ABSTRACT
The afterword draws together comparisons between the cultures of populism as discussed in Hungary, Italy, Austria, Sweden, and Germany. The chapter highlights popular music’s crucial role in the mainstreaming of populism in contemporary Europe, and insists that populism is both socially grounded and integral to many contemporary cultures. Based on a comparative discussion of the five case studies presented in this volume, the authors explore how contemporary European populism, although deeply rooted in specific contexts, is also characterised by common tropes and narratives across borders. These include the dramatisation of crisis, intertwined with a particular emphasis on heroic portrayals of White masculinity as an ostensibly authentic expression of the people; the mobilisation of nostalgia and memory culture, especially within rural contexts; and the alignment of taste cultures with either constructions of working-class authenticity or middle-class identity. As such, this final chapter illustrates the ways in which popular music can activate the potential for political radicalisation. The authors argue that the mainstreaming of populism through music operates via the mobilisation, politicisation, and radicalisation of shared cultural themes and narratives.
