New music, or the music of today, seems to have a different compilation of non-lyrical sound and lyrical sound than the music of old. Music of the prior days seemed to use non-lyrical sound—instruments—to accentuate the lyrical sound.
When I listen to rock music of the ‘90s and early-2000s, I hear the guitar and drum kit putting the songwriter and lead vocalist on a pedestal. In that same generation’s hip hop sound, I hear the record slow and the sound level of “the hook” drop as the lead vocalist (or rapper) tenaciously spit his poem into a 15-second flow.