Hyperpop has always been accused of being too much, and that accusation is exactly the point. The genre takes the sugar rush of chart pop and turns every dial past the red line until the speakers start to sound like they are laughing.
Listen closely to any of the big tracks and you will hear the same trick: a vocal pushed up a few semitones, stacked three times and then sliced into a hook so short it feels like a notification sound. It should be annoying. Instead it is the catchiest thing on the playlist.
Where the Sound Is Going
What changed over the last few years is who is making it. The first wave came out of a handful of bedroom studios. Now there are producers in every city remixing each other within hours of a release, and the sound moves faster than any label can sign it.
- Sudden genre switches mid-track
- Lyrics that read like group chats
- Vocals pitched up and doubled
- Drums that clip on purpose
If it does not make your ears ring a little, turn it up until it does.
The next step is already visible in the smaller shows, where artists are mixing in club rhythms, emo guitars and even field recordings. It still sounds like hyperpop, but it no longer sounds like one thing.
Great write-up. I was at this one too and you captured the energy perfectly.
Great write-up. I was at this one too and you captured the energy perfectly.