Playlist

YH PLAYLIST:

BY CY VEILLEUX

EPR TRACK LIST bloodstains - 100 gecs

Paradise - Charli XCX & Hannah

Diamond

Full Circle - EASYFUN

XS - Rina Sawayama

This Is for Me [baby blue] - Banoffee &

Planet 1999

A new genre of music has newly emerged in the 2010s and has gained more traction in the past couple of years. Commonly called Hyperpop, this new genre exaggerates and expands the concept of music itself while staying within the lines of pop music.

From the ‘80s until now, many of the pop hits are popular because we can’t get them out of our heads. They might play a chorus three times in a song with a catchy melody, but in Hyperpop, a song could be strictly made up of choruses repeated over and over again.

Much of Hyperpop blows the idea of pop completely out of proportion, and it can come off as almost satirical. Songs sound so happy and upbeat, but the lyrics tell a deeper — possibly darker — tale. The rhythms and beats feed the brain what it likes, which allows the listener to completely and subconsciously disregard its message.

The common dog-piling of voice effects and autotune makes the vocals something so strange, it’s intriguing. In the past, hearing an accidentally heavily autotuned song could be cringe-worthy, but Hyperpop songs use this technique so much, it is noticeably intentional.

Being such a sonically intense genre, many of the artists also produce their own music, and if not, they work closely with their producer. Established producers collaborate with many artists to make countless remixes of others’ work, which gives this collection of music a cohesive sound that is worth giving a name to. H8R - Madge IPHONE - Rico Nasty Never Thought - Danny Sunshine HUGE SPINEE - GFOTY & Spinee It’s U (Diamond Version) - Petal Supply & Himera Modest - Gupi Beautiful Superstar - A. G. Cook Ocean of Tears - Caroline Polachek Only Acting - Kero Kero Bonito Melancholy Princess - Zora Jones

P

FEATURED

Immaterial by SOPHIE

“Immaterial” represents the fluidity and the unimportance of external identity. SOPHIE, who identifies as a trans-woman, is an omnipresent producer within the Hyperpop arena. She was also nominated for best dance/ electronic album in the 2018 Grammys with “OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES.”

On that album, the song “Immaterial” fills listeners’ heads with serotonin. Guttural bass and sing-song chanting makes it an anthem that challenges constructs like gender, nihilism and existentialism. Either blast this song through some headphones by yourself or in the car with some friends to cherish the metaphysical bonds created within your identities.

Hey QT by QT

While being one of the most mysterious songs, “Hey QT” is undoubtedly a bop.

The song was produced by SOPHIE and A. G. Cook, sung by a fictional singer named QT, who is played by a performance artist and voiced by an edited British artist. The visuals for the project ended up being one big commercial for a fictional energy drink, which comments on consumerism and the personas within the music industry by blowing those elements out of proportion.

The repetition, the high pitched voice and the bubbly feel will keep this song in your head forever.

@@@@@ by Arca

Heavily exploring the production and experimental side of Hyperpop, Arca’s “@@@@@” is a sonic journey for those willing to dive deeply. The album was released as a single, which spans over an hour long. It stands as one piece as it embodies an undeciphered radio transmission from a distant universe — and it sure sounds like one. Like SOPHIE, Arca also identifies as a trans-woman. Hyperpop was pioneered by the LGBTQ+ community, specifically Constants | January 2020 | 97 the trans community with additional artists like Kim Petras and one half of the 100 gecs duo, Laura Les.POP!