As social media and streaming platforms become more common than ever in society, many new music genres are rising to the surface. A new genre, “bedroom pop,” is becoming more popular with teens and young adults. This genre includes independent artists and a new sound. 

Because of the rise of the internet in general, music has become more accessible to anyone. More people own phones and have internet access than ever. Prior to this, it was difficult for independent artists to make a name for themselves, whereas now, new artists, songs and genres can be found at the push of a button. “Bedroom pop” is the result of the accessibility that has been granted to recent generations: it is a byproduct of how the internet has affected music, and although many like the new sound, some feel that it has made artists lazier (Smith).

 “Artists have started quickly putting out any material that will satisfy the majority of their fans rather than taking the time to compose creative masterpieces,” junior Ben Hostetter said.

Until recently, smaller subgenres are short-lived and fail to make an impact on music as a whole. “Bedroom pop” is an innovative and expanding spectrum of music styles. For example, “bedroom pop” artist Clairo released her song “Pretty Girl” on Youtube. This is where she got her big break, with a song that lacked a polished sound, which helped young people feel like they could relate to Clairo. 

“Artists are able to put themselves out there more and let people know what they’re about and connect with fans,” freshman Lilly Hackworth said.

 Her songs soon gained enough traction for Spotify to begin a playlist with other independent artists who had a similar sound. This playlist was titled “bedroom pop,” and helped to kickstart the new genre (Smith). 

Many of the “bedroom pop” artists gain popularity from their ability to be relatable to other young people. With new technology and social media, almost anyone can create music and post it for the world to see, so the listeners feel like the artists are more authentic. The algorithm on Youtube and other music apps are influential and unpredictable forces used to promote these unheard of artists.

 “More people have access to different music, making other unique types of music more popular,” freshman Morgan Puszcar said.

The success of “bedroom pop” would not be possible without the accessibility created by the internet and modern technology. Anyone can make it big regardless of status or wealth, and this idea is just part of the reason why the genre has so many listeners.

All factual information in the article derived from Ethen Smith’s article, “The Ever-Changing Interest of Millennials Encourages the Rise of ‘Bedroom Pop’.”