The rise of Vapourwave, when nostalgia meets the digital age

Emerging in the early 2010s,Vapourwave started as an obscure microgenre of electronic music but quickly evolved into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon. Defined by its dreamy, nostalgic aesthetic, Vapourwave merges retro imagery with futuristic overtones, celebrating consumerism, technology, and pop culture through a lens of surrealism and irony. Its rise speaks to a generation’s longing for the past while grappling with a hyper-digital present.

Musically, Vapourwave is characterised by slowed-down, chopped, and looped samples from 80s and 90s pop songs, elevator music, and smooth jazz. Pioneers like Macintosh Plus, Saint Pepsi, and Blank Banshee infused these tracks with haunting, ethereal qualities that transformed mundane sounds into evocative soundscapes. The genre’s lo-fi, glitchy quality echoes the distortion of memory—familiar yet distant, comforting but unsettling.

The visual aesthetic of Vapourwave is equally iconic. Neon pinks, purples, and blues dominate, often paired with Roman busts, VHS tape distortions, 3D-rendered grids, and Japanese characters. These elements create a digital collage that’s both nostalgic and futuristic, capturing the chaotic beauty of early internet culture. This look has extended beyond album covers to influence fashion, graphic design, and even video game visuals.

Central to Vapourwave’s ethos is its critique of consumer culture. By repurposing commercial music and visuals, the genre both romanticises and satirises late 20th-century capitalism. The sterile optimism of mall music and corporate branding becomes something poetic and melancholic, symbolising both the allure and emptiness of materialism. It’s a bittersweet ode to a bygone era that many only experienced through faded childhood memories or vintage media archives.

While some consider Vapourwave a fleeting internet trend, its impact has been surprisingly enduring. The aesthetic’s influence can be seen in major fashion campaigns, online art galleries, and even mainstream music production. Vapourwave’s DIY spirit has also fostered a tight-knit online community that continues to push the genre’s boundaries.

Ultimately, Vapourwave thrives on the tension between nostalgia and digital innovation. It’s a celebration of memory, technology, and the surreal experience of living in a world that’s both hyper-connected and emotionally fragmented—a fitting soundtrack for the internet age.