#hyperop

Note for SAE: This blog was written for assessment based on the module guide instructions, not the formal instructions as discussed with Toby Wren

“Folk music is any style of music which represents a community and can be sung or played by people who may or may not be trained musicians, using the instruments available to them.” (Ruehl, 2019)

“This is popular culture as folk culture: a culture of the people for the people.” (Storey, 2014)

If you played the word association game with one-hundred fans of music and gave them the words “folk” and “hyperpop” respectively I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would associate one with the other immediately. In the 20th and 21st century folk became a term used to describe any mainstream music that wasn’t rock or later ‘pop’. In play lists now it is often coupled with the words “indie” or “acoustic” or “chilled”. But the roots of the folk tradition lie in music that was popular because it was shareable, it was a group experience that was easy to participate in.We see that folk music is still popular now with the sea shanty trend becoming a massive thing on tik tok. 

 With so many people spending more time on the internet for entertainment, information and communication there has been a rise of ‘sub-cultures’ or new communities bonded by shared experience, taste or interest. (Bennet, 2014) It is from these emerging communities that hyperpop grows and develops as folk sound of a generation. Hyperpop as a genre has its roots in the soundcloud community, being used as a term in the nightcore remix scene. (Enis, 2020) One of the things that makes hyperpop so unique is that while it serves as a genre tag, what that tag can mean is extraordinarily broad. In an interview one half of hyperpop taste makers 100gecs said that for them, certain Brittany Spears songs could go on a Hyperpop playlist. (Patel, 2020) In the same interview the interviewer described hyperpop as a stacking of multiple genres at their peak, extremely relatable, nostalgic and hooky. (ibid.)

I think the strongest thing that ties hyperpop to the folk tradition is it’s use of popular culture references in its production. Looking at a list of samples used by 100gecs (whosampled, n.d.) there are so many well known elements like minecraft sounds, Drake songs, Alt rock from the mid 2000s, a funk and soul instrumental from the 60s, anime sounds, the list of references covers all parts of pop culture in a way that is so reflective of the ‘gen z’/‘zoomer’ mentality. Now with unprecedented access to media from throughout space and time the current internet culture is a global one with references from as early as recorded media and as recent as when you are reading this. Additionally, with the internet and forums and message boards dedicated to the collection and distribution of samples and sounds, any producer with a DAW, a couple hours on YouTube and an idea could take the same samples and use them in a completely different way, using the same elements to express a completely new and unique perspective.

Underlying this is another element of the folk tradition that works to hold the music together, that is the recognisable form. While in the folk tradition songs were structured around easy to remember lyrics, stories and simple melodies and were typically short and repeatable (Nettl, 2007) the way we consume music has changed. Since 1949 and the birth of the 45 for music to be playable on the radio it needs to be around three and a half minuets long (McKinney, 2015) and will probably be in verse chorus form, with a catchy chorus that will be rememberable. (Bell, n.d.). Within these forms there are many other features we come to expect from pop music, a standard kick on the 1 and 3, snare on the 2 and 4, predominantly major tonalities and harmonically diatonic, although this is becoming less common. So, while hyperpop is a combination of many sounds, those sounds are organised and recognisable and fit in a form that we understand.

Another element that places the genre firmly in the folk tradition is that it is a real expression. This conclusion is based on the definition of folk music being made by and for the people. (Storey, 2014) My initial response to the genre when I discovered it through memes was to write it off. As a ‘smart musician’ I looked down on it because I thought it was like just eating cake not a balanced diet. I was living with the self-imposed idea that making art had to be hard and complex and that using extended harmony and using incredible metaphors made me better than other musicians. I was wrong for so many reasons. Firstly, when I approached the genre with no social or class based bias, I began to understand. Just because something is the obvious choice doesn’t mean it’s the wrong one. Pop music is popular for a reason, particularly music that is made with the intention of dancing or partying there are rhythms and patterns that are tried and true. And second, I discovered that underneath all the ‘hyper’ tonality were real stories and emotions and experiences that felt so real and human in contrast to their setting. Hyperpop being such a broad umbrella means that it is the place where people who don’t fit neatly into other genres or scenes can feel connected. When asked what they view their role as leaders of the genre was 100gecs replied with promoting accessibility within the genre, for people who are underappreciated but making the music they like to have and audience and a community. (Patel, 2020) In my listening to hyperpop playlists and artists recommended to my by my friends I have heard songs on topics ranging from love, heartbreak, feeling great about yourself, hating yourself, being high, being sober, loving both of those things, making food, walking a dog, being angry at someone. If there is an experience to be expressed, you can express it in hyperpop.

Side note: I think that the use of autotune and heavy vocal distortions lowers the barrier to entry, now artists can use their voice as an instrument when in the traditional way of thinking about singing they weren’t deemed ‘good enough’

In the same way there are no real rules to sing a folk song in a pub or with your family, there are no real rules about writing hyperpop, the music can be coupled with every emotion and serves to take it to the extreme.

The last tie that holds hyperpop in the folk tradition is the way it is spread. While folk would traditionally be passed from family member to family member or friend to friend, often learned through doing. Hyperpop found it’s rise in meme culture of the internet. 100gecs gained most of their mainstream notoriety through being shared in a facebook music meme group, where internet reviewer and indie taste setter Anthony Fantano found them and gave them a review on his channel leading to millions of people discovering the music. Beyond this, the band’s image is incredibly well tailored to the zoomer, ‘possitive nihilistic’, ‘nothing matters lets party’ mentality, presenting as both over and underproduced, low-fi, oversaturated and almost intentionally bad. This makes it captivating and almost funny to audiences. The band have spoken against this, saying they’re not trying to be ironic but rather just having fun (Mylrea, 2020). But whether or not the easily memeable nature of the music is intentional or not, it is undeniable to say that it means the music is spread and heard on a much wider basis than it would have otherwise.

Hyperpop will probably never be widely called ‘folk music’ but I think that there are enough similarities that the argument is there to be made. Hyperpop as a genre shares its use of recognisable elements from the new ‘internet culture’ that are controlled in a recognisable form, its use of real and relatable expression and the way it is spread through our new community meeting places with the traditional folk tradition, making it the latest in a long list of music sub-genres to be for the people, from the people.

References:

Bell, E. (n.d.). Anatomy of a Song: The Three Most Common Song Forms. Musical-U. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/anatomy-of-a-song-the-three-most-common-song-forms/

Bennet, A. (2014). Youth Culture and the Internet: A subcultural or post-subcultural phenomena? In W. Osgerby (Ed.), Subcultures, Popular Music and Social Change. Cambridge Scholars. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/sae/reader.action?docID=1790933

Nettl, B. (2020, December 3). Folk music. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/folk-music

McKinney, K. (2015, Jan 30). A hit song is usually 3 to 5 minuets long. Here’s why. Vox. https://www.vox.com/2014/8/18/6003271/why-are-songs-3-minutes-long

Mylrea, H. (2020, July 10). 100 Gecs: “People think we’ve staked our entire career on the fact that we can be ironic”. NME. https://www.nme.com/en_au/features/music-interviews/100-gecs-interview-1000-gecs-and-the-tree-of-clues-charli-xcx-pc-music-minecraft-2706029

Patel, P. (Interviewer). (2020, November). Pitchfork Review: 100 Gecs and the Mystery of Hyperpop. [Audio Podcast]. Get Wired. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1UnB4gNxTsInfjur0iVXEP?si=NXGfknGtTqSId4z-XhKNeg&dl_branch=1