Due to the popularisation of home recording studios, a new sound has been on the rise in the music industry for the last decade or so. With the advancement in digital tools and technology, one can record and release tracks on the internet all in the same week.
This has paved a way to an entirely new genre of music called Bedroom Pop - which is also known as DIY music. In a typical bedroom pop track, you can usually hear influences of lo-fi music accompanied by soft, dreamy vocals. The Bedroom Pop music genre has been largely dominated by the younger generation and one can say that it is a result of young, aspiring artists and their way of expressing creativity through music.
It is known that Generation Z (born 1996-2010) has been a huge contributor to the rise of Bedroom Pop. Many people in this age range make music in their bedrooms only with budgeted equipment and self-recording softwares such as GarageBand. For example, American singer-songwriter, Clairo, has been the most prominent face of the Bedroom Pop movement. Her song 'Pretty Girl' has accumulated over 140 million streams on Spotify and 53 million views on Youtube. Check it out below :
Another up-and-coming star of the Bedroom Pop genre is self-produced 22 year-old Omar Banos, known professionally as Cuco. Cuco has been an inspiring figure for young Latinos who can relate closely to his music. His most popular track, "Lo Que Siento" has hints of dreamy and psychedelic pop influences. It is the type of music you would listen to on a car trip with your friends while late at night. Take a listen to one of Cuco's latest releases below :
Beabadoobee and mxmtoon are also two of the frontrunners of the Bedroom Pop movement. 20 year-old Beabadoobee, aka Kristi Laus, has been my personal favourite bedroom pop artist by far. Kristi started gaining recognition and fame when she uploaded a lo-fi love song "Coffee" that she wrote in her home with a secondhand guitar. She soon took off with the release of her album "Space Cadet" which follows a theme of escaping into space to avoid negative emotions. Here is one of her releases from her "Space Cadet" album :
Mxmtoon, aka Maia also has a very similar origin to Kristi. Like Kristi, Maia uploaded her diaristic songs to the internet from the basement of her parent's house. In about two years in, her music has gone viral around social media platforms like Youtube and Twitter. Her heartfelt song 'prom dress' expresses the daily struggles of high school and being a teenager. It is a song many teens can relate to, which quickly became a staple and a must-have in a Bedroom Pop playlist.
As Generation Z continues to change the music industry with its youthful genre, we can expect more personal, intimate and honest songs to take over in the next few years. Not only does this new sound unites young people, but it also invites youth from all around the globe to participate and share their feelings through music. Which is what makes Bedroom Pop so magical - that people can join and bond over a story through music no matter where they are in the world.
Zoe is an avid fan of all kinds of music. Her primary instrument is the guitar but she is always passionately learning how to play other instruments such as the drums and keyboard. She is currently playing the bass guitar in a band and has been routinely involved in music since she was a child.