With the birth of musical streaming came an influx of independent artists, unconstrained by a label or a manager. This time in musical history (around 2001), commonly referred to as the “Streaming Era,” also brought with it the subsequent destruction of what was previously known as “traditional genres.”
After the archaic age, when Mp3’s and Walkmans took their death march down the walk of fame, slowly fading into obscurity – save for the few musical purists who find solace in their more simplistic designs (I see you, analog enthusiasts, and I respect your technostola), the stage was set for a new subset of musicians. Even before the dawn of streaming, the album format was made obsolete, as listening to all the songs contained within an album with the goal of listening to the one song an individual had stuck in their head was, admittedly, a lengthy process. However, as is the primary goal of technological advancement, the implementation of these streaming services made the curation of tracklists that much easier; no longer would you have to burn a CD or spend hours in front of a boombox, waiting for your favorite jams to play as you hold your cassette tape before you (seriously, how did people survive the 80’s??). Now, all one has to do to create the playlist of their dreams is open Spotify, look up the song’s name, and add it to whatever absurdly titled mixtape it’s been assigned. To summarize a terribly lengthy history of industry and musical exploitation; the era of streaming has moved society to a more condensed, vibe-centered musical experience.
Though music history is not the focus of this piece, this cursory glance of how streaming came to be is necessary to understanding the significance of this hodge-podged together genre of music, readily labeled as “Hyper-pop.” This genre, originating from the PC music/aesthetic popularized in early 2010’s London (are we remotely surprised? – London is known for birthing a variety of smashing musical movements) that embraced and critiqued the plastic nature of pop, is known for its autotune, distortion and the use of “bubblegum bass.” Hyper-pop is, in many ways, directly defies all the normal conventions of mainstream music; embracing absurdity and chaos, making the active decision to divert from what “The Industry” has convinced its patrons is “good” music. Herein lies the message prevalent across the For You Pages of everyone’s – or at least my – devices, that hyper-pop is “bad” music; a conglomeration of loud, cacophonous noise with senseless and disconnected lyrics layered on top, holding absolutely no discernible meaning.
This perspective, dear reader, couldn’t be further from the truth. The simple fact of the matter is this; all art is subjective. Predicating on this point, it is impossible to state, simply, that any music is “bad” (unless you’re arguing that an AI generated song is bad… in that case, I wholeheartedly agree with you, my friend. Let us rage against the machine, together!). The entirety of the argument could stop there, as the concept of subjectivity when it comes to an individual’s tastes is practically irrefutable, but that would A) make for a rather boring article, and B) ignore the impact that hyper-pop’s existence has had on challenging the music industry’s oppressive hold over music’s consumption.
For the sake of brevity, the inherent rebellious nature of hyper-pop will be listed below (though I could prattle on for hours, if the demand call for it):
Hyper-pop’s Existence Challenges the institution
Hyper-pop is, by design, a genre built upon how the expectations of mainstream music influences the expectations of the consumer. In a stereotypical hyperpop track (the irony of that statement is not lost on me), the song infuses the common themes of the pop genre with auditory elements that are, by design, jarring; IE, boosted bass, distortion, and poorly-mixed vocals. Where musical institutions dictate that pop songs should be repetitive, easily digestible, and follow a predictable pattern, hyperpop breaks conventions and pushes against the confines placed upon the music art form in its entirety.
hyper-pop’s link to the queer community
Because of its absurdity, there is no question that the genre is queer (get it… because it”s a double entendre… I’ll stop, sorry), this can be attributed to a number of factors; the love of experimentation, creating one’s dream reality via unconventional means of producing, and an abundance of LGBTQ+ creators within the genre (such as, but not limited to; Chrissy Chlapecca – a lesbian artist who writes about her passion for women, influenced by other queer icons such that her sound is akin to that of the homosexual love child of Lady Gaga and old Madonna, and SOPHIE – a pioneer in the genre whose sound destroys gendered expectations and is centered around radical trans visibility.). Hyper-pop, as an artform, is built upon the expression of the unconventional; a celebration of what is deemed “unusual” by giving it a voice, a platform to be shared with others who find solace within their marginalized identities.
hyper-pop’s call for feminism
This genre, dominated by women, opposes institutions that demean and degrade women; it’s an art rooted in breaking the conventions surrounding what women should aspire to be, and/or how they should depict themselves to appease the majority. Hyper-pop makes a mockery of the performances that mainstream pop-princesses must put on, as it makes its absurd conceptions of womanhood explicit. This genre plasticizes women, making them shiny and unreal, as they convey this alternative reality of what it means to be feminine within their ideal world; a world where sexuality and chaos is embraced, where desires are chased and sensations are explored with no care of later repercussions (for example – the rambunctious, consequence free, and unrestricted actions present in both“CRANK’ and “No Comma” by SLAYTER, the latter of which being my personal favorite :). Hyperpop, then, opposes the institutions that are cultivated off the back of the patriarchy, as it centralizes the women in music production, embracing the messiness of femininity and prioritizing fun over maintaining the facade of perfection as is dictated by men.
Though I’ve just gone on a long winded diatribe about a selection of hyperpop’s highlights, I would be remiss to neglect the glaring issues that the genre is facing. Though Hyper-pop was born within the bedrooms of hopeful queer upstarts, dreaming of fame and notoriety achieved through their chaotic musical creations, it is now a commodity of the system it was once developed to destroy.
Capitalism comes for us all; eventually, everything produced will be subsumed within its corruptive clutches and become consumable, ruining all semblance of human originality (yeah, yeah, very doom and gloom, I’m aware). This, tragically, remains true for Hyper-pop, as well. Over the last five years, the microgenre has skyrocketed in popularity, greatly attributed to Charli XCX and her music being used frequently on TikTok after the infamous “hyperpop” Spotify playlist combined underground artists with industry-approved alternative performers. This acted as the catalyst for Hyperpop going mainstream, its presence being unquestionable within the musical sphere, subsequently signaling to The Man™ that the genre was undeniably profitable.
Though there are benefits to its being widespread (refer to my former spieling), the downsides are as follows:
- Industry plants take the genre and manipulate it, utilizing its nonconformity to shock viewers and create buzz, in a “no press is bad press” sort of ideology.
- Subsequently, new people are introduced to a bastardized-offshoot of the microgenre, meaning that audiences who are ill-prepared for the dulcet sounds of unorchestrated distortion are in for a wild ride they’d not asked for. Thus, bringing about this declaration that it is “bad” music.
To people who continue to defame the genre, I say to you this; don’t listen to it. Some arts will not be enjoyed by every individual, that doesn’t mean said work is inherently “bad” or “less than,” it just means it wasn’t made for you. Though people are entitled to their own opinions (refer back to my point on subjectivity, people all like different things and that’s dope… lest its harming another person, don’t do that), I believe the importance of prudence has been lost with the growth of the media, meaning that people are less likely to remember to act courteous when discussing new and different kinds of art.
Hyperpop, for all its faults, is a subgenre built upon the dreams of minorities; it challenges oppressive systems and grants hopeful musicians the chance to find their voices, layered with autotune and flavored with vocal fry. A music genre of expression and exploration being reduced to one negative identifier is woefully undeserved, as its very existence provides a space for communities to form and rise against the tyrannical forces that attempt to dull their spirits. Hyperpop is a rebellious, loud, headache inducing, feminist, queer, absurdist genre that shatters the normal conventions that prevail in the music world.
Hyperpop isn’t “bad” music, it’s art.