THE RISE OF HYPERPOP

If you've been paying attention to the music world lately, you've likely noticed the emergence of a bold new genre called "hyperpop." This maximalist sound is taking over playlists and sending shockwaves through the industry.

What is hyperpop exactly? It's a brash, abrasive, and deliberately distorted style of pop music that mashes together elements of pop, hip-hop, rock, and electronic dance music into an aggressive yet sugary sweet concoction. Hyperpop enthusiastically embraces autotune, industrial beats, frantic rhythms, and a shamelessly synthetic aesthetic.

The underground hyperpop scene has been percolating for years, driven by artists like A.G. Cook, Charli XCX, and 100 gecs. But it has burst into the mainstream recently with hits like "Miss You" by Oliver Tree and "Say So" by Doja Cat incorporating unmistakable hyperpop flourishes amidst their pop foundations.

Part of hyperpop's appeal, especially to Gen Z listeners, is how it enthusiastically leans into music's digital future. Songs are purposefully edited and distorted to extremes with sonic experimentation that would have been considered audio anathema in previous eras. Minimalist tendencies are shunned for a glitchy, glitzy, and deliriously overstimulating sound palette.

Love it or hate it, hyperpop's bizarrely captivating presence is undeniable in 2024. It feels like the sound of music's frontier, where artistic anarchy and streambld-breaking ambition are fused into an admittedly improvised form. Hyperpop's arrogant antics are here to shapeshift pop for a new generation.