Mainstream music in Kosovo is based on Western trends, and popular genres include pop, rock, hip hop,[1] electronic, and jazz.
In the past, epic poetry in Kosovo and northern Albania was sung on a lahuta (a one-string fiddle) and then a more tuneful çiftelia was used which has two strings-one for the melody and one for drone.
Tallava is a minority music genre from Kosovo, also popular in Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia, in the Albanian-speaking communities.
[8] It is identified as part of the wider Pop-folk genre of the Southeastern Europe, which includes Chalga from Bulgaria, Skiladiko from Greece, Manele from Romania and Turbo-folk from Serbia.
[12] Jordan Nikolić, Viktorija, Sejo Kalač, Đani, Jana, Tina Ivanović, Slađa Delibašić, Rasta, Nevena Božović are some of the most popular Kosovo Serb commercial singers.
[14] In the beginning of the 1970s, the rock music scene in Mitrovica, Kosovo (then Yugoslavia) comprised both Albanian and Serbian bands, though each had their own separate audience and performed in their own languages.
During the parallel governance (1989–1999) and after the 1999 war in Kosovo, several new Kosovo-Albanian bands emerged, among which the most famous are KEK (Kreativ e jo Komercial – English: creative and not commercial), Troja, 7me7, The Hithat, Cute Babulja, Por-no, Gre3n, Retrovizorja.
The contemporary pop stars Dua Lipa and Rita Ora[16] are ethnic Albanians from Pristina and have achieved an international recognition for their music.
Also Era Istrefi had an international breakthrough with her song "BonBon", which charted globally, and was featured on 2018 FIFA World Cup anthem "Live It Up".
Another widely recognized musicians are de:Ardita Statovci and Petrit Çeku, both winners of prestigious music awards.
[17] Gjon's Tears a Swiss singer and songwriter of Kosovar-Albanian descent, who auditioned for the eighth season of the French singing competition The Voice: la plus belle voix and reached the semi-finals, as well as who will represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021.
[23] According to the Kosovar newspaper Koha Ditore, a future entry would be selected via a national final called Akordet e Kosovës, a former pop show that had been taken off the air some years ago.