Hyperpop and Archiving Trans Expression

[geodebiome]

[sleepysaplingz]

only transfems make good hyperpop I'm sorry I don't make the rules

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

“New world order No more gods, only SOPHIE Y'all know God is trans So let's pray to her and stream Trophy Tonight let's do shit that gets us in cringe comps Make some new behaviors that straight people will infringe on”

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

Food House

Food House is a duo made up of artists Gupi and Fraxiom. Their duo project Food House is made up of energetic bass boosted songs that have absurd, entertaining lyrics like “But I feel like Crazy Frog no amphibian.” Alongside these silly internet referencing lyrics, many of Food House’s songs have lyrics that reference gender and experiences of dysphoria, as well as heartfelt lyrics like “One day I really hope that you learn how to be yourself.” Food House’s entertaining and strange lyrics alongside political messages about gender and transness create a fun listening environment where expression of queerness is silly and enjoyable and listeners can relate to the message while also laughing at the playfulness of it all.

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

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).

Works Cited: 

Sengwe, Stephanie. “Everything to Know about Kim Petras, the First Trans Woman to Win a Grammy for Best Pop Group/Duo Performance.” Peoplemag, PEOPLE, 7 Feb. 2023, https://people.com/music/kim-petras-everything-to-know/.

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

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.

Works Cited:

https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmusic/comments/jygmhv/blackbrown_artists_trans_artists_and_the/

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

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.

West, Tori. “Dorian Electra Interviewed by Rebecca Black - Bricks Magazine.” BRICKS Magazine - If You Have a Voice, Use It., 18 Dec. 2020, https://bricksmagazine.co.uk/2020/12/18/dorian-electra-interviewed-by-rebecca-black/.

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

“My face is the front of shop My face is the real shop front My shop is the face I front I'm real when I shop my faceArtificial bloom Hydroponic skin Chemical release Synthesise the real Plastic surgery Social dialect Positive results Documents of life“

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

“Man to man, hand to hand One on one, friend to friend Are you man enough to soften up? Are you tough enough to open up?”

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

“My agenda My freaky gender Out here flexing in my Rainbow suspenders My agenda Will infect ya Out to getcha”

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

comments on Dorian Electra’s “My Agenda”

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

comments from Food House’s “mos thoser”

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

comments on Laura Les’ “how to dress as human”

[teathattast]

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

“How to dress as human? What, like a skirt and like, some heels? Now I look stupid Is this how every human feels? Better go with Vans I'm never gonna pass”

[hyperpopqueerarchives]

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.

Steven J. Horowitz, Michelle Groskopf. “This Is Your Brain on 100 Gecs.” Pitchfork, 7 Sept. 2021, https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/100-gecs-interview-new-album-10000-gecs/.