Top 15 Rising Hyperpop Artists of 2021

What is Hyperpop? Is it real? 

Is it a music genre with specific sonic and aesthetic conventions? A philosophically intertwined music movement that spans a wide range of scenes and influences? A style that’s blown up off the backs of Tik Tok hits? Or simply a Spotify playlist that has frustrated fans and artists alike by indiscriminately lumping songs together? One could make a case for any of these explanations, and then some. How someone defines the term is up to them. 

The reality is that Hyperpop has retained an ambiguous status in contemporary music culture, with its most conventional meaning tied to Spotify gentrification and marketing. Therefore, questions of Hyperpop’s realness are valid, the case against its existence strong. I personally think that Hyperpop is a valid term, but I also think it deserves a nuanced, layered interpretation. Here’s my working definition: Hyperpop is an ever-changing movement of experimental-leaning pop and electronic music that revolves around a bustling online, heavily-LGBTQ+ community, and that community spans a multitude of styles, sub-scenes, and influences threaded by mutual fan and artist interaction. 

I know many people in the scene share this sentiment, which is itself a proof of concept that should squash any concerns over Hyperpop’s realness (sorry, Charli XCX). The community exists, and it isn’t going anywhere. So even as controversy clings to the term like a joy sucking leech, the undeniable truth is there is a distinct group of people who find joy in all of the sounds, personalities, and online interactions associated with the space. It is Hyperpop’s unclassifiable nature, community-building ethos, and boundless sonic palette that make this Internet-based thing so appealing to its members. Indeed, the joy comes from these elements working in tandem, all stemming from this distinctly identifiable, inclusive online circle. 

Thinking of Hyperpop purely in these terms instead of as a concrete genre could quell tensions within the scene. Artists don’t want to be categorized as a genre by force, or somehow looked down upon by being associated with a buzzword--and they shouldn’t have to be. So with that said, I do apologize to any artist mentioned in this list who wishes to distance themselves from the term. I would like to think, however, that each artist here would most likely consider themselves a part of this scene (at least to some capacity), and I hope they’d understand that “Hyperpop” is the most familiar term to attach to the space. It’s also a term that is thus helpful for anybody who’s trying to learn more about this stuff.

It sucks that Hyperpop as a word is now most commonly associated with a megacorporation, and certain toxicity related (and sometimes unrelated) to that megacorporation. It’s important to note, though, that Hyperpop, both as a term and as an online music community, has been around much longer than that infamous playlist.

So I will say this: I have no desire to box artists into any genre or sound. I am simply trying to place them within a long and rich lineage of groundbreaking art, and within a special scene that’s produced some of the best music I’ve ever heard. 

Let’s get into it. You can check out my first list here. 

Note: The concept of “Rising” is used here from a very subjective perspective. Some of the artists mentioned have in fact been around for quite a while, but in my eyes deserve more attention and/or aren’t “established” in the conventional sense. Also, I’ve increased the list from 10 to 15. There are just too many artists. 

Honorable Mentions: Lucy Lohan, quannic, Riley the Musician, Chase Icon, Ivy Hollivana, Hallow, Maple, bleachh, emotionals3k, dontcrii, Kogarashi, Elphi, girlonline, Lil Eli, ch2rms, phixel, saoirse dream, threedimensionsapart, Aron Enoch (DJ:ReCode)/Le Snake, Tracey Brakes/Marble Club, girl_irl

15. doxia

The first track I ever heard from the Milwaukee producer/vocalist doxia was “905b,” a single released last year under his previous alias, tayparadox. The song immediately hooked me. The thumping kick drums, metallic snare, and sci-fi tones and loops in the background were intoxicating. But the part that really struck me was the song’s main vocal melody. It’s so catchy (a quality that will return again and again from artists in this list). Doxia has an incredible ear for sticky vocal hooks and a keen ability to integrate them into his smooth delivery, traits that make him one of the best rappers in this scene. And by fusing sounds from the Hyperpop scene with plugg-type instrumentals, doxia has also proven himself an inventive producer. These skills haven’t been lost on UVC Records (who signed doxia as a part of their first batch of artists), or the people at Soundcloud who have invested heavily in the Digicore scene. From the trippy “datdatdat,” to the bouncy “Flicker,” (prod. d0llywood1), to the aquatic “alright, cool k!” (prod. sadbalmain), to the instantly memorable “gnomes,” doxia is a keeper.

14. Holidaykiss

Amidst a sea of one-and-a-half minute songs containing short bursts of fiery energy, it's sometimes refreshing to find an artist like Holidaykiss, an artist who approaches their music with a more singer-songwriter sensibility. The two EPs they've released this year embody such an approach, as they smoothly combine intricate electronic production with indie-pop melodies and songwriting. "Emerald," for example, a sparkling track off of their EP Everything I'm Scared Of Becoming, almost sounds like a song by The 1975 if the band traded in their arena-ready sound for the more intimate surroundings of bedroom pop.

Holidaykiss conjures that insular listening experience with their hushed vocal delivery delivery and colorful, atmospheric production—a style that is in stark contrast to a lot of the moodier, overpowering instrumentals that many currently associate with the scene. Instead of blown-out beats, Holidaykiss crafts vibrant, layered instrumentals that evolve through the song and work symbiotically with the vocals.

None of this is to say Holidaykiss can't make bangers--tracks like "Failsafe" (feat. Phixel & Khaki Cuffs) and "Sanobashi" will absolutely scratch your Hyperpop itch with their pitched-up vocals and wonky, thumping electronic beats. But it is to say you also get a lot more with their music. "Abyss," feat. Kuru, is one of the most spellbinding tracks I've heard out of this scene in recent memory, with a beautiful strings section that reminds me of a track by The Books made in 2021. That's some musical vision right there.

(Also check out their fantastic cover of ericdoa’s “fantasize”).

13. AViT 

It probably isn’t a coincidence that the explosion of Hyperpop as a scene into the general cultural consciousness more or less coincided with the community’s heavy adoption of emo and pop-punk vocal styles and aesthetics. In our perpetually cyclical pop cultural landscape, it was only about time that 2000s alternative music would make a return into our collective listening habits. And as a scene that’s commonly known for recontextualizing popular genres of the past by mixing their tropes with modern, experimental-leaning electronic production techniques, Hyperpop is the perfect match for such a revival. 

Enter AViT: an artist from the Digicore space (the newer Soundcloud-based Hyperpop scene) who knows exactly how to execute the style and seems to do so effortlessly. AViT has been displaying their remarkable timbre and howl since releasing emo-trap singles like “As Blood Runs Cold” (prod. IOF) in 2019, and over the past year has transferred their singular vocal delivery onto more experimental electronic instrumentals, like on the maknae-produced “Goodbye.” Last December they released “Stuck Up,” a track with breathtaking, ear-grabbing vocal work and production. That song, produced by coleslau and ria, mixes AViT’s immensely catchy, pop-punk inflected vocals with a bizarro, blazing electronic instrumental--a synthesis of disparate worlds that should convince anyone of that style’s potential. Imperfect & Incomplete, the album that ultimately featured “Stuck Up,” is full of similarly great tracks. The dltzk-produced “Ur The Reason I’m This Way,” “Lights Out,” and “Twitterloser” (prod. Noki), which has been scrubbed entirely from the Internet, are all great examples of AViT’s writing and vocal talents. That project, which was released a week apart from dltzk’s Teen Week, signaled to me at the time that the Digicore scene was really coming into its own. AViT should be credited appropriately for that emergence.

12. Exodus1900 

If you listen to “DIMPLES” by Exodus1900, a song off the artist’s recently released EP 1EXO, there’s a good chance it’ll be unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Produced by Heartluci, who’s an innovator within the adjacent Underworld community, “DIMPLES” contains a whirling, psychedelic mix of flat, elongated 808s; erratic high-hats; spooky, carnivalesque synths; and cacophonous, overwhelmingly stacked vocal layers and ad-libs. It’s a ride, and somehow just one of many dizzying concoctions in Exo’s discography—a collection that represents the experimental depths this current Soundcloud era is willing to go to. 

Combining the swirling, chaotically melodic sound of Duwap Kaine with the industrial, glitched out stylings of contemporary Hyperpop and Digicore, Exodus1900 expertly bridges the gap between two Soundcloud generations. In the process, they push the limits of pop and rap to an almost unidentifiable place. “Fairytale Brightness,” produced by Keyblade, throws a million noises at the wall and lets Exo work their magic within the small crevices of the chaotic instrumental. Their vocal processing on the song is appropriately extraterrestrial, and they flow over the anarchic beat with precise melodic switchups.  

The NOVAGANG member stands out with their consistently powerful vocal performances. “Brother,” produced by sadbalmain, showcases Exo spitting a devastatingly existential verse over clouds of robotic backing vocals. “It’s not love it’s hatred, take my blunt and face it/Not smiling it’s a facelift, stop crying you can’t change shit,” they rap, trying to squeeze in the words onto the beat, stopping and shifting their rhythm on a dime. They have a singular delivery and style, one that fits well with the dystopian, claustrophobic nature of their beat choice. When an artist is able to create such a specific, other-dimensional atmosphere with their music, you pay attention accordingly.

11. Jedwill

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Jedwill is the ultimate glue factor of this entire scene. He has his hands in every pocket of the community, and is one of the most consistent and supportive members within this Internet music space. He has a wealth of music knowledge, a legendary Twitter, and he drops fucking bangers. 

Tackling electronic pop with a punk rock sonic and philosophical approach, Jedwill has used his signature howl and charismatic presence (in addition to an excellent choice of collaborators) to create a style that is very distinctly his. The track “Art Piece,” for example (a collaboration with Lunamatic that was released on FORM’s All Nighter Vol. 6 compilation), kicks off with this killer bass riff and drum beat that’s supported by Jedwill’s distorted, screeching vocals. The track’s grungy basement vibe then takes on a new palette with a bassy, electronic instrumental and explosive vocal performance in the chorus. Ultimately, Jedwill thrives in the oscillation between those two sonic planes, managing to find the common punk spirit between them. 

In general, Jedwill almost always delivers a cathartic hook. The chorus of the track “Bee,” produced by bbbbfc and Tyraz, mimics a million screaming Jedwills reverberating around your ear canals over a blown out beat. “Placebo Effect,” produced by goodbyex2002, has this glitchy trap beat underpinned by Jedwill’s characteristic pitch fluctuations. The track also showcases Jedwill’s underrated lyricism. “Are you happy the hindsight is sweeter/Hold on now this might teach me later.”  Damn, Jedwill.

There’s also the underscores-produced “Immortal,” which I talk about here. And of course, there’s Jedwill’s breakout single “Garden,” produced by Camoufly. “Garden” is an elegant track with gleaming acoustic guitars and a subdued, pounding beat on the chorus. When listening to that song, it’s easy to understand why Jedwill doesn’t really like to associate with Hyperpop as a genre term. Musically, he’s really out here doing his own thing, so why should he have to experience the turbulence of being “Hyperpop”? At the end of the day, though, he’s a central component to the this community as a personality and musician. He’s essential. Give him his respect.

10. diana starshine & galen tipton 

Let me be clear: both of these wonderful artists deserve their own slot on this list. But given their very close artistic relationship, it just felt right to put them together. 

diana starshine and galen tipton have an undeniable and singular musical chemistry. Their track “it’s love,” for example, combines both artists’ vocal and production chops in a blasting two-minute experimental pop masterpiece. From its very first seconds Diana storms onto the track, gleefully singing the chorus over a rousing synth line and exemplifying some of the best melodic and lyrical sensibilities the scene has to offer. recovery girl (galen tipton’s pop vocal alias) puts in a memorable verse too, showcasing strong vocal abilities alongside her already-well-known production skills. And the song’s beat--co-produced by both artists--is electrifying with its combination of synth-pop, rock, hard dance, and gnarly sound design. There’s also “physical touch,” a collaboration between the two and Canadian artist/producer extraordinaire, Petal Supply. The song, a single off the excellent recovery girl & friends MIXTAPE, is one of the horniest songs of the year. It’s also distorted, angelic, and tough as nails. 

When apart, the two artists showcase their individual talent. galen tipton has been making wonderful, innovative experimental electronic music within the scene for years (calling her a “rising” artist seems almost blasphemous). And Diana, while newer to the scene, has already made an indelible mark with her impeccable pop songwriting, like on the Twonski-produced “Strawberry Skies.”

When galen and diana are together, though, they meld into one natural unit. It is clear from the aforementioned songs--as well as “Pixie Ring,” “Feels so Good,” and even their “Boom Clap” cover--that the two artists have a deep understanding of one another’s skills. Here are two musicians who want to push boundaries as far as they can within the confines of pop music structures and melodies, using their combined strengths to make music that’s weird, catchy, and fun as hell. 

9. Raegun

Many artists in this scene incorporate a vast array of genres into their output, expressing their multifaceted selves through a range of aesthetic conventions. And singer-songwriter Raegun is a perfect encapsulation of this dynamic, oscillating between guitar-driven indie pop and more electronic-oriented pop tracks. Tracks such as “Love Letters'' and “Window Watching,” for example, are isolated within Hyperpop via their summery guitar riffs and indie-pop drum palettes, elements that are far removed from the hyper-synthetic worlds of Hyperpop and Digicore. But “Talk To Me,” (prod. coleslaw) is more digital with its twinkling sound design, bruising synth chord progressions, and impeccably placed claps. “So Far Gone,” featuring Juno and produced by ria and billsburyjoeboi, has blaring synth chords and pitch-shifting bass tones. Her most recent track, “fed up!,” produced by the previous two, starts with a gorgeous piano line before dropping into a wondrous pop beat.

Reagan manages to thread each of these production styles through exasperated, emo-style crooning and crisp, catchy vocal melodies. “Zen” (prod. ria), for example, kicks off with a Bossa Nova instrumental before dropping into a roaring future bass bonanza—yet another style and unexpected mashup for Raegun to conquer. But it still works, of course, due to Raegun’s consistently on-point vocal delivery and elite songwriting. Raegun’s artistic osmosis is always on full display, an important trait within a scene that values versatility. And looking at the threads between the big breakout artists from the scene--glaive, ericdoa, midwxst--this transmissibility signals big things to come for Raegun.

8. Holliday Howe

Australian singer/producer Holliday Howe has had an interesting trajectory as a Hyperpop artist. Back in 2015, when she went under her Bubbles alias, you could hear her describing her genre of music as hyperpop--years before the Spotify hyperpop playlist went active and kickstarted the popularization of the term. The sound she was calling hyperpop—a deconstruction of Y2K bubblegum pop and J-pop aesthetics into new, jangly forms—was in tune with other Internet music artists and PC Music acolytes of the time. So despite her early adoption of Hyperpop, both as a community member and user of the term, it’s fascinating to see her flourish now into a mature, elegant pop songwriter and singer, just as the movement runs seemingly past her in new sonic directions. 

Take a listen to the string of releases dating back to her alias change in 2019--you’ll hear song after song showcasing Howe’s remarkable grasp of pop melodies and structures. Her most recent single, “Digital Affection,” a collaboration with electronic producer Himera, is an intoxicating, futuristic pop extravaganza. “Dirty Flirt,” featuring Nitrah Neon and produced by Mattu, is propulsive, bright, and catchy, showcasing Howe’s knack at writing effortlessly conspicuous hooks. There’s the self-produced “Big Ego,” a fun track full of witty one-liners and double entendres, as well as the Maltrace-produced “All Night,” a comparatively moodier, more sensual track with a central phase that will lodge itself deep in your subconscious for years to come. Then there’s the intensely emotional “Rather Forget,” a heart-wrenching track with an exquisite strings sample and soaring chorus. That song exemplifies Howe’s remarkable ability as a memorable vocalist, with a natural ability to garner a visceral reaction through her cadences and melodies.

In addition to her songwriting skills, Howe is also an accomplished producer and writer for other artists. Take the Roma Radz single “Boyfriend In Every City,” a song Howe produced and co-wrote. The bouncy beat and infectious central hook on the chorus make that song what it is and forces me to wonder why Howe isn’t recruited far and wide for her talents. She’s certainly worked hard and proved her abilities, making her one of the most underrated and underappreciated figures in this Hyperpop space. We should change that.

7. hirihiri

True hyperpop aficionados will tell you that any discussion of the movement must include Japanese music culture's impact on Hyperpop artists everywhere. From Shibuya-kei, to 2000s J-pop, to the wonky, left-of-center electronic music pushed out by net-labels such as Maltine, Trekkie Trax, and Bunkai-kei, listeners can hear Japanese sonic influences across the Hyperpop spectrum. This legacy has extended into the 2020s as well, with a new crop of Japanese artists and producers crafting their own experimental pop and electronic scene right now. Artists like hirihiri, phritz, yuigot, Kabanagu, and sonic-adjacents Tohji, Yuzion, and 4s4ki are keeping the spirit of innovative pop music alive and well in Japan.

hirihiri, the Tokyo-based producer who has released music through influential net-labels Maltine and Deskpop, is helping spearhead that movement. The artist started making chip-tune only a few years ago before switching to kawaii future bass and now distorted, trap-infused pop—a swath of styles that has showcased his versatility and dynamism. With songs like “power!” (ft. yaca), “ijustwannagoout”, with phritz, and “all night,” a collab with phritz and Kabanagu, hirihiri’s knack for rapturous, infectious production is on full display, as is his impulse towards the unconventional electronic sound design that fans of this scene go gaga for.

hirihiri’s purely instrumental work is just as good. If you take a dive into his discography and listen to projects like Hirahira and fake nostalgies, you’ll find an assortment of creative, vibrant, and immensely fun electronic compositions that fall squarely within the Japanese net-label aesthetic lineage. Hyperpop would be nothing without innovators like hirihiri and those that came before him. It’s essential that artists like Park Golf, Avec Avec, Pa’s Lam System, and Tomggg go down in the Hyperpop history books. It’s time to put hirihiri in there as well.

6. Kid Trash

The artist and producer Kid Trash was well before their time. You can explore their Soundcloud and find them mixing rave dance genres with emo and Scene visual aesthetics years before the general Hyperpop movement became hip to such a mashup. And fortunately for listeners, Kid Trash is still innovating and making great music to this day, remaining a pivotal figure in the current Hyperpop scene. 

Kid Trash’s most recent album, Scissorhands, released earlier this year, is one of the best projects of 2021. The album combines Kid Trash’s immediately recognizable vocals with some of their best production work yet, laying instantly sticky melodies over boisterous instrumentals. The album also mixes genres seamlessly as Kid Trash traverses hardcore on “ON AND ON,” to drill on “ICE CREAM” and “SCISSORHAND,” to bubblegum pop chorus melodies on “BABY BLUE.” The album also features some exciting names from the contemporary scene, such as emotionals3k, Kuru, Lucy Lohan, and Misaku Foxx, forming the common thread between these young artists and the twisted pop vision Kid Trash had conjured years prior. 

This is all before even mentioning the great tracks Kid Trash has put out over the years. Songs like “EXOTIC,”“SUPERBAD,”“FLIPPHONE,” and “AWKWARD” all show an artist with a special knack for making exciting, genre-fusing pop music. They’ve even dropped more singles (like “SWAG,”“ROCKSTAR,” and “HARD STYLE”) since the release of Scissorhands, never ceasing to churn out catchy, fresh tunes on a dime. Put some respect on Kid Trash’s name.

5. wubz

In a music scene where everybody pitched their vocals up, Alabama artist and producer wubz came up with the simple but brilliant decision to pitch his down. It’s a seemingly small stylistic choice, but the move resulted in an immediately recognizable sound for the emerging artist. Taking from emo music and artists like nothing, nowhere, a typical wubz song might find a Midwestern emo guitar lick overlaid by the artist’s melodic crooning, dark lyrics, and pounding, distorted beats. Songs like “cursed,” “security,” “mania,” and “ruin” all follow that formula--and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t work every time. “Cursed” in particular blends those elements exquisitely, with each disjointed sonic choice coming together to help convey the artistic enigma known as wubz. The track--with its somber guitar, emotional but immensely sticky melodies, and thumping trap beat--might lead you to believe it should contain typical emo-trap musings of lost love, depression, and social alienation. But the reality of the song is much more violent: “Hating ass motherfuckers not stopping/Wanted smoke, but he on the ground coughing,” wubz spits, leaving nothing to the imagination.

For an artist working within these aesthetic tropes, and as someone who preaches the beauty of friendship within this scene, such lyrical content might be surprising. But it’s that balancing act—where he conjures questions of fantasy vs. reality, pursues unexpected creative choices, and cultivates an anonymous public image—that makes wubz such an intriguing figure in the Hyperpop scene. That’s not to say he doesn’t have darker sounding material to match the rest of his artistic persona; his evil EP is suitably murky and his earlier work is akin to aggressive mid-2010s Soundcloud rap. But it is to say that wubz will consistently keep you on your toes--I’m sure he’d want it no other way.

4. Juno

Juno is arguably the best artist in the scene right now caught up in the whirl of 2000s nostalgia. Despite not having the deepest discography, the singer has still made a strong impression with their irresistibly catchy melodies and acute execution of pop punk’s past. 

Juno partially formed this sound through a musical chemistry with producer Hallow, with whom they’ve made a number of spectacular tracks. One of their recent collaborations, “never got to kiss you,” may as well be sourced straight from a 2000s teen rom-com, albeit with the pounding kicks and synth tones that loop it in with music from the rest of the Hyperpop scene. Another track, “hero,” is pure ear candy, with pristine vocal layering, gorgeous piano and organ chords, and a dynamic beat that uses folie percussion, pitch-shifting 808s, and distorted kicks. There’s also a small moment in the song’s second verse (where Juno sings, “And you could blame me if you want but you know,” shifting up a key at the very end of the vocal phrase) that gets me every time. It’s a tiny detail, but it represents an acute attention to variation--a quality shared amongst the best of these young artists. 

The streak doesn’t stop there. Juno and Hallow have also collaborated on a few punk-oriented songs, like “obsessed” and “insomnia.” The latter track, which has a fantastic AViT feature and is Juno’s biggest song to date, is a masterclass on utilizing rock and pop-punk tropes within the scene. It has killer guitar licks, a banging beat, and a head-thrashing hook. What more could you ask for? 

Then there’s “nowhere to go,” a collaboration with dltzk. The song, which foregoes transparently synthetic instrumentation, has this moody, hazy guitar riff that resembles shoegaze and post-punk more than it does “Hyperpop.” But that’s the glory of this scene, right? Artists can shift between whatever style they want and still be accepted by their fanbase and peers. It’s talent above genre, and Juno encapsulates that as well as anybody.

3. dltzk

17-year-old artist and producer dltzk is one of the most beloved members of this scene, both from within the newer Digicore crop and across the rest of the Hyperpop spectrum. To explore from the bottom up of dltzk’s Soundcloud is to witness a young artist experimenting with different genres, trying out new things, and honing a unique technique and sound. As a result, they’ve risen through the scene, worked with big names, remixed a song for Alice Longyu Gao, and even created a new genre. That’s pretty impressive stuff. 

dltzk first broke through with the track “if you make music...stop it,” a collaboration with Fraxiom that showed dltzk’s ability to use existing Hyperpop tropes in new and unexpected ways. The song was grand and indicative of the music to come. This year, dltzk released their debut album Teen Week, a definitive piece from the Digicore scene that should act as a model and blueprint for Digicore albums going forward. The project was emotional, cohesive, and ambitious--a catchy electronic pop album with unsparing lyrical content and a perfect document of dltzk’s production and vocal chops. The album cut “52 Blue Mondays” --a widescreen-sounding song with bold instrumental choices and complete disregard for dominant pop conventions--delivers darkly existential lyrics that have resonated with young online music listeners and will surely go down as a defining track from this era. “Homeswitcher,” featuring kmoe, is similarly subversive, combining its blazing, distorted synths and jagged, earth-shattering drums with an irresistible pop hook. 

Hyperpop isn’t dead, and I’m not sure it ever will be. Its core, pop-bending characteristics will remain, even as the sound changes and new audiences arise. Digicore, with its pervasive themes of social alienation and constant destruction of genre and aesthetic barriers, is the contemporary Hyperpop movement perfect for these online kids. And dltzk is the perfect person to help spearhead it.

2. Rosesleeves

Much of the music from this scene is visceral, immediate, and in-your-face. But the U.K. artist and producer Rosesleeves has paved the ground for a shakeup to that standard maximalist pop formula. The Sewerbratz-founder has crafted a sound that distorts familiar aesthetic tropes from the Hyperpop scene by stretching and burying them, resulting in a recognizable aesthetic full of negative space for the listener to envelop themselves inside. 

While Rosesleeves’ early songs (like “Nothing'' with Ezekiel) already incorporated a palette of intense, spacious reverb, it was on his debut album, 9920Deadline, that he found his unique sound by nurturing a combination of indie rock, R&B, and electronic production with that signature ghostly atmosphere. Songs like “Left Hand'' and “Aches” are delicate, fusing spacey acoustic guitar with Roseleeves’ wispy vocals and ambient instrumental backdrops. “Holding On” is a harrowing track, kicking off with waves of fuzzy distortion, building slowly with synth tones and added drum rhythms. The song then releases with agony: “I don’t know why I can’t let go of the past,” Rosesleeves strains over pounding 808s. Very few artists from the scene have been able to master a similar sense of tone and pace. Roseleeves’ newer singles like “Growing Pains” and “Alphabet” offer more of this dreamy, subtle, deconstructed pop and R&B--a barebones style infused with fluttering electronics and floating vocal melodies. While most others go full-throttle, Rosesleeves stands out by showing restraint.

Rosesleeves has displayed an ambitious artistry and vision for a 17-year-old musician--an acute representation of the pervasive talent amongst these young artists, and the potential of where they will take the music industry next.

1. trndytrndy 

The first time I heard trndytrndy’s “funny song” on Soundcloud, I became immediately obsessed. The track combines everything I love about this scene’s music and executes those elements to perfection, fusing abrasive sound design with intensely chopped up rhythms, a pounding metallic drum beat, and a deeply emotional synth chord progression and vocal sample. By combining those elements together, trndytrndy crafts a song that, even amidst its absurd, industrial maximalism, will have you bobbing your head and reveling in a sea of emotional pop catharsis--all while still recognizing the semi-ironic and “funny” nature of such a combination. SOPHIE would be proud. 

But what makes trndytrndy truly special is that they match their transfixing production skills with impeccable melodic songwriting. Their song "minimal beat" combines the relative simplicity of thumping 808s, stuttering high-hats, and hazy, mesmerizing synth layers with a sticky central vocal melody. "Won't you tell me what I'm doing wrong," they belt, extending that last word through multiple key shifts. trndytrndy then pulls out all the stops with a head spinning trance deconstruction for the final 20 seconds of the track. Very few artists in music, let alone in Hyperpop, can put you through such an emotional rollercoaster in under two minutes. Then you have a track like "its out 4 u," which eases in with this harrowing, gothic synth melody before dropping into a killer beat and some gory lyrics: "Tear my eyes out, spill my blood on the pavement/Painted, only in the name of defacement.” Spooky. 

The song “gay nightcore” then turns up the saccharine emotion to eleven. It’s a track full of yearning lyrics with a glossy hook of rotating, lasery synth leads, booming bass, and a propulsive drum and bass rhythm. Once again, trndytrndy is incredible at taking sugary pop elements and fusing them with layers of infectious, electronic madness. trndytrndy’s recent EP, songs3, however, mostly veers away from pop music towards purely experimental electronic instrumentals (much like trndytrndy’s first EP, songs1). The track “wifi” starts with industrial, MIDI sound design before transitioning into bubbly vaporwave. “poop collapse” (lmao) shares a similar formula, until its vaporwave section breaks down into a dariacore-esque instrumental (thanks leroy!) with the only trndytrndy verse on the EP. “Collapse my brain, fragment to thousands of pieces/Cause I think that I’m wrong, but nothing seems to say so,” they sing, flexing their poetic lyricism. 

Hyperpop as a music community, not as the emerging genre being absorbed by major labels as we speak, persistently seeks out the unexpected. And trndytrndy thrives in musical ideas that you wouldn’t expect. They shift genres at a moment’s notice, throwing unconventional noises in random places and cultivating originality within established ideas (and, indeed, others’ recorded songs). They do all of that while managing to find nitches in their experiments to weasel in a catchy-ass pop tune. Not to mention their solo music, as of now, cannot be found on any major DSP. 

That’s Hyperpop. That’s internet music.

Written By Noah Simon