Exploring Today’s Hyperpop Scene
Amidst today’s downtempo-leaning, 80s tinged mainstream sound, a new kind of pop has been brewing in underground circles, and it seems like it’s at the precipice of cracking the mainstream. If you look at the pop playlists Spotify has to offer, amongst the mega-hit blends, acoustic chill-outs, and teen party soundtracks, you’ll come across a different kind of mix.
“HYPERPOP” stands out not only for its all caps title but also for 124,000 followers, despite the fact that there are no big hits on it. Instead, what “HYPERPOP” does is give listeners a look into a genre that is fun, crazy, and as abrasive as it is catchy. Songs sport titles in a jumbled mix of lowercase letters, random punctuation, and slang that seems ripped right out of a 2004 MySpace page.
Hyperpop, also known as bubblegum bass or glitchcore, is a genre of immense variety. While the aesthetic is often unified under the usage of bright, flashy visuals and a heavy helping of nostalgia, its influences span every genre and decade, and its stars span the globe. A big playlist full of songs like these from unknown names can be a bit intimidating. So, here’s a quick overview of a handful of important players in the genre to help you get started. Keep in mind, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
PC Music
PC Music is a music label and art collective founded by A.G. Cook in 2013. Made of producers and performers alike, it has been leading a larger movement of electronic hyperpop. Its artists often play with aggressive, abrasive instrumentals, vocal manipulation, different personas, and lyrics critiquing commercialism and hyper-gloss appeal of the music industry. Ultimately, it takes pop and cranks every aspect of it up to eleven, pushing the definition of what pop music is until cracks begin to form. Performers from the PC Music movement Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, and QT. PC music also included an array of producers that worked with these artists. Danny L Harle and SOPHIE are both notable members. What started out as a fairly contained underground collective has expanded far beyond that. These producers now work with artists like Vince Staples, David Guetta, Madonna, and Charli XCX.
Charli XCX
Once known for a handful of hits at the start of the 2010s like “Boom Clap” and “Fancy,” Charli XCX has morphed into one of hyperpop’s most beloved figures. Starting with her “Vroom Vroom” EP in 2016, XCX has regularly collaborated with members of the PC Music collective. XCX is a master of walking the line between experimentality and tried-and-true pop tropes, her albums including both radio-ready bops and posse cuts that include all kinds of artsy production choices. She regularly collaborates with a variety of different artists, whether they be big names like Tove Lo, HAIM, or Carly Rae Jepsen, or up-and-comers like Uffie, Kim Petras, and Dorian Electra. In her combining of different artists and elevating their strengths alongside hers, she forms a wide array of music that celebrates a range of sounds.
Arca
Hailing from Venezuela, Arca is an artist that wears many different hats. Her credits include performing, producing, and engineering, and that’s just to start. Arca gained significant notoriety for her work on Kanye West’s “Yeezus” and FKA Twigs’s “EP2”. Her own catalogue is extensive, with five albums and collaborations with artists like Björk and ROSALĺA. Both when working with others and on her own, Arca’s versatility spills over into her sound. Her music is an eclectic collage of electronic dance music, glitchy noise, and classic Venezuelan balladry. It’s through this combination of genres that her music works to push the very idea of pop music in a new direction, one that’s intersectional and exciting. Some of it is perfect for the club, and some of it is perfect to cry to.
100 gecs
This music duo consisting of Dylan Brady and Laura Les has caused a major stir in the hyperpop scene. With their cult hit album “1000 gecs”, the group mashes together a slew of genres like pop, ska, and metal, all with a heavy helping of distortion and chipmunked vocals. While polarizing at times, 100 gecs’s songs are ripe with short, easily digestible structures, memetic moments, and hooky melodies, their sound lying somewhere between Skrillex, Blink 182, and the Wii menu theme. This makes them the pinnacle of music for the internet age, with several of their songs going viral on TikTok and garnering YouTube comments with declarations of both ironic and unironic enjoyment. Not only that, but they upped the ante with their feature-heavy remix album “1000 gecs and The Tree of Clues”. Dylan Brady has also gone on to produce for artists like Charli XCX, Dorian Electra and Nasty Cherry.
Now knowing who some of the artists in hyperpop are, why is this genre so popular?
Hyperpop takes the nostalgic, candy-coated sweetness of pop and examines it through a distorted lens. It’s the perfect synthesis of today’s current anxieties, the insanity of internet culture and nostalgia obsession all rolled into one. While hyperpop is often hailed as the pop of the future, the genre is just as much a love letter to pop of the past. Hyperpop blends together references to all decades, whether by name dropping Nintendo Pictochat or sampling disco beats. It’s not a genre for people that are too good for pop music. It’s a place for people that love it.
Hyperpop’s ever-shifting experimentality keeps the genre fresh and engaging. No sample, texture or instrument is off-limits. The songs capture a whole range of emotions, ranging from playful to soul-crushing, sometimes all in one track. The hyperpop sphere is also a place of constant collaboration. It’s not uncommon for artists to jump on one another’s tracks or create remixes of each other’s songs. The genre works as an ecosystem where artists share ideas and uplift one another. This builds a sense of camaraderie within the genre. It’s fun for listeners to see their favorite artists working together. On top of that, this is yet another way for new sounds to be blended together, which keeps the genre-pushing forward.
Another notable trait of the hyperpop community is its inclusivity. The genre is a welcoming and accepting place for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Several notable artists in the genre frequenting Pride parades and using their music to celebrate diversity, pride, and gender fluidity. This exploration makes the genre a space where LGBTQ+ people can feel represented. It creates a sense of safety and welcome for all listeners. Hyperpop may be a music genre, but it’s also a community.
Now that you know a few key players and a breakdown of some of the genre’s appeal, go forth and venture into the land of hyperpop! Here are some songs to get started.
Hyperpop Gems to Get Started
ringtone (remix) - 100 gecs ft. Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, & Kero Kero Bonito
1,2,3 dayz up - Kim Petras ft. SOPHIE
XS - Rina Sawayama
Hi, It’s Me - Ashnikko
IPHONE - Rico Nasty
NEVER MET! - Cmten ft. Glitch Gum
KLK - Arca ft. ROSALĺA
Broken Flowers - Danny L Harle
Kill V. Maim - Grimes
Hey QT - QT
God Bless the Internet - No Frills Twins
money machine - 100 gecs
Flamboyant - Dorian Electra
Flash Pose - Pabllo Vittar ft. Charli XCX
When I Rule the World - LIZ
Every Night - Hannah Diamond
24/7 - Namasenda
Fight or Flight Club - Madge
forever - Charli XCX