Hyperpop
Hyperpop is an electronic music microgenre and cultural movement that originated in the United Kingdom during the early 2010s, primarily through the experimental output of the PC Music label founded by producer A.G. Cook in 2013.[1][2] It is defined by a maximalist deconstruction of pop music conventions, employing exaggerated production techniques such as heavy Auto-Tune on vocals, distorted and glitchy synths, breakbeats, and rapid fusions of genres including EDM, hip-hop, and bubblegum bass to create hyperkinetic, abrasive soundscapes that mirror the intensity of internet-age digital chaos.[3][4] Pioneering figures like SOPHIE, whose innovative work with Charli XCX and others emphasized futuristic, plasticine textures and emotional futurism, laid foundational sonic elements that influenced the genre's avant-garde edge.[5] The duo 100 gecs emerged as frontrunners in 2019 with their debut album 1000 gecs, blending nu-metal riffs, trance, and nightcore into chaotic yet hook-driven tracks that propelled hyperpop from niche online communities to critical recognition and major label deals.[4] Charli XCX's integration of hyperpop aesthetics into her mainstream pop trajectory, particularly via pandemic-era releases like How I'm Feeling Now, demonstrated the genre's potential for crossover appeal while highlighting its roots in collaborative, internet-facilitated experimentation.[3] Though popularized broadly by a 2019 Spotify playlist that aggregated its disparate strains, hyperpop's organic development predates such algorithmic curation, stemming from SoundCloud-era producers pushing pop toward absurdity and excess.[6] By the early 2020s, it evolved into substyles like digicore during COVID-19 lockdowns, fostering viral TikTok anthems and teen-led collectives, but has since fragmented as artists pivot to other forms amid major-label assimilation and the label's own archival shift post-2023.[3] This trajectory underscores hyperpop's defining trait: a transient, meme-infused rebellion against polished commercial pop, prioritizing sensory overload and genre fluidity over longevity.[4]