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Bedroom Pop | Izzy Ster
Bedroom Pop
By Izzy Ster
Meet the new generation of music: Bedroom Pop. Characterized its dreamy beats and lo-fi (low fidelity: music defined by harmonic distortions) qualities and introspective lyrics, Bedroom Pop began gaining popularity in the 2010s, first being labelled as “a spurious genre” and “fuzzy.” Naturally, the growing prevalence of streaming music on online platforms such as Spotify or Apple Music has helped foster the rise of this genre. Notable for its D.I.Y. qualities, many artists teach themselves how to make music, how to record, and how to build a fanbase, all from the safety of their bedrooms.
Bedroom Pop is typically characterized by its minimalism, but due to the flexibility of production, many songs show artists’ individual style or even incorporate other genres such as Lo-Fi, Psychedelic, or Indie. An example of this minimalism is portrayed in the virality of staple Bedroom Pop artist Clairo. In her music video for her song “Pretty Girl,” the video features Clairo in baggy clothing, wearing headphones, and simply lip-synching to her lyrics. The video took half an hour to make, had no budget, and was made in Clairo’s bedroom; nevertheless, it raked in over 39 million views on Youtube.
Other front-runners of Bedroom Pop, besides Clairo, include artists such as Still Woozy (“Habit”), boy pablo (Dance, Baby!”), Omar Apollo (“Ugotme”), Gus Dapperton (Prune, You Talk Funny”), Steve Lacy (“Dark Red”), Rex Orange County (“Sunflower”), Mac DeMarco (“Still Beating”), SALES (“Chinese New Year”), Cuco (“Lover Is a Day”), and Banes World (“You Say I’m in Love).
So, why is it popular? Perhaps this kind of music serves to prove that these artists, who are often young adults, show that truly anyone can pursue their passions, despite financial strains. Another possibility is the prominence of social media platforms, such as Instagram and Tik Tok, in which users are on the constant prowl for dreamy beats to add to their videos. Furthermore, many students are swapping out the traditional classical music background noise for studying with Lo-Fi beats.
It seems that old drum sets and garage practices are being replaced by home-recording software and late-night production sessions. Make sure to keep a look out for these up-and-coming artists and add some of their songs to your playlist.
Sources:
http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4148637-the-dis-class-of-2015-new-music-mixtape