Hyperpop and Archiving Trans Expression

Food House

Kim Petras

Kim Petras is a German singer and songwriter in the pop and electronic genre. Petras may arguably be the most well-known trans artist in this musical genre, after winning a Grammy in 2023 for “Best Pop Group/Duo Performance.”  Kim Petras’ achievement of this award made her the first openly trans woman to win a Grammy in history. She also won this award alongside non-binary artist Sam Smith. While Petras might not be associated with the hyperpop community as strongly as other artists, her electronic dance-pop music falls under the umbrella and her successes are celebrated by LGTBQ+ people who enjoy the genre. When accepting her award, Petras noted that she wanted “to thank the incredible transgender legends before [her] who kicked these doors open so [she] could be here” (People Magazine).

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While the artists listed on this blog so far are positive examples of successful trans and gender nonconforming musicians in the hyperpop genre, it is important to note that the most famous musicians in this genre are white. When searching for artists in this genre that are non-white, their names usually show up on pages like Reddit rather than sites like Wikipedia or Paper Magazine. While these artists still exist in the online community and are still loved by avid fans of the genre, it is important to acknowledge that white artists are reaping most of the benefits and becoming the most successful.

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Dorian Electra. 

Dorian Electra is a singer and songwriter in the experimental/hyperpop genre of music. Dorian Electra identifies as gender fluid, and many lyrics from their songs discuss gender and expression in sometimes earnest, and sometimes comedic ways. They have released two studio albums, titled “Flamboyant” and “My Agenda” both with catchy tracks in which they play characters that mess with the binaries of gender. When discussing their gender Dorian Electra describes that they are “’not a woman dressing as a man, it’s so much more complex than that’ – nor do they feel like a man all the time. ‘When I came across ‘gender fluid’, I was like: that term actually really resonates with me,’ they say. ‘But the core of my being is not gendered at all – even ‘gender fluid’ is a form of identity that can put somebody in a box’” (The Guardian).

Works Cited:

Beaumont-Thomas, Ben. “Pop Sensation Dorian Electra: 'I'm Not a Woman Dressing as a Man. It's More Complex'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12 July 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jul/12/pop-sensation-dorian-electra-im-not-a-woman-dressing-as-a-man-its-more-complex.

100 gecs.

100 gecs is a electronic duo made up of members Laura Les and Dylan Brady. Through their releases of albums 1000 gecs and 10,000 gecs, the duo have collected a fan base highly attuned to their loud and experimental sound with lyrics that can be described as “extremely online.” Their sound is influenced by many genres, including ska, metal, and dubstep. One aspect of the appeal to their music is that it is unapologetically itself. The artists describe that their music isn’t intended to be ironic, or a commentary on anything, but rather an expression of their genuine interest in music. Band member Laura Les is a transgender woman, with songs such as “how to dress as human” commenting on the anxieties she experiences trying to dress herself while being trans. Les also describes how the vocal modulation used in Hyperpop genres allowed her to escape feelings of dysphoria surrounding her voice, stating “It's the only way that I can record, I can’t listen to my regular voice, usually... From the first time I tried it, it sounded amazing to me. I was like, ‘I'm never doing anything else.”

Works Cited: 

Kim, Michelle Hyun. “Meet 100 Gecs, the Absurdist Pop Duo Inspired by Everything on the Internet.” Them, 16 Jan. 2020, https://www.them.us/story/100-gecs-interview-dylan-brady-laura-les.