Are blackness and whiteness useful concepts in the study of popular music?

Blackness and whiteness are useful concepts to a certain degree, this may include the classification of music in the early 20th century; it may also be useful in advertising strategies to pull in certain audiences. Other than that the classifications are irrelevant or only play a small role. The developments in technology and the vast differences in subcultures means that there are more distinctions based around genres rather than race. Styles are borrowed, fusing together other styles and cultures, this may lead to blurred distinctions. People don't tend to stick to one style of music alone. Blackness and whiteness cannot explain the other cultural music genres such as Bhangra. Class and location are more socially relevant in current times in such a multicultural society. Barry Shanks suggests that in every case, within every popular music genre, crossover exceptions to the typical racial identification exist; for in the very vibrations of its being, music doesn't know race.