Clairo, Still Woozy, and the rise of Lo-Fi music
A combination of meandering beats, breathy vocals and a spattering of smooth ʼ80s synth has pervaded the music industry as of late, carving out a new musical niche: Lo-Fi.
The concept of Lo-Fi, derived from “Lo-Fidelity,” evolved in the 1980s to characterize indie music that intentionally uses musical “slips,” like grainy record crackles and misplaced musical notes. The style has ballooned in popularity in recent years, its individualistic design appealing to the younger generation.
One clear emblem of the Lo-Fi’s ascent is 21-year-old college student Clairo. The singer unveiled Pretty Girl in 2017, a song she made on Garageband on her laptop. The song was accompanied by a casual, unrefined music video posted on YouTube, in which Clairo sits with earbuds in her ears, mouthing along to the song. The Lo-Fi video went viral, currently sitting at 45 million views. This prompted a flurry of professional development, with the singer now going on tour with her new album, Immunity.
While Clairo’s new music is now enhanced with the professional expertise of a recording studio, she has retained an aura of organic individuality. Her soft voice blankets an array of instrumental and synth sounds, continuing the DIY aesthetic. This organic ethos continues to draw a vast audience, as listeners seek alternatives to contrived pop.
Music artist Still Woozy parallels Clairo’s rise in popularity. The alias, indicative of his hazy music style, Still Woozy represents Sven Gamsky, a mettlesome musician who recently pierced through obscurity. He attributes his success to the internet, as the platform has projected his home-made music videos, like Goodie Bag (lying at 4.5 million views on YouTube). Gamsky composes his undulating music in his garage in Oakland, evading any sort of professional glazing.
Still Woozy and Clairo’s growth is mirrored by several other artists. Girl in Red’s ethereal We Fell in Love in October has erupted in popularity, its sound flourishing on TikTok. Even Billie Eilish began her career by publishing the Lo-Fi-esque Ocean Eyes on SoundCloud, a music service congested with Lo-Fi artists seeking a breakout hit.
In response to the expansion of Lo-Fi, a plethora of YouTube accounts compile soothing and languid Lo-Fi songs, posting them in hour-long videos. The videos are marketed as studying agents for students, attracting younger listeners.
The immense growth of Lo-Fi seems to represent a grassroots subversion of the canned pop industry. The genre is experimental and individualistic, as each Lo-Fi artist creates their own twist, or flavor, for their music. The music feels raw, an intimate outpouring of emotion and thoughts. The selection of psychedelic sounds bind the artists’ soft voices to an incantatory anchor of speechless expression. The craft is individualized, a musical enclave of nuanced artistry.
Why did the genre begin to flourish now though? It appears to be the workings of the new, idealistic generation. Online sites and social media have made it easier to find communities with the same outlook as yourself, validating your interests and affinities. This development promotes heterodoxy and dissimilarity, propelling the youth towards the experimentalism and individualism, which is exactly what Lo-Fi engenders.
This musical era of self-assured individualism has produced a torrent of Lo-Fi content, while influencing other genres as well. This is most prominent in pop music, with singers like Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and Selena Gomez delving into more soulful and experimental musical styles. It has become clear that Lo-Fi has ushered in a new period of music: a fertile refuge for individualism and innovation and an escape from the confines of conformity.