk
- Avtorskaya pesnya
- Balkan Folk Music
- Baltic Folk
- Bard Rock
- Batuque
- Brazilian Folk Music
- British Folk Revival
- British Folk Rock
- Bulgarian Folk Music
- Cajun
- Canzone d'autore
- Caribbean Folk Music
- Caucasian Folk Music
- Celtic Folk
- Central & South Asian Folk Music
- Chamber Folk
- Chanson
- Chanson à texte
- Contemporary Folk
- Dagomba Music
- East Asian Folk Music
- Eastern European Folk Music
- English Folk Music
- English Folk Rock
- European Folk Music
- Euskal kantagintza berria
- Folk Baroque
- Folk Fusions
- Folk Pop
- Folk-Punk
- Folk Rock
- Freak Folk
- German Folk
- Gnawa
- Greek Folk
- Hispanic American Music
- Indie Folk
- Indigenous American Music
- Irish Folk Music
- Italian Folk
- Kabye Folk Music
- Khoisan Folk Music
- Kilapanga
- Kleinkunst
- Latin American Folk Music
- Liedermacher
- Loner Folk
- Malagasy Folk Music
- Mbenga-Mbuti Music
- Middle Eastern Folk Music
- Moutya
- Música de intervenção
- Neofolk
- Ngoma
- Nguni Folk Music
- Nordic Folk Music
- North African Folk Music
- Nouvelle chanson française
- Nova cançó
- Nòva cançon
- Nueva canción
- Nueva canción chilena
- Nueva canción española
- Nueva canción latinoamericana
- Nueva trova
- Nuevo Cancionero
- Oceanian Folk Music
- Old-Time Music
- Poezja śpiewana
- Polka
- Progressive Folk
- Protest Song
- Psychedelic Folk
- Romanian Folk
- Russian Folk Music
- Samba-canção
- Scottish Folk Music
- Sea Shanty
- Singer-Songwriter
- Slavic Folk
- Sotho-Tswana Folk Music
- South Asian Folk Music
- Southern African Folk Music
- Spanish Folk
- Spirituals
- Sub-Saharan African Folk Music
- Tchinkoumé
- Tejano
- Traditional Folk
- Traditional Maloya
- Traditional Séga
- Trova
- Unyago
- West Asian Folk Music
- Work Song
- Yodeling
- Zinli
- Zydeco