Lofi hip hop

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lofi hip hop
Other names
  • Chillhop
Stylistic origins
  • Chill-out
  • hip hop
  • downtempo
  • jazz
  • lofi[1]
Cultural originsEarly 2010s
Other topics
  • Lofi Girl

Lofi hip hop (also known as chillhop and lofi beats to study to[2]) is a form of downtempo[3][4] that combines elements of hip hop, chill-out music, and lofi music.[5] It was popularized in the 2010s on YouTube and became an Internet meme.[6]

Origins[]

In 2013, YouTube began hosting live streams, which resulted in 24-hour "radio stations" dedicated to microgenres such as vaporwave,[7] a derivation of chillwave. Compilation videos are also popular, combining the music with visuals that could take the form of recorded pedestrian walks through major cities like Tokyo, looping visuals from cartoons such as The Simpsons or other internet memes.[8] Spotify added to the popular "lo-fi beats" wave by generating "Spotified genres", including "Chill Hits", "Bedroom Pop" playlists, and promoting numerous "chill pop" artists.[3]

In 2017, a form of downtempo music tagged as "chillhop" or "lo-fi hip hop" became popular among YouTube music streamers. By 2018, several of these channels had millions of followers. One DJ, Ryan Celsius, theorized that they were inspired by a nostalgia for the commercial bumpers used by Toonami and Adult Swim in the 2000s, and that this "created a cross section of people that enjoyed both anime and wavy hip-hop beats".[9] These channels equally functioned as chatrooms, with participants often discussing their personal struggles.[10] By 2018, Spotify's "Chill Hits" playlist had 5.4 million listeners and had been growing rapidly.[3]

Nujabes and J Dilla have been referred to as the "godfathers of Lo-Fi Hip Hop".[11] Vice contributor Luke Winkie credited YouTube user Lofi Girl (formerly known as "ChilledCow") as "the person who first featured a studious anime girl as his calling card, which set up the aesthetic framework for the rest of the people operating in the genre" and suggested that "if there is one shared touchstone for lo-fi hip-hop, it's probably [the 2004 MF Doom and Madlib album] Madvillainy".[9]

Reception and legacy[]

[Lofi hip-hop] is what happens when a generation raised on mood-based playlists definitively stops caring about what it listens to. [...] In the new millennium, even background music—like selling out before it—lost all negative connotations.

—Philip Sherburne writing in Pitchfork , 2021[2]

Viewership of lo-fi hip hop streams grew significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] In April 2020, MTV News noted, "there might be something to be said for lo-fi hip-hop's composition, and the way its creators mix simplistic melodies with a judicious use of words to create intense memories, feelings, and nostalgia" and stated that the quarantine in place in various countries "has led people to log more hours online due to boredom or virtual workplaces and schools, and livestreamed music performances are reaching their full potential".[6]

Lo-fi hip hop is modern hiphop instrumentals. Common criticisms of the genre included the music's simplicity and clichéd sound.[12]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ How Lofi Hip-Hop Will Inspire New Music In 2021 - Forbes
  2. ^ a b Sherburne, Philip (October 7, 2021). "25 Microgenres That (Briefly) Defined the Last 25 Years". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 24, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b c Werner, Ann (2020-01-02). "Organizing music, organizing gender: algorithmic culture and Spotify recommendations". Popular Communication. 18 (1): 78–90. doi:10.1080/15405702.2020.1715980. ISSN 1540-5702.
  4. ^ Staff. "Downtempo Music Guide: 5 Popular Downtempo Musical Acts". Masterclass. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  5. ^ Maxwell, Dante (September 20, 2019). "Music Microgenres: A Brief History of Retrowave, Acid House, & Chillhop". Zizacious.
  6. ^ a b Mlnarik, Carson (April 1, 2020). "How Lo-Fi Beats's Nostalgic Comfort Transcended The Memes". MTV News. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  7. ^ Alemoru, Kemi (June 14, 2018). "Inside YouTube's calming 'Lofi Hip Hop Radio to Relax/Study to' community". Dazed Digital.
  8. ^ Coleman, Jonny (May 1, 2015). "Quiz: Is This A Real Genre". Pitchfork.
  9. ^ a b Winkie, Luke (July 13, 2018). "How 'Lofi Hip Hop Radio to Relax/Study to' Became a YouTube Phenomenon". Vice. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Alexander, Julia (April 20, 2020). "Lo-fi beats to quarantine to are booming on YouTube". The Verge.
  11. ^ Cortez, Kevin (April 24, 2018). "YouTube & Chill: A Glimpse Into The World Of Lo-Fi Hip Hop". Genius.
  12. ^ Caraan, Sophie (March 23, 2020). "No One Wants to Claim Lofi Hip-Hop. So Why Is It Still so Popular?". Hype Beast.
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