The mash‐up remix rose to prominence in the early 2000s, spawning fans, amateur participants, and a small social movement. This paper culturally analyzes the influences on and implications of the mash‐up phenomenon. By conducting a close reading of press articles and several interviews and textually analyzing some of the most popular and critically acclaimed tracks, I argue that the mash‐up is a response to larger technological, institutional, and social contexts. Through themes of irony, empowerment, and re‐appropriation, the mash‐up serves as a fitting expression of today's youth media experience.
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Michael Serazio (2008) studied this question.