HYPERPOP: HOW QUEERNESS SUBVERTED THE POP GENRE

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Prepare yourself for an audio mix of television static and opulence as you descend into the spiral of hyperpop.

Hyperpop as a genre was pioneered by an excessively online generation of queer people utilizing music as a tool of rebellion. The purposely abrasive sound draws on the queer ‘80s ballroom scene and ‘90s club culture as well as the electronic music stylings that flooded the ‘00s. Though not strictly LGBTQ+, the genre is dominated by trans, non-binary, and queer artists.

Unholy – Sam Smith, Kim Petras

Despite the song’s title, Sam Smith and Kim Petras came together to make the holiest of unions. With a synthesizer blazing, the song’s off-kilter hyperpop tendencies make it a great starting point for anyone curious about the genre. This collaboration between two of music’s hottest LGBTQ+ voices sets the stage for Petras to headline the Sydney World Pride 2023 closing concert.

This Hell – Rina Sawayama

This high-energy beat combines dance pop with the glitz of Rina Sawayama’s tremendous voice. This Hell explores the tension between queerness and religion and the trauma associated. The pansexual artist is bold both lyrically and in her sound as she utilizes metal, electro and hip-hop in the unashamed hyperpop banger.

Kiss Me Thru the Phone – That Kid

Kiss Me Thru the Phone offers all the femme glamour any 2000s loving queer could ask for. Utilizing Soulja Boy and Sammie’s original hit, That Kid adds a layer of synth, lip-gloss and speed. The artist’s music video is further filled with quintessential queerness, all from an at-home Mac photo booth shoot.. to the Madonna and Britney VMA kiss that stopped the world.

Friday (Remix) – Rebecca Black

For those who bore witness to Rebecca Black’s initial Friday release, you may remember a 2011 earworm about her love of Friday. The queer artist reclaimed the song that once ‘ruined her life’ by adding hyperpop, glitch-core and camp. The song is an ode to LGBTQ+ resilience, as the artist utilizes the most abrasive of musical stylings to clap back at her haters.

Immaterial – SOPHIE

Since her passing, this beloved artist has been credited with pioneering many of the current hyperpop sounds. Though the chipmunk qualities of SOPHIE’s Immaterial bring joy to her sound, the song explores the realities of bodily transcendence and her trans identity.

Self Destruct (feat. Wuki) – Slayyyter

Slayyyter is the voice of hyperpop’s sexual liberation. Known for her ultra-femme queer musical stylings, Slayyyter takes a darker tone with her song Self Destruct. This song is like taking the lid off bottled stress. All the sounds come rushing in at once; but it brings a sense of peace at the end.

Slumber Party – Ashnikko, Princess Nokia

Both gay in their lyrics and artistry, Slumber Party is the ultimate women-loving-women celebration. Bringing the usual high-speed and high-pitched sounds of hyperpop, this song oozes femme sexuality.

Ringtone (Remix) (feat. Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, Kero Kero Bonito) – 100 gecs

Featuring some of the biggest names in hyperpop, this remix of Ringtone brings glitch and glamour. If you want one song that encapsulates the art form: this is it. The bubblegum pop elements brought by Charli XCX and Rico Nasty mix well with Kero Kero Bonito’s use of bass. Everything about this song delivers queerness including the array of LGBTQ+ artists.

Ram It Down (feat. Mood Killer, Lil Mariko & Lil Texas) – Dorian Electra

Dorian Electra is known for their experimental music and gender-bending fashion. Dorian has described Ram It Down as an exploration of a ‘crisis in masculinity’. Utilizing electronica and some seriously dramatic synth, the song builds into screaming chaos; cut through only by the entrancing beat.

mos thoser – food house, Gupi, Fraxiom

This is quintessential queer hyperpop. Featuring Crazy Frog samples and a police voicemail about the artist’s behaviour, the abrasive song rebels against the concept of music itself. Love it or hate it, you will never get this bouncy ball out of your head.