Vaporwave, a genre of music and overall aesthetic that exploded in popularity in the early 2010s, seems to be dying. But what does the data say? Let’s take a look.
Table of Contents
What is Vaporwave?
Vaporwave is a musical genre and an aesthetic that emerged in the early 2010s. It’s characterized by its use of nostalgia-inducing elements like 80s and 90s synthesizer music, corporate logos, and retro graphics.
The Origins of Vaporwave
Vaporwave originated in the early 2010s as a response to the growing commercialization of the internet.
Artists began to appropriate corporate logos and images, as well as sampling 80s and 90s pop music, in an attempt to create a feeling of nostalgia.
The commercialization of the internet has only increased since then, and vaporwave seems to be dying as a result. In the past year, there have been fewer vaporwave releases, and the genre’s biggest stars have moved on to other things.
What Does the Data Say?
The data seems to confirm that vaporwave is dying.
In the past year, there have been fewer vaporwave releases, and the genre’s biggest stars have moved on to other things.
When we look at the Google Trends, data we see that less and less people have been searching for vaporwave since 2016-2017:
It’s possible that vaporwave will make a comeback, but it seems unlikely. The genre was created in response to the commercialization of the internet, and that trend has only continued.
As the internet becomes more and more commercialized, it’s possible that vaporwave will become nothing more than a footnote in musical history.
When Did Vaporwave Die?
Looking at the data, we can say that vaporwave and the interest to learn more about it started declining around 2016.
Is Still Vaporwave Still Relevant?
The answer to this question is complicated. On the one hand, vaporwave is clearly dying. But on the other hand, the genre has exerted a significant influence on music and culture in the past few years.
It’s possible that vaporwave will make a comeback, but it seems unlikely.
Final Remarks
In conclusion, it seems that vaporwave is indeed dead. The data supports this claim, and the genre’s origins make a revival unlikely.
That being said, vaporwave has had a significant impact on music and culture, and it will be interesting to see what comes next.
Nate’s first ever major EDM event was Hard Summer in 2016. After hearing Porter Robinson close out the festival, he’s been attending live shows on a consistent basis. His favorite EDM genres are currently trance, drum and bass, and house.
