Glitchy, Dissonant, and Loud: Into the Realms of Hyperpop

Written by Andrea Cacho, Photo courtesy of The New York Times

Let’s dive into the world of Hyperpop. What is this weird genre and how did it end up in our radars? We explore its origins and pioneers, along with artists that you should be listening to. Read with careful attention. 

Hyperpop is an overly saturated, avant-garde, and undisputedly pop micro music genre born back in the early 2010s that rose to mainstream fame in 2019. PC Music, a London based record label and music collective, is often associated with being the genre’s mother. With artists like AG Cook, Charli XCX, and the late SOPHIE - PC Music was and still is creating songs that are loud, shiny, fast-paced, colorful, and video game-esque. 

Essentially, the label’s artists were pioneers. They were making sounds that were previously unheard of. Of course, hyperpop has its predecessors, such as the duo project Sleigh Bells who makes experimental, exploded bass pop with a touch of auto tune. Pop Stars like Kesha and Britney Spears, for their raunchy, electrical beat patterns, are also identified as predecessors. 

Nonetheless, the early artists of PC Music were uploading their uniquely weird, pitch shifted vocal tracks to cloud-based sharing platforms and were already starting to squeeze into the top hits of 2013. Well, at least one of them was. Icona Pop and Charli XCX’s song“I Love It” was constantly playing on the radio in 2013. Adults could hear the song playing at the supermarket. Teens would watch lyric videos of it on YouTube. Baby kids were singing it on Kidz Bop. It was everywhere. But this was not really the official boom for Hyperpop; its years before 2019 were kept underground, especially in the UK.  

The term “Hyperpop” was made popular in 2019 when Spotify editor Lizzy Szabo noticed the viral growth and popularity of musical duo 100 gecs. She wondered if there were any more musicians like them, so she and her colleagues decided to review the app’s metadata. To their surprise, they found a whole world of glitchy, bright sounds similar to those of 100 gecs. And, thus, the word Hyperpop was typed in for a playlist name - the rest is history. 

1. Underscores

Photo courtesy of Instagram

Twenty-one year old singer-songwriter Underscores grew up on pop and dubstep, from an early age having an affinity for artists from Madonna to Skrillex. Her latest album, boneyard aka fearmonger, is saturated with punk-like guitar riffs, heavy distortion, and beautiful, squeaky voicing. The album is incredibly refreshing, with the fourth track Gunk being a nod to intense dubstep - but it evolves into a chaotically personal acoustic track. Favorites from this project include Everybody's dead!, Heck, and the mind boggling Tongue in cheek.

2. D0llywood1

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D0llywood1, also known as dolly, stays mainly underground with little online presence and makes explosive, ravey, emo rap hyperpop. Her music draws inward the kids who feel like they don’t belong, drawing comparisons to My Chemical Romance. Dolly’s lyricism is hard, genuine, and honest. Favorites include “if u cant beat em join em,” “ihonestlymightjustgiveup,” “ihonestlygaveup,” and “i cant slow down.” 

3. Sega Bodega

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Although Sega Bodega, AKA Salvador Navarrete, classifies more into the genre of deconstructed club, his sound draws particular influences from Hyperpop. He is a big user of pitch shifted vocals and industrial basslines. “Daddy” is an especially hyperpop driven track, combined with elements of deep rave and grime. His most recent album, Romeo, is deliciously divine. It feels straight out of an idealized version of heaven. Favorites include “Effeminacy,” “Angel On My Shoulder,” “All Of Your Friends Think I'm Too Young For You” (which you must listen to in whole because the track shifts completely near the end), and “Romeo.” 

4. Umru

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Brooklyn based hyper genius, umru, became hugely popular at 18 when he got recruited by AG Cook to produce Charli XCX’s “I Got It.” Currently signed at PC Music, umru makes music for slimy, green alien births. His sound feels other-worldly and unique, truly overwhelmingly great. Each song of his is soaked with an insane amount of effects and musical elements, it’s even hard to keep up with what’s going on. But in a really good, professional way. Favorites include losin my mind, popular, and honest.

5. Virgen Maria

Photo courtesy of highxtar.com

Hyperpop in Spanish! Madrid based artist and producer Virgen Maria is an avant-garde project of María Forque with the goal of blessing the world with sexuality, spirituality, and sex through art and music. Flume’s most recent album, Palaces, features Virgen Maria on the song Only Fans. The track is indisputably sexy, backed up by emotionally charged, chaotic beats and María’s moans. Her songs frequently play with reggaetón patterns, such as Hot, Holi, and Gata O Perra?