Bedroom pop is a subgenre of Indie Pop that emerged in The New '10s, characterized by minimalistic production, breathy vocals, and personal, confessional lyrics, often (but not always) performed by young, female artists. It gets its name from its DIY aesthetic, as it often sounds as if the artist recorded the music in their bedroom — and quite a few of these artists do record in their bedrooms.
The term "bedroom pop" is a broad term that has been applied to several different movements within alternative pop, but its most popular use is for a specific genre that grew out of Dream Pop artists such as Lana Del Rey and the rise of streaming and social media platforms such as SoundCloud and TikTok in The New '10s. Lorde is often seen as the Trope Maker; her 2013 album Pure Heroine was released when she was sixteen, and was praised for its unconventionally minimal production and lyrics about teenage life and the over-decadence of mainstream popular culture. Later, in 2017, 15-year-old Billie Eilish released her EP dont smile at me, paving the way for the genre's further push into the mainstream, further helped by the success of her album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? and its single "bad guy". Another important moment for the genre was in 2021, when Olivia Rodrigo's song "drivers license" broke the record for the most streams in a single day for a non-holiday song.
Artists often categorized as bedroom pop:
- Alex G
- Arlo Parks
- Joshua Bassett
- beabadoobee
- Cavetown
- Chloe Moriondo
- Clairo
- Claud
- Lana Del Rey (not often categorized as this, but seen as a precursor and often cited as an influence on the genre)
- Dodie
- Billie Eilish (the Trope Codifier)
- Liana Flores
- girl in red (also categorized as Alternative Rock)
- James Alynes
- Left at London
- Lorde (the Trope Maker)
- Mac DeMarco (another early influence on the genre)
- Melanie Martinez
- Tate Mc Rae
- mxmtoon
- PinkPantheress (combined with Drum and Bass, Indie Pop and Hyperpop)
- Ritt Momney
- Olivia Rodrigo (combined with Pop Punk)
- Sidney Gish
- Soccer Mommy
- 2016 - for young hearts
- 2017 - Collection
- Jack Stauber
