i think defining what "new" means would help clarity this. perhaps what you said is true with new mainstream music from large labels, but none of that applies to "new" music that i listen to, at least that i'm aware of.

New popular music.

The mainstream went from quite decent to crap within the last 20 years or so.

One could always find stuff to listen to their personal echo bubble, but not as much in the wider shared pop culture space.

A peek at billboard 100 from 2004 might surprise you. Same themes, new style and production. That said the rise of trap, particulary the repetitve autotuned bars, certainly hasn't helped in the lyricism dept.

You'll of course find great talent in every generation. While I don't like the majority of the current top billboard there's some talent behind those tracks.

>A peek at billboard 100 from 2004 might surprise you. Same themes, new style and production.

That era is already after it has been going downhill.