Hyperpop

{{Short description|Music genre}} {{use British English|date=July 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox music genre | name = Hyperpop | native_name = | etymology = | image = | alt = | caption = | stylistic_origins =  * [[Electronic music|Electronic]] * [[Pop music|pop]] * [[Electronic dance music|dance]] * [[hip-hop]] * [[Rock music|rock]] * [[Avant-garde music|avant-garde]] * [[Hyperpop#Bubblegum bass|bubblegum bass]] | cultural_origins = Early 2010s, United Kingdom | instruments = {{hlist|[[Drum machine]]|[[autotune]]|[[synthesizer]]|[[pitch shifter]]|[[Sampler (musical instrument)|sampler]]|[[hi-hats]]|[[noise]]}} | derivatives = {{hlist|[[HexD]]|[[digicore]]|[[robloxcore]]|[[sigilkore]]|[[Rage (music genre)|rage]]|[[dariacore]]|[[krushclub]]<ref name="The Face-2024">{{Cite web |date=April 30, 2024 |title=THE FACE's guide to the American rap underground |url=https://theface.com/music/underground-internet-rap-rage-carti-yeat-ambient-plugg-iokera-terror-jerk-krushclub-lumi-athena |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=The Face |language=en-gb}}</ref>|[[hyper-rock]]}} | subgenrelist = | subgenres = * [[#Hyperfunk|Hyperfunk]] * [[hyperplugg]]<ref name="KPR"> {{cite web |url=https://nobells.blog/soundcloud-microgenres/ |author=Kieran Press-Reynolds |title=Deep-internet bubbles: How microgenres are taking over SoundCloud |publisher=No Bells |date=January 25, 2022 }} </ref> | fusiongenres = | regional_scenes = [[São Paulo, Brazil]] (Hyper mandelão) | local_scenes = | other_topics = {{hlist|[[Netlabels in Japan]]|[[PC Music]]|[[recession pop]]|[[alternative pop]]|[[avant-pop]]|[[art pop]]|[[experimental pop]]|[[dance-pop]]|[[electro-pop]]|[[pop culture]]|[[post-internet art]]|[[internet music]]|[[post-internet music]]}} | footnotes = }} '''Hyperpop''' is an [[electronic music|electronic]] music movement and loosely defined subgenre that originated in the early 2010s in the United Kingdom.<ref name="mean" /> It is characterised by an exaggerated or [[Maximalism|maximalist]] take on 21st century [[popular music]] tropes and typically integrates [[pop music|pop]] and [[avant-garde music|avant-garde]] sensibilities while drawing on elements commonly found in electronic, [[Rock music|rock]], [[hip hop music|hip hop]], and [[Electronic dance music|dance music]]. The origins of hyperpop are primarily traced back to the output of English musician [[A. G. Cook]]'s record label and art collective [[PC Music]], with associated artists [[Sophie (musician)|Sophie]], [[GFOTY]], [[Hayden Dunham]], [[Hannah Diamond]], and [[Charli XCX]], helping to pioneer a musical style that was later known as "[[#Bubblegum bass|bubblegum bass]]".<ref name="Musgravepublished-2024">{{Cite web |last=Musgravepublished |first=Jon |date=2024-11-29 |title="Its sounds, and the producers responsible for them, have inspired many big developments in mainstream music": Exploding the vibrant components of hyperpop |url=https://www.musicradar.com/tutorials/music-production-tutorials/its-sounds-and-the-producers-responsible-for-them-have-inspired-many-big-developments-in-mainstream-music-exploding-the-vibrant-components-of-hyperpop |access-date=2025-07-25 |website=MusicRadar |language=en}}</ref>

In 2019, the genre experienced a rise in popularity with the virality of the song "[[Money Machine (song)|Money Machine]]" by [[100 gecs]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Minsker |first=Evan |date=2020-05-20 |title=100 gecs Break Down "Money Machine" on Song Exploder |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/100-gecs-break-down-money-machine-on-song-exploder-listen/ |access-date=2025-07-25 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> and was further proliferated by [[Spotify]], whose employee Lizzy Szabo launched the influential "Hyperpop" playlist, after spotting the term "hyperpop" on the platform's metadata, which had previously been added by data analyst [[Glenn McDonald (data engineer)|Glenn McDonald]] in 2018. Following this, the style gained wider popularity among [[Generation Z|Gen Z]] through [[social media]] platforms like [[TikTok]], particularly on [[Alt TikTok]],<ref name="Leight-2020" /><ref name="t1" /> which boosted its exposure during the [[COVID-19 lockdowns]]. At the time, several contemporaneous styles such as [[digicore]], [[glitchcore]], and [[robloxcore]] were synonymous with the genre,<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Press-Reynolds|first=Kieran|date=August 13, 2020|title=Gorgeous Glitches and Nightcored Melodies: The New Generation of SoundCloud Music is Here|url=https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2020/08/glitchcore-surge-rap-soundcloud|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820095349/https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2020/08/glitchcore-surge-rap-soundcloud|archive-date=2020-08-20|access-date=2026-03-31|website=Complex|language=en}}</ref> while [[dariacore]], [[hyperplugg]] and [[#Hyperfunk|hyperfunk]] were associated with the movement by the press.

After hyperpop entered the mainstream in the early 2020s, the label was rejected by artists originally associated with the scene, which led to an overall decline in emerging musicians.<ref name="Yalcinkaya-2022">{{Cite web |last=Yalcinkaya |first=Günseli |date=28 January 2022 |title=Goodbye hyperpop: the rise and fall of the internet's most hated 'genre' |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/55293/1/the-rise-and-fall-of-hyperpop-the-internets-most-confusing-music-genre |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521170244/https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/55293/1/the-rise-and-fall-of-hyperpop-the-internets-most-confusing-music-genre |archive-date=21 May 2022 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Dazed |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Pachnanda-2022">{{Cite web |last=Pachnanda |first=Aiyush |date=2022-06-16 |title=We Asked PC Music Fans: Is Hyperpop Dead? |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/is-hyperpop-dead-pc-music-fans/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617020349/https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy7zpw/is-hyperpop-dead-pc-music-fans |archive-date=17 June 2022 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Vice |language=en}}</ref> Hyperpop's influence was endured in the development of online microgenres such as [[sigilkore]], [[Jerk (music genre)|jerk]], [[Rage (music genre)|rage]], [[hexD]], and [[krushclub]],<ref name="The Face-2024" /> alongside the rise of [[Indie sleaze revival|indie sleaze]] and the [[recession pop revival]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dazed |date=2023-02-20 |title=5 artists defining New York's indie sleaze revival |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/58237/1/new-york-indie-sleaze-revival-dare-blaketheman1000-snow-strippers-lucy-hellp |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=Dazed |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Crumpton |first=Taylor |title=Maybe We Need Recession Pop Right Now |url=https://time.com/7276586/recession-pop-benefits-essay/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250411123816/https://time.com/7276586/recession-pop-benefits-essay/ |archive-date=2025-04-11 |access-date=2025-10-10 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}</ref>

== Characteristics == [[File:100 Gecs - Rock am Ring 2022-3255.jpg|thumb|[[100 gecs]] live at Rock am Ring 2022. The duo has been credited with popularizing hyperpop in the early 2020s.|left]] Hyperpop artists embody an exaggerated, eclectic, and [[self-reference|self-referential]] approach to [[pop music]] and typically employ elements such as brash [[synthesizer|synth]] melodies, [[Auto-Tune]]d "[[earworm]]" vocals, and excessive [[compression (audio)|compression]] and [[distortion (music)|distortion]], as well as [[surrealist]] or nostalgic references to 2000s Internet culture and the [[Web 2.0]] era.<ref name="independent">{{cite web |last1=Pritchard |first1=Will |date=17 December 2020 |title=Hyperpop or overhyped? The rise of 2020's most maximal sound |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/hyperpop-genre-2020-charli-xcx-rina-sawayama-b1775025.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230210105/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/hyperpop-genre-2020-charli-xcx-rina-sawayama-b1775025.html |archive-date=30 December 2020 |access-date=13 February 2021 |website=The Independent}}</ref> Common features include vocals that are heavily [[audio signal processing|processed]]; metallic, melodic percussion sounds; [[Pitch shift|pitch-shifted]] synths; catchy choruses; short song lengths; and "shiny, cutesy aesthetics" juxtaposed with angst-ridden or ironic lyricism.<ref name="independent" /><ref name="George-2023">{{Cite magazine |last=George |first=Cassidy |date=2023-02-22 |title=The Future of Club Life is a Hyperpop Rave Called Subculture |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/subculture-hyperpop-rave-club-party-1234683416/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

According to [[Vice Media|Vice]] journalist Eli Enis, hyperpop is not so much about following music rules, but "a shared ethos of transcending genre altogether, while still operating within the context of pop".<ref name="vice">{{cite news |last=Enis |first=Eli |date=27 October 2020 |title=This is Hyperpop: A Genre Tag for Genre-less Music |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-is-hyperpop-a-genre-tag-for-genre-less-music/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101092401/https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvx85v/this-is-hyperpop-a-genre-tag-for-genre-less-music |archive-date=1 November 2020 |access-date=17 November 2020 |publisher=Vice}}</ref> The movement is often associated with the [[LGBTQ+]] community, drawing primary influences from [[queer culture]].<ref name="independent" /> Several key artists identify as [[Homosexuality|gay]], [[Non-binary gender|non-binary]], or [[transgender]].<ref name="Atl">{{cite web |last1=Kornhaber |first1=Spencer |date=14 February 2021 |title=What is Hyperpop? |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/03/hyperpop/617795/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303110311/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/03/hyperpop/617795/ |archive-date=3 March 2021 |access-date=22 February 2021 |website=The Atlantic}}</ref> The microgenre's emphasis on vocal modulation has allowed artists to experiment with [[gender presentation]] and [[androgyny]] in their voices,<ref name="independent" /><ref name="Horowitz-2021" /> as well as deal with [[gender dysphoria]]. Artists like [[Sophie (musician)|Sophie]] and [[8485]] explore themes of [[gender fluidity]] in their lyrical content.<ref name="Press-Reynolds-2024" />

''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''{{'}}s Mark Richardson described hyperpop as turning the "artificial" parts of pop music up to an extreme level, creating a "cartoonish wall of noise" that is full of catchy tunes and memorable hooks. The music moves between beautiful and ugly, with shimmery melodies crashing into mangled instrumentals.<ref name="Wsj">{{cite news |last1=Richardson |first1=Mark |title=Hyperpop's Joyful Too-Muchness |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/hyperpops-joyful-too-muchness-11609278593 |website=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=29 December 2020 |access-date=22 February 2021 |archive-date=21 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221220458/https://www.wsj.com/articles/hyperpops-joyful-too-muchness-11609278593 |url-status=live }}</ref> Joe Vitagliano, writing for ''[[American Songwriter]]'', said hyperpop is an "exciting, bombastic, and [[Iconoclasm|iconoclastic]] genre – if it can even be called a 'genre{{' "}} and has "saw synths, auto-tuned vocals, [[glitch (music)|glitch]]-inspired percussion and a distinctive [[Late capitalism|late-capitalism]]-dystopia vibe".<ref name="AS">{{Cite web |date=18 September 2020 |title=A. G. Cook Is Changing Popular Music As We Know It |url=https://americansongwriter.com/a-g-cook-is-changing-popular-music-as-we-know-it/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024171151/https://americansongwriter.com/a-g-cook-is-changing-popular-music-as-we-know-it/ |archive-date=24 October 2021 |access-date=20 September 2020 |website=American Songwriter}}</ref> According to [[Kieran Press-Reynolds]] writing for ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'', artists in this style mix the [[avant-garde]] and pop music, often balancing between being addictively fun and a bit too much. He added that in 2024, hyperpop had become a "[[Frankensteinian]] macro-genre".<ref name="Press-Reynolds-2024">{{Cite web |last=Press-Reynolds |first=Kieran |date=2024-10-03 |title=The Lost Promises of Hyperpoptimism |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/article/the-lost-promises-of-hyperpoptimism/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

''[[The Atlantic]]'' said the genre "swirls together and speeds up Top 40 tricks of present and past: a [[Janet Jackson]] drum slam here, a [[Depeche Mode]] synth squeal there, the overblown pep of novelty jingles throughout," but also said "the genre's zest for [[Punk subculture|punk's]] brattiness, [[hip-hop]]'s boastfulness, and [[Metal music|metal's]] noise".<ref name="Atl" /><ref name="vice" /> Writer Sheldon Pearce of ''[[NPR Music|NPR]]'' stated that hyperpop "[...] has been a controversial catch-all for a blown-out music of excess and kitsch, unafraid of the abjectly cybernated or "lowbrow," seeking the sound of the dissociated online self."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pearce |first=Sheldon |date=2025-04-24 |title=Anatomy of a microgenre: Hyperpop's next evolution |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/04/24/nx-s1-5361403/hyperpop-digicore-jane-remover-2hollis-microgenre |access-date=2025-09-20 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref>

According to ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine, collectives such as [[Novagang]] and [[Helix Tears]] "feature artists of variously different styles and sounds, but find community with each other in their shared rejection of stylistic limits."<ref name="mean">{{Cite web |last=Cafolla|first=Anna|date=17 October 2022|title=What does 'hyperpop' mean in 2022?|url=https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/features/what-does-hyperpop-mean-in-2022-23808/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713021749/https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/features/what-does-hyperpop-mean-in-2022-23808/|archive-date=13 July 2023|access-date=13 July 2023|website=Rolling Stone UK|language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Etymology == {{See also|Post-Internet#Music|Nightcore}} The earliest known use of the term "hyperpop" was made in October 1988 by writer Don Shewey in an article about the Scottish [[dream pop]] band [[Cocteau Twins]], stating that [[England]] in the 1980s had "nurtured the simultaneous phenomena of hyperpop and antipop".<ref name="Madden-2021">{{Cite magazine |last=Madden |first=Emma |date=2021-07-01 |title=How Hyperpop Became a Force Capable of Reaching and Rearranging the Mainstream |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/hyperpop-history-mainstream-crossover-9595799/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521170244/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/hyperpop-history-mainstream-crossover-9595799/ |archive-date=21 May 2022 |access-date=2023-10-09 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> In the late 2000s, the term "hyperpop" was sometimes used as a genre descriptor in the [[nightcore]] scene and later associated with the artists surrounding the London-based [[PC Music]] record label and art collective in the early 2010s.<ref name="Press-Reynolds-2024" /><ref name="vice" /> By 2018, [[Spotify]] data analyst [[Glenn McDonald (data engineer)|Glenn McDonald]], responsible for the genre database [[Every Noise at Once]], added the label "hyperpop" to the platform's metadata.<ref name="mean" /> McDonald stated that he first saw the term in 2014, in reference to PC Music, but he did not think of it as a "microgenre" until 2018.<ref name="vice" /><ref name="nytimes">{{cite news |last=Dandridge-Lemco |first=Ben |date=10 November 2020 |title=How Hyperpop, a Small Spotify Playlist, Grew Into a Big Deal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/arts/music/hyperpop-spotify.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414144546/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/arts/music/hyperpop-spotify.html |archive-date=14 April 2021 |access-date=16 November 2020 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

== Background ==

=== Precursors === Various artists acted as influential precursors to hyperpop, helping in shaping and developing the genre, as Will Pritchard of ''[[the Independent]]'' explains, "to some, the ground covered by hyperpop won't seem all that new".<ref name="independent" /> He mentioned "outliers" from the 2000s [[New rave|nu rave]] scene, like [[Test Icicles]], and PC Music contemporaries [[Rustie]] and [[Hudson Mohawke]] as pursuing similar approaches; of the latter two artists, he noted that their "fluoro, trance-edged smooshes of dance and hip-hop are reminiscent of a lot of hyperpop today". Ian Cohen from ''Pitchfork'' claimed the term "hyperpop" was originally used to describe the music of [[Sleigh Bells (band)|Sleigh Bells]].<ref name="Cohen">{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Ian |title=Texis – Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sleigh-bells-texis/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920114839/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sleigh-bells-texis/ |archive-date=20 September 2021 |access-date=23 September 2021 |website=Pitchfork}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-09 |title=Sleigh Bells on Their Sixth Album Texis and "Breaking Old Patterns" |url=https://consequence.net/2021/09/sleigh-bells-interview-texis-album/ |access-date=2025-07-27 |website=Consequence |language=en}}</ref> Followed by, ''[[AllMusic]]'s'' Heather Phares claiming Sleigh Bells' music "foreshadowed hyperpop".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Phares |first1=Heather |title=Sleigh Bells – Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sleigh-bells-mn0002048033/biography |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923183539/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sleigh-bells-mn0002048033/biography |archive-date=23 September 2021 |access-date=23 September 2021 |website=AllMusic}}</ref> Journalist Aliya Chaudhury believes [[3OH!3]] "created the main blueprint for hyperpop" with their "ability to parody pop and take it to bewildering extremes," using "blown-out synths, and modulated vocals".<ref name="Chaudhury-2021">{{cite news |last=Chaudhury |first=Aliya |date=14 April 2021 |title=Why hyperpop owes its existence to heavy metal |url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/why-hyperpop-owes-its-existence-to-heavy-metal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014123624/https://www.kerrang.com/features/why-hyperpop-owes-its-existence-to-heavy-metal/ |archive-date=14 October 2021 |access-date=15 April 2021 |work=Kerrang!}}</ref> Other sources suggest the work of London musician [[Max Tundra]] as a direct influence on, and/or progenitor of, the hyperpop genre.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-02 |title=Mastered By Guy At The Exchange Turns 20 |url=https://stereogum.com/2197830/max-tundra-mastered-by-guy-at-the-exchange/reviews/the-anniversary/ |access-date=2026-04-30 |website=stereogum.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Quietus |first=The |date=2023-08-23 |title=The Dreaming: Max Tundra Interviewed |url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/max-tundra-interview-kate-bush/ |access-date=2026-04-30 |website=The Quietus |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Plugins I Actually Use: Max Tundra |url=https://musictech.com/features/interviews/plugins-i-actually-use-max-tundra-hyperpop/ |access-date=2026-04-30 |website=MusicTech |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Additionally, mainstream pop artists such as [[Kesha]] were credited by writers like Eilish Gilligan from [[Junkee]] as influential precursors, writing: "[Kesha's] grating, half-spoken vocal featured in [[Blow (Kesha song)|Blow]] and all of her early work, in fact, feel reminiscent of a lot of the intense vocals in hyperpop today". This was followed by a mention of [[Britney Spears]], stating: "2011 dancefloor fillers '[[Till the World Ends|Till The World Ends]]', '[[Hold It Against Me]]' and '[[I Wanna Go]]' all share the same pounding beats that populate modern hyperpop".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gilligan |first=Eilish |date=18 October 2021 |title=How The Music From 2011 Is Still Defining Pop Today |url=https://junkee.com/2011-2021-music-adele-nicki-minaj/311658 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020133102/https://junkee.com/2011-2021-music-adele-nicki-minaj/311658 |archive-date=20 October 2021 |access-date=19 October 2021 |website=[[Junkee]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Influences === Hyperpop initially emerged from the artists surrounding the PC Music record label and art collective in London and was inspired by [[bubblegum pop]], [[Eurohouse]], [[hip hop]], [[Trance music|trance]], [[J-pop]], [[K-pop]], [[emo]], and [[nu-metal]],<ref name="Yalcinkaya-2021">{{Cite web |date=2021-03-17 |title=Hyperpop is the new sound for a post-pandemic world |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/52088/1/hyperpop-new-sound-for-a-post-pandemic-world-spotify-soundcloud-glaive |last=Yalcinkaya |first=Günseli |access-date=2025-07-25 |website=Dazed |language=en |archive-date=15 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415014759/https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/52088/1/hyperpop-new-sound-for-a-post-pandemic-world-spotify-soundcloud-glaive |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="vice" /> alongside [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] genres like [[crunkcore]], [[nu metal]], and [[metalcore]].<ref name="Chaudhury-2021" />

The genre later incorporated broader influences during its second wave in the late 2010s, drawing influence from contemporary [[Meme culture|meme]] and [[internet culture]],<ref name="Walker213">{{cite web |last1=Walker |first1=Sophie |date=4 November 2021 |title=((404 Error, Genre Not Found: The Life Cycle of Internet Scenes)) |url=https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/life-cycle-of-internet-genres-scenes-hyperpop-digicore-cloud-rap |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220514185413/https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/life-cycle-of-internet-genres-scenes-hyperpop-digicore-cloud-rap |archive-date=14 May 2022 |access-date=7 November 2021 |website=[[Complex Networks]]}}</ref> as well as production and musical styles lifted from [[Golden age hip-hop|traditional]] and [[Internet rap|contemporary]] hip-hop like [[emo rap]], [[cloud rap]] and [[Lo-fi rap|lo-fi trap]],<ref name="vice" /> contemporaneous movements like digicore and glitchcore became primary influences, as both scenes were sometimes conflated with hyperpop due to overlapping artists.<ref name="independent" />

== History ==

=== 2010s: Origins === {{See also|PC Music}}[[File:Sophie and A. G. Cook 5.jpg|thumb|right|British musicians [[Sophie (musician)|Sophie]] (left) and [[A. G. Cook]] (right) are considered progenitors of hyperpop]]Hyperpop originally emerged from the PC Music record label and art collective in the early 2010s.<ref name="nytimes" /> Spotify editor Lizzy Szabo referred to [[A. G. Cook|A. G. Cook]] as the "godfather" of hyperpop.<ref name="vice" /> According to Enis, PC Music "laid the groundwork for [the microgenre's] melodic exuberance and cartoonish production", with some of hyperpop's surrealist qualities also derived from 2010s hip hop.<ref name="vice" /> She states that hyperpop built on the influence of PC Music, but also incorporated the sounds of emo rap, cloud rap, [[Trap music|trap]], trance, dubstep and chiptune.<ref name="vice" /> Among Cook's frequent collaborators, ''[[Variety Magazine|Variety]]'' and ''[[the New York Times]]'' described the work of Sophie as pioneering the style,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Amorosi |first1=A.D. |title=Sophie, Grammy-Nominated Avant-Pop Musician, Dies at 34 |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/sophie-grammy-nominated-avant-pop-producer-musician-dies-at-34-1234896422/ |website=Variety |date=30 January 2021 |access-date=31 January 2021 |archive-date=31 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131010532/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/sophie-grammy-nominated-avant-pop-producer-musician-dies-at-34-1234896422/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Pareles |first1=Jon |title=Sophie, Who Pushed the Boundaries of Pop Music, Dies at 34 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/30/arts/music/sophie-dead.html |website=The New York Times |date=30 January 2021 |access-date=31 January 2021 |archive-date=30 January 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210130201901/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/30/arts/music/sophie-dead.html |url-status=live }}</ref> while [[Charli XCX]] was described as "queen" of the style by ''Vice'', her 2016 EP [[Vroom Vroom (EP)|''Vroom Vroom'']]<ref>{{cite web |last=Droke |first=Carolyn |date=5 October 2021 |title=Charli XCX Had A Succinct Response To Pitchfork Re-Scoring Her 2016 'Vroom Vroom' EP |url=https://uproxx.com/pop/charli-xcx-vroom-vroom-ep-pitchfork-rescoring/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230153/https://uproxx.com/pop/charli-xcx-vroom-vroom-ep-pitchfork-rescoring/ |archive-date=10 August 2023 |access-date=18 March 2022 |work=Uproxx}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Murphy |first=Sam |date=26 February 2021 |title=Five Years On, Charli XCX & SOPHIE's 'Vroom Vroom' Still Sounds Like The Future |url=https://junkee.com/vroom-vroom-charli-xcx-sophie/288798 |work=Junkee}}</ref> and 2017 mixtape ''[[Pop 2 (mixtape)|Pop 2]]'' set a template for its sound, featuring "outré" production by AG Cook, Sophie, Umru, and [[Easyfun]] as well as "a titular mission to give pop – sonically, spiritually, aesthetically – a facelift for the modern age".<ref name="vice" /> Sophie Walker of ''The Forty-Five'' named Sophie's 2018 song "[[Immaterial (song)|Immaterial]]" the best hyperpop song of all time, stating that "hyperpop is nothing without Sophie".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Sophie |date=2021-02-10 |title=The 45 best hyperpop songs of all time |url=https://thefortyfive.com/opinion/best-hyperpop-songs-ever/ |access-date=2024-07-25 |website=The Forty-Five |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Late 2010s–2020s: First wave === {{See also|Alt TikTok}}[[Image:100 gecs.jpg|thumb|In 2019, the popularity of [[100 gecs]] and their debut album led to Spotify launching a dedicated permanent hyperpop playlist.]] According to ''[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]'' and ''[[The Face (magazine)|the Face]]'', a second wave of hyperpop following the original PC Music scene emerged in 2019, spearheaded by hyperpop duo [[100 gecs]], whose viral hit "[[Money Machine (song)|Money Machine]]" helped reinvent and popularize the genre. In May 2019, they released their debut album ''[[1000 gecs]]'',<ref name="Fenwick-2022">{{Cite web |last=Fenwick |first=Julie |date=6 April 2022 |title='It's Happening, Slowly but Surely': Who Killed Hyperpop? |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/its-happening-slowly-but-surely-who-killed-hyperpop/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526043822/https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5q9jm/its-happening-slowly-but-surely-who-killed-hyperpop |archive-date=26 May 2022 |access-date=22 May 2022 |website=Vice |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Shutler |first=Ali |date=2023-08-22 |title=What hyperpop did next |url=https://theface.com/music/hyperpop-pc-music-sophie-discord-that-kid-underscores-charli-xcx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011015952/https://theface.com/music/hyperpop-pc-music-sophie-discord-that-kid-underscores-charli-xcx |archive-date=11 October 2023 |access-date=9 October 2023 |work=The Face}}</ref> which amassed millions of listens on [[Streaming media|streaming services]]. ''The Independent'' described 100 gecs as taking hyperpop, "to its most extreme, and extremely catchy, conclusions: stadium-sized trap beats processed and distorted to near-destruction, overwrought emo vocals and cascades of ravey [[arpeggio]]s".<ref name="independent" /> In August 2019, Spotify launched the "Hyperpop" playlist, led by senior editor, Lizzy Szabo, which later featured guest curation from 100 Gecs and others in the scene, helping to further popularize the microgenre.<ref name="nytimes" /> Other artists featured on the playlist included AG Cook, Popstar Patch, [[Slayyyter]], [[Gupi]], [[Caroline Polachek]], [[Hannah Diamond]], and [[Kim Petras]].<ref name="Paper">{{cite magazine |last1=D'Souza |first1=Shaad |title=Charli XCX's 'Futurist' Pop Is Just Our Present Dystopia |url=https://www.papermag.com/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-future-pop-2646006658.html?rebelltitem=20#rebelltitem20 |magazine=[[Paper (magazine)|Paper]] |access-date=14 February 2021 |archive-date=27 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427115536/https://www.papermag.com/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-future-pop-2646006658.html?rebelltitem=20#rebelltitem20 |url-status=live }}</ref> Szabo and her colleagues landed on the name for the playlist after stumbling upon it on the platform's metadata, which drew from the site Every Noise at Once, ran by data analyst and Spotify employee Glenn McDonald, who was credited with adding the term in 2018.<ref name="nytimes" /><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Sung |first1=Morgan |last2=Cueva |first2=Maya |last3=Egusa |first3=Chris |date=2025-06-18 |title=The Spotify Effect, Pt 2: Micro-Genre Madness {{!}} KQED |url=https://www.kqed.org/news/12044862/the-spotify-effect-pt-2-micro-genre-madness |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=www.kqed.org |language=en}}</ref> In November, Cook added non-hyperpop artists such as [[J Dilla]], [[Nicki Minaj]], [[Lil Uzi Vert]] and [[Kate Bush]] to the playlist, which caused controversy due to these additions pushing out smaller hyperpop artists who relied upon the playlist for their earnings.<ref name="nytimes" /><ref name="Yalcinkaya-2021" /> In addition, David Turner, a former strategy manager at [[SoundCloud]], noted a "spike in March and April 2020 from new creators," on the platform, many of which were making hyperpop-adjacent music.<ref name="Barshad">{{Cite magazine |last=Barshad |first=Amos |title=Please Stop the Hyperpop—Musicians Are Resisting the Internet Micro-Genre |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/hyperpop-end-internet-genres/ |access-date=2023-10-10 |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=11 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011015952/https://www.wired.com/story/hyperpop-end-internet-genres/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2020, the microgenre began to see a greater rise in popularity, which was linked to the [[COVID-19 lockdowns]],<ref name="Press-Reynolds-2024" /> albums like Charli XCX's ''[[How I'm Feeling Now|how i'm feeling now]]'' (2020) and A.G. Cook's ''[[Apple (A. G. Cook album)|Apple]]'' (2020) appeared on critics' 2020 end-of-year lists,<ref name="independent" /> while the movement saw a broader cultural influence amongst [[Generation Z|Gen Z]] on social media platforms like [[TikTok]],<ref name="t1">{{Cite web |last=Kornhaber |first=Spencer |date=14 February 2021 |title=Noisy, Ugly, and Addictive |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/03/hyperpop/617795/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303110311/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/03/hyperpop/617795/ |archive-date=3 March 2021 |access-date=19 May 2021 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref> particularly "[[Alt girl|Alt TikTok]]", which ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described as "one of the main [[counterculture]]s on the app".<ref name="Leight-2020">{{Cite magazine|last1=Leight|first1=Elias|date=6 August 2020|title=Alt TikTok Is Music's Latest Scene, and Straight TikTok Has Noticed|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/alt-tiktok-music-xix-cmten-1038719/|access-date=24 January 2022|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=24 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124141923/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/alt-tiktok-music-xix-cmten-1038719/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Leight |first=Elias |date=2020-08-06 |title=Alt TikTok Is Music's Latest Scene, and Straight TikTok Has Noticed |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/alt-tiktok-music-xix-cmten-1038719/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809015957/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/alt-tiktok-music-xix-cmten-1038719/ |archive-date=2020-08-09 |access-date=2025-07-21 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="t1" /> On September 25, 2020, ''Pitchfork'' cited Alt TikTok as having an influence on wider music trends, stating: "Alt TikTok's music is now a hot zone for major record labels, pushing it even further into the mainstream".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zhang |first=Cat |date=2020-09-25 |title=Why Cringey Remixer Tiagz Is the Most Hated Producer on TikTok |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/tiagz-most-hated-producer-on-tiktok/ |access-date=2025-07-06 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Pitchfork'' noted that musician [[Ayesha Erotica]]'s work had become popular on TikTok, while every "hyperpop explainer" video was met with comments regarding the erasure of her influence on the genre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zhang |first=Cat |date=2020-12-21 |title=The Year in Music on TikTok 2020 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/tiktok-songs-2020/ |access-date=2026-02-22 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> In July 2021, Hyperpop artist [[ElyOtto]]'s song "[[SugarCrash!]]" became one of the most popular songs in TikTok history, and was used in over 5 million videos on the platform.<ref name="Madden-2021" />

In August 2021, Charli XCX made a post on [[Twitter]], asking "[[Rest in peace|rip]] hyperpop? discuss".<ref name="Pachnanda-2022" /> Following this, ''[[Dazed]]'' noted that since 2019, the term 'hyperpop' "had become a catch-all phrase for any and all forms of extreme pop music," and that "sonically, you'd be hard pressed to find any internet-born music made in the last decade that hasn't been retroactively brandished as hyperpop", also stating that "almost all of those given the label have grown disillusioned with the term, or grown irritated by its constraints".<ref name="Yalcinkaya-2022" /> That same year, prominent hyperpop musician [[Glaive (musician)|Glaive]] stated that he and [[Ericdoa]] were "working on killing" the movement,<ref name="Fenwick-2022" /> though three months later stated that it "will never die".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jolley |first=Ben |date=2022-07-18 |title=Glaive: hyperpop king on why the genre "will never die" and touring with The Kid LAROI |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/glaive-interview-2022-the-kid-laroi-machine-gun-kelly-radar-3269502 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725032703/https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/glaive-interview-2022-the-kid-laroi-machine-gun-kelly-radar-3269502 |archive-date=25 July 2023 |access-date=2023-10-10 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Underscores (musician)|Underscores]], another significant contributor to the microgenre, stated that it was "officially dead".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shutler |first=Ali |date=2023-09-06 |title=Underscores: "I think hyper-pop is officially dead" |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/underscores-wallsocket-artist-interview-radar-3491619 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002150508/https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/underscores-wallsocket-artist-interview-radar-3491619 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=[[NME]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> Other sources cited [[Streaming algorithm|online streaming algorithms]] as pigeon-holing the genre into conventions that led to a decline in further developments and innovation.<ref name="Barshad" />

During the pandemic, [[Los Angeles]]-based virtual "hyperpop raves", simply entitled "Subculture", gained prominence through six-hour long "[[Zoom (software)|Zoom]] parties", welcoming over 1,000 guests at its peak and later hosting raves in cities across the United States after the end of the COVID-19 lockdowns. In 2023, the raves gained attention from ''Rolling Stone'' for its mix of PC Music artists and others under the hyperpop umbrella, including rap-influenced artists from SoundCloud, as well as its significant LGBTQ inclusion, with the raves operating as useful [[Business networking|networking]] events.<ref name="George-2023" /> Subculture organizers Gannon Baxter and Tyler Shepherd expressed mixed feelings about their use of the term "hyperpop", but Shepherd stated that it was "just a tool to quickly convey what realm of music we're talking about".<ref name="George-2023" /> In June 2023, PC Music announced that the label would no longer be releasing any new music, instead focusing on archival projects and special reissues.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jolley |first=Ben |date=2023-06-29 |title=PC Music: the story of the boundary-pushing label in 10 essential tracks |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/pc-music-best-songs-3462589 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011015952/https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/pc-music-best-songs-3462589 |archive-date=11 October 2023 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==== Charli XCX and mainstream popularity ==== [[File:CharliXCXBirm291124_(117_of_145)_(54180172805)_(cropped).jpg|thumb|243x243px|[[Charli XCX]] performing during [[Brat Tour|the Brat Tour]] in November 2024]] The genre achieved a [[Billboard Hot 100]] No. 1 single in [[Sam Smith]] and [[Kim Petras]]'s "[[Unholy (Sam Smith and Kim Petras song)|Unholy]]" and a hit album in Charli XCX's 2024 hyperpop album ''[[Brat (album)|Brat]]''.<ref name="Press-Reynolds-2024" /> Shortly after the latter, [[Kieran Press-Reynolds]] wrote for ''Pitchfork'' that other pioneering artists in the scene had not gained any commercial success since its initial rise, which he credited to several factors including "conflicting visions of its practitioners, the lifting of COVID-19 lockdowns, and the fact that some of its most promising musicians didn't want fame and actively recoiled from it".<ref name="Press-Reynolds-2024" />

On September 17, 2024, [[Google]] displayed a [[Google Doodle]] paying tribute to hyperpop pioneer, SOPHIE, on her birthday.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Thomas |date=2024-09-17 |title=SOPHIE Honored With Google Doodle on Her Birthday |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/sophie-honored-with-google-doodle-1235777265/ |access-date=2025-07-24 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2025, Google also displayed a Google Doodle celebrating the hyperpop genre for [[pride month]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-06-01 |title=Pride Doodle vs. Pride Policy: Google's Mixed Messaging |url=https://www.transvitae.com/pride-doodle-vs-pride-policy-googles-mixed-messaging/ |access-date=2026-04-20 |website=Transvitae |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Regional scenes === ''[[Nylon (magazine)|Nylon]]''{{'}}s Ben Jolley cited [[Putochinomaricón]] as one of the "biggest names in the scene".<ref>{{cite news |last=Jolley |first=Ben |date=8 April 2021 |title=MEET THE SPANISH HYPERPOP ARTISTS BRINGING THE '00S BACK |url=https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/spanish-hyperpop-rakky-ripper-autotune-angel-putochinomaricon-eruosanto-andraia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117224046/https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/spanish-hyperpop-rakky-ripper-autotune-angel-putochinomaricon-eruosanto-andraia |archive-date=17 November 2021 |access-date=15 April 2021 |work=NYLON}}</ref>

Hyperpop also began to spread in Asia, starting in the early 2020's. Artists [[Effie (musician)|Effie]] and 4s4ki have been named as influential in the scene by publications [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] and ''[[Dazed]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dazed |date=2025-04-07 |title=Effie is South Korea's first hyperpop hero |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/66552/1/effie-is-south-korea-sad-girl-first-hyperpop-hero |access-date=2026-01-10 |website=Dazed |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Japan |first=Billboard |date=2022-06-20 |title=Japan's 4s4ki Talks Hyperpop & Connecting With Fellow Artists Though a Shared Sensibility |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/4s4ki-interview-hyperpop-japan-1235090011/ |access-date=2026-01-10 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Related genres == === Bubblegum bass === '''Bubblegum bass''' (also known as '''PC Music''') is an experimental style of [[electronic music]] associated with the British record label and art collective [[PC Music]], founded by A. G. Cook in London in 2013. The style draws influences from 1990s and 2000s electronic music scenes, the early internet, and [[Blog house|bloghouse]]-related genres.<ref name="Chaudhury-2021" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Return of Electroclash |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/scene-report/the-return-of-electroclash |access-date=2025-07-25 |website=Paste Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> It has been credited as hyperpop's first "era" by ''Pitchfork'', as well as establishing the sound that would later "morph into hyperpop".<ref name="Musgravepublished-2024" /> Notable artists include [[Hannah Diamond]], [[GFOTY]], [[A. G. Cook]], and [[Sophie (musician)|SOPHIE]] who made releases on the PC Music label.<ref name="Press-Reynolds-2024" /><ref name="Label to Genre: What is PC Music">{{cite web |last1=Shorey |first1=Eric |title=Label to Genre: What is PC Music? |url=https://articles.roland.com/label-to-genre-what-is-pc-music/ |website=Roland |date=23 September 2020 |access-date=14 June 2024}}</ref>

=== Digicore === {{Main|Digicore}}

'''Digicore''' (originally known as '''draincore''') is a microgenre that developed alongside hyperpop (sometimes characterised as a subgenre) during the late 2010s to early 2020s.<ref name="mean" /> The term was adopted in 2019 by an online community of teenage musicians, communicating through [[Discord (software)|Discord]], to distinguish themselves from the preexisting hyperpop scene.<ref name="Walker213"/> The microgenre saw a rise in popularity during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="Press-Reynolds-2024" /> It differs from hyperpop mainly by adding [[Trap music|trap]]-based influences, but there remains a degree of crossover between the scenes—characterised by heavy autotune, high-pitched vocals, sharp [[Roland TR-808|808s]], and frequent [[hi-hat]]s.<ref name="Walker213"/>

Digicore artist Billy Bugara wrote that his colleagues "pull from genres as wide-reaching as [[midwestern emo]], [[Trance (music)|trance]], and even [[Chicago drill]]".<ref name="digivice">{{Cite web|last=Bugara|first=Billy|date=20 April 2021|title=Digicore captures the angst of coming of age during a global pandemic|url=https://i-d.co/article/digicore-music-scene-profile-hyperpop/|access-date=29 March 2022|website=Vice|language=en|archive-date=9 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309001449/https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/n7bw3z/digicore-music-scene-profile-hyperpop|url-status=live}}</ref> The beginnings of digicore are rooted in internet culture and many popular producers from the microgenre are between the ages of 15 and 18.<ref name="digivice" /> Artists Yungster Jack and [[David Shawty]] have been described as pioneers of the genre.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Pulver|first=Andrew|date=2021-12-31|title=Making (air)waves: how artists are finding inspiration through, and on, radio|url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/12/31/making-airwaves-how-artists-are-finding-inspiration-through-and-on-radio|access-date=2026-04-01|website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events|language=en}}</ref>

=== Glitchcore === {{Distinguish|Glitch hop}}{{Main|Glitchcore}}

'''Glitchcore''' is a microgenre that originally developed alongside hyperpop<ref name="mean" /> and digicore (sometimes characterised as a subgenre of both styles), is often characterised by the heavy use of audio effects such as autotune and [[Pitch-shifted|pitch shifters]], as well as rapidly [[chopped vocals]] designed to resemble audio glitches. Originally pioneered by Yungster Jack and [[David Shawty]].<ref name=":1" /> As Kyann-Sian Williams of ''[[NME]]'' stated, "glitchcore is hyperpop on steroids",<ref name="NME_glitch">{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Kyann-Sian |date=18 December 2020 |title=The rise and rise of hyperactive subgenre glitchcore |url=https://www.nme.com/features/glitchcore-hyperpop-charli-xcx-100-gecs-rico-nasty-hip-hop-2841348#:~:text=Now%20hyperpop%20has%20morphed%20into,people%20conflate%20hyperpop%20and%20glitchcore |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201193855/https://www.nme.com/features/glitchcore-hyperpop-charli-xcx-100-gecs-rico-nasty-hip-hop-2841348#:~:text=Now%20hyperpop%20has%20morphed%20into,people%20conflate%20hyperpop%20and%20glitchcore |archive-date=1 February 2021 |access-date=30 March 2022 |website=NME}}</ref> referring to the exaggerated vocals, distortions, glitch noises, and other pop elements present within glitchcore. Artists such as 100 gecs, Bladee and his collective Drain Gang played a key role in the development of the genre.<ref name="Horowitz-2021">{{Cite web |last=Horowitz |first=Steven J. |date=2021-09-07 |title=This Is Your Brain on 100 gecs |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/100-gecs-interview-new-album-10000-gecs/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref>

Stef, a producer of the popular hyperpop and glitchcore collective Helix Tears stated that there certainly is a difference between the two microgenres, saying, "Hyperpop is more melodic and poppy whereas glitchcore is indescribable".<ref name="NME_glitch" /> Glitchcore is typically made up of artists that share stylistic similarities to 100 gecs, rather than the musicians signed to PC Music.<ref name="pitchfork_glitchcore22">{{cite web |last1=Zhang |first1=Cat |date=19 November 2020 |title=Is Glitchcore a TikTok Aesthetic, a New Microgenre, or the Latest Iteration of Glitch Art? |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/is-glitchcore-a-tiktok-aesthetic-a-new-microgenre-or-the-latest-iteration-of-glitch-art/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308235946/https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/is-glitchcore-a-tiktok-aesthetic-a-new-microgenre-or-the-latest-iteration-of-glitch-art/ |archive-date=8 March 2022 |access-date=30 March 2022 |website=Pitchfork}}</ref>

TikTok played a key role in popularising glitchcore, through video edits to two viral glitchcore songs "NEVER MET!" by CMTEN and Glitch Gum and "Pressure" by David Shawty and Yungster Jack.<ref name="pitchfork_glitchcore22"/> Additionally, glitchcore also developed a distinct [[Internet aesthetics|internet visual aesthetic]] with videos featuring glitchy, fast-paced, and cluttered edits, often colorful and occasionally marked with [[Epilepsy|flash warnings]]. This visual style frequently made use of an [[Video editing|editing technique]] known as "[[datamoshing]]".<ref name="pitchfork_glitchcore22"/> Digicore artists like d0llywood1 even refer to glitchcore as "an aesthetic, like the [[Fan edit|edits]]", rather than an actual music genre.<ref name="complex_glitchcore2">{{cite web |last1=Press-Reynolds |first1=Kieran |title=Gorgeous Glitches and Nightcored Melodies: The New Generation of SoundCloud Music is Here |url=https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2020/08/glitchcore-surge-rap-soundcloud |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520161719/https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2020/08/glitchcore-surge-rap-soundcloud |archive-date=20 May 2021 |access-date=30 March 2022 |website=Complex}}</ref>

=== Dariacore === {{Main|Dariacore}}

'''Dariacore''' (also known as '''hyperflip''') is an [[Internet music|Internet]] [[microgenre]] of [[electronic dance music]]. It is sometimes conflated as a subgenre of hyperpop.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pitchfork|date=2024-10-01|title=The 100 Best Albums of the 2020s So Far|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-100-best-albums-of-the-2020s-so-far/|access-date=2026-04-06|website=Pitchfork|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cafolla|first=Anna|date=2022-10-17|title=What does ‘hyperpop’ mean in 2022?|url=https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/what-does-hyperpop-mean-in-2022-23808/|access-date=2026-04-06|website=Rolling Stone UK|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name="paper2">{{Cite web |last=Dunn|first=Payton|date=August 10, 2022|title=Subculture Party Is Taking Over|url=https://www.papermag.com/subculture-party-rave|website=[[Paper (magazine)|Paper Mag]]}}</ref><ref name="mean" /> The term was coined by [[Jane Remover]] following their 2021 album ''[[Dariacore (album)|Dariacore]]'' and its two sequels: ''Dariacore 2: Enter Here, Hell to the Left'' and ''Dariacore 3... At Least I Think That's What It's Called?'' The microgenre gained popularity on SoundCloud in 2021 and 2022, characterized by sped up and pitch-shifted samples from pop music and other popular media, primarily drawing influences from [[breakbeat]]s and [[Jersey club]].<ref name="jane_insider">{{cite web |last1=Press-Reynolds |first1=Kieran |title=An 18-year-old invented a new genre of meme-heavy music called 'dariacore' that's like 'pop music on steroids' |url=https://www.insider.com/dltzk-frailty-hyperpop-dariacore-digicore-soundcloud-rap-internet-musician-osquinn-2021-11 |website=Insider |access-date=26 December 2022 |archive-date=21 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721004233/https://www.insider.com/dltzk-frailty-hyperpop-dariacore-digicore-soundcloud-rap-internet-musician-osquinn-2021-11 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was described by Raphael Helfand of ''[[the Fader]]'' as "an entire genre in and of itself, taking hyperpop's silliest tendencies to their logical conclusions".<ref name="fa">{{Cite web |last=Helfand |first=Raphael |date=2022-05-23 |title=Listen to leroy's final mix |url=https://www.thefader.com/2022/05/23/leroy-dariacore-3 |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=[[The Fader]] |language=en |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229113859/https://www.thefader.com/2022/05/23/leroy-dariacore-3 |url-status=live }}</ref>

By the mid-2020s, Dariacore had gained a cult following in Japan through the [[netlabel]] Lost Frog Productions. Founder Haruo Ishihara attributes the style's popularity in Japan partly to the country's established song remix and OtoMAD meme culture, as well as the frequent sampling of familiar anime and J-pop hits.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Press-Reynolds |first=Kieran |date=2025-04-09 |title=Remember Jane Remover's Mashup Genre Dariacore? It's Blowing Up in Japan Now |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/remember-jane-removers-mashup-genre-dariacore-its-blowing-up-in-japan-now/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Hyper-rock === '''Hyper-rock''' is a [[fusion genre]] that fuses rock music and hyperpop. It is characterized by a guitar-centric foundation combined with processed vocals, glitchy textures, and [[Experimental music|experimental]] sound design, resulting in a sound that differs from [[folktronica]], [[indietronica]], or [[digital hardcore]].<ref name="hyper-rock">{{Cite web |last=Feigelson |first=David |date=February 9, 2024 |title=The Emergence of Hyper-Rock |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/scene-report/the-emergence-of-hyper-rock |access-date=August 20, 2025 |website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]}}</ref> The term ''hyper-rock'' was coined by ''[[Stereogum]]'' journalist James Rettig. He introduced the term in a "tongue-in-cheek parenthetical" while reviewing [[Feeble Little Horse]]'s album, ''[[Girl with Fish]]''.<ref name="hyper-rock" /><ref name="sg">{{Cite web |last=Rettig |first=James |date=2023-06-06 |title=Feeble Little Horse 'Girl With Fish' Review |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2225170/feeble-little-horse-girl-with-fish/reviews/album-of-the-week/ |accessdate=2023-06-15 |website=[[Stereogum]] |language=en-US |department=Album of the Week}}</ref>

Hyper-rock, as a distinct musical style, is considered to have emerged in the late 2010s and early 2020s, although its foundational elements and experimental precursors date back further. Early sonic experiments in the 2000s laid the groundwork for the genre. Known forerunners include [[Sweet Trip]]'s ''[[Velocity : Design : Comfort]]'' (2003) is considered a significant record for the genre, blending [[Intelligent dance music|IDM]], glitch, and shoegaze. Tracks such as "Fruitcake and Cookies" and "To All the Dancers of the World, a Round Form of Fantasy" illustrate the progression from fragmented electronic textures to euphoric, guitar-driven soundscapes, elements later associated with hyper-rock.<ref name="hyper-rock" />

Hyper-rock is primarily built around rock guitars, which may range from dense, [[Reverberation|reverb]]-soaked layers reminiscent of [[shoegaze]] to harsher, evolving riffs influenced by [[black metal]]. Vocals are often heavily processed, employing techniques such as [[pitch shifting]] and the use of Auto-Tune. The style also incorporates glitched-out production and electronic elements, including programmed drums, synth textures, and fragmented soundscapes. The genre reflects a fusion of influences from a wide array of musical styles. Shoegaze contributes atmospheric textures and layered guitar sounds, while hyperpop informs its high-energy, glitch-oriented approach and vocal processing. IDM, glitch, and [[digicore]] provide jittery electronic elements and fragmented sound design. Some artists integrate aspects of heavy metal, trance, [[Electronic dance music|electronic dance]], [[vaporwave]], and pop.<ref name="hyper-rock" />

== See also == * [[Avant-pop]] * [[Poptimism]] * [[Postmodern music]] * [[Pop culture]]

== References == {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Hyperpop| ]] [[Category:2010s in music]] [[Category:2020s in music]] [[Category:21st-century music genres]] [[Category:Alt TikTok]] [[Category:Avant-garde music]] [[Category:British styles of music]] [[Category:Counterculture of the 2020s]] [[Category:Internet music genres]] [[Category:LGBTQ-related music]] [[Category:Microgenres]] [[Category:Pop music genres]]