Hyperpop
I. Introduction: A Brief History
Some of the music in this blog so far can be described as minimalist, but that is far from the case for hyperpop. Originating in the UK in the 2010s, the term “hyperpop” supposedly originated in 1988 by writer Don Shewey as he was writing about the Scottish dream pop band, Cocteau Twins noting that 80s England had “nurtured the simultaneous phenomena of hyperpop and antipop”. As a sound, subculture, and official label, however, it began being applied to some music used in SoundCloud‘s nightcore scene before eventually seeping into more mainstream platforms such as Spotify. An analyst for Spotify, Glenn McDonald suggests that hyperpop did not qualify as a microgenre until 2018 making it a relatively new style. Speaking of its style, hyperpop is often exaggerated and eclectic with self-referential lyrics overlaying a typical pop song turned up to the max; instrumentals frequently employ aggressive synth melodies, auto-tuned vocals, and tons of compression and distortion. As a subculture, the movement is often associated with LGBTQ+ online communities with many influential figures being transgender, non-binary, and/or gay. Many of these artists also dabble in similar styles such as glitchcore and digicore. As such a new microgenre, it has plenty of room to grow, but has already uniquely mixed a ton of inspirations to make something entirely new with some even noting the similarities between glitch-style music and Luigi Russolo‘s ‘The Art of Noises‘—no I didn’t plan that.
II. Notable Artists
Some notable musicians who contributed to tishoumaren (desert blues) are outlined in the following section. As in the previous entries, my goal is to focus primarily on underrepresented, diverse musicians who were largely overlooked or marginalized in some way.
Ada Rook – Black Dresses
Rook is a Canadian based in Toronto, ON. She has been a prolific artist dabbling in all sorts of musical styles from synth-pop with her group Rook&Nomie (composed of Rook and bandmate Neotenomie) to her more aggressive glitchy, noisy, hyperpop band Black Dresses which she formed with Devi McCallion in 2017. Rook and McCallion began collaborating after Rook send a beat to McCallion via Twitter. Their first album ‘Wasteisolation‘ (2018) was recorded entirely through online collaboration. The album received positive coverage from reputable music journals such as Stereogum and The Fader and dealt directly with their experiences as trans women in a world which is very hostile towards them. Following their 2020 album ‘Peaceful as Hell‘, the band announced they had broken up. Despite this, the duo have gone on to release two more studio albums in 2021 and 2022 respectively signifying their triumphant return. Stylistically, they deal in extremes with glitchy, metallic production that sometimes carries soft, serene melodies and other times features bellowing screams and blown out distortion. The song ‘CREEP U‘ (see video below) from their album ‘Peaceful as Hell‘ (2020) is the perfect example showcasing their softer and more aggressive sides within the same song.
Reflection on ‘CREEP U‘ (2020) by Black Dresses:
I love the bass that kicks off the song. I’m really captivated by the lyrics on this one. They’re really easy to make out and tell a compelling story and give insight into the vocalist’s (not sure if it’s Rook or McCallion singing this part honestly) experience. The melody is simple but it’s so catchy. The imagery used right before the first chorus is fantastic “I’m a building that’s condemned with only bugs living inside”. Brilliant. The simplicity of the earworm chorus is brilliant too. I love how it has a few different layers to it – like it starts quiet and by the second round it feels fully fleshed-out. The song structure is interesting. Where you’d normally have the second chorus, they throw in a sort of bridge which is unexpected, but it flows so well. I love the fuzzy synths that litter this section. It feels sparse and desolate but then in bursts back into the euphoric chorus. I love the “popping” synths that come in for the chorus too. Just incredible. I can’t get enough of this song. Just when I thought I’d heard it all, there’s the… second bridge? The super glitchy part. At first it’s just extra fuzzy and distorted, but it gradually descends into a literal paper shredder. This song is just everything. Just before the outro / final chorus, the song all but destroys itself before coming back to a minimal version of the refrain. Man, I need to listen to the rest of their stuff.
Laura Les – 100 gecs
Born in 1994, Les grew up in St. Louis, MO and became interested in music as she learned how to play the guitar. She got a degree in acoustic engineering from Columbia College, in Chicago, IL and began releasing music under the alias osno1. In high school she met with Dylan Brady with whom she would go on to collaborate and form her current main outfit, 100 gecs in 2015. Originally, Les and Brady would record their music together in Chicago before relocating to Los Angeles in 2020. Their first EP, ‘100 gecs‘ was released in 2016 and they struggled to find time to record a proper debut album until a few years later. In 2019 they landed a DJ set for the 2019 Minecraft Fire Festival which prompted them to begin working on their frist full-length album. Their studio album debut, ‘1000 gecs‘ was received positively and their early work was said to help define hyperpop in the 2010s. A year later they collaborated with a ton of influential artists such as Charli XCX and Fall Out Boy on the remixed version of their first album: ‘1000 gecs and The Tree of Clues‘ (2020) which boosted their success substantially. They also collaborated with some lesser known artists like Dorain Electra, Kero Kero Bonito, and even Black Dresses which helped those artists gain some popularity too. Finally, in 2023 100 gecs released their second full length album, ‘10,000 gecs‘. This album features a bit more musical variety bringing influences from pop punk, ska, and nu metal, while still maintaining a very hyperpop demeanor. The first single from their new album, ‘mememe’ was actually released over a year prior in late 2021. This song showcases the chaotic range of inspirations they mash together.
Reflection on ‘mememe’ (2021) by 100 gecs:
What a chaotic song that also just happens to be quite the earworm. I mean the vocals, at least for the chorus, are simple and repetitive like a bottom-of-the-barrel pop song, but the way they’re produced is just so weird. By the second repetition of the chorus, however, the overblown distortion and noise is overpowering and it becomes abundantly clear that this is anything but a bottom-of-the-barrel pop song. But the verses take yet another sharp turn into ska-punk territory with the strumming pattern. The vocals, especially on the verses, have a very 2020’s internet vibe to them that I can’t possibly put into words, but it’s somehow so fitting despite the song itself being a literal mish-mash of everything under the sun. I don’t have a ton to say about the lyrics or the rest of the instrumental, but that doesn’t mean it’s not one of my favourite songs of the past few years. It’s hyperpop bliss at its best. Please check out the rest of the album. Hands down my favourite album of 2023 so far.
underscores (April Harper Grey)
Growing up in San Francisco, Grey became interested in writing and recording music at the age of 6. She began releasing music on SoundCloud under the name underscores in 2013 at the age of 13 but much of her early music is no longer available. Finally in 2021 Grey released her first studio album, ‘Fishmonger‘ which garnered the attention of some big names in the electronic and alternative scenes such as Travis Barker of Blink-182, Glaive, and Lido. In 2023, Grey would release her follow-up studio album ‘Wallsocket‘ which was also successful. Having worked somewhat with Dylan Brady from 100 gecs, underscores would go on to open for 100 gecs in 2021. Stylistically, underscores brings together elements of dubstep (citing Skrillex as an early influence), pop punk, and of course hyperpop. The lead single from ‘Wallsocket‘, ‘Cops and robbers’ (see video below) was released in May 2023 and presents a very solid hyerpop track to kick off the album.
Reflection on ‘Cops and robbers‘ (2023) by underscores:
The song sort of opens like a subdued grunge track before erupting into a more recognizable hyperpop song. The lyrics recount the supposed methods the protagonist uses to rob innocent bank patrons. The vocals are very reminiscent of 100 gecs’ in my opinion, but they still manage to do something unique with it. There’s obviously a more alt. rock influence compared to gecs, but the fast-paced, chaotic energy still feels very hyperpop. The middle section where the tempo really drops and the instruments mostly cut out is really interesting. The drums and synths throughout the song are delightfully blown-out and crunchy, as I’ve come to anticipate from hyperpop and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just love everything about this and can’t wait to hear where underscores goes next! This is another incredible album from 2023 that I’d highly recommend if you like this track!
References:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperpop
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glitch_(music)
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Dresses
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Les
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_gecs