I first discovered the vaporwave genre in 2020 in seventh grade through Spotify recommendations. Home’s “Resonance” and Macintosh Plus’ track “420” were the first songs I remember listening to.
At the time, I barely understood what the genre was, but it felt different — it was immersive and instantly captivation.
My main method of discovering these songs was Spotify’s discover weekly playlist. So almost every week I was finding something new, yet the core of the sound always stayed familiar.
As I explored further, I found tons of different artists that I began to enjoy. Melonade, Desired, Fibre, Macross 82-99, Luxury Elite, Surfing, Windows 96, Tupperwave, Eagle Eyed Tiger and Whitewoods became staples in my rotation.
George Clanton and his project Esprit also became a constant presence. Clanton’s track “Warmpop” has blown up recently on TikTok, but I was listening to it years before it gained that popularity.
Watching it reappear online in such a big way made me realize how long I’ve been connected to this genre and how its impact changes with every new wave of listeners.
Exploring vaporwave naturally led me to sub-genres like future funk, which Macross 82-99 and Melonade would fall into. The upbeat, funky rhythms feel very similar to typical vaporwave sounds but are different enough to be a new experience.
These songs added a brighter layer to what I was already enjoying and gave me more variety to dive into.
These artists shaped not just what I listen to, but how I approach music overall, from the type of sound I seek to the visual and stylistic cues that surround the tracks.
The more I listened, the more I realized how much the atmosphere of a song mattered to me. It became less about genre boundaries and more about finding music that created a certain feeling.
What draws me to vaporwave and its offshoots is the aesthetic as much as the music. The 1980s and 1990s influences, the glitchy visuals, the neon pastels and retro-futuristic vibes have shaped the media I consume, how I present myself online and even influenced choices like my car.
There is something satisfying about connecting the style of the music to the style of the world around it and seeing how the two feed into each other.
Though some might say vaporwave is dead, I find its niche status to be a strength. Artists are still releasing music, and the genre persists quietly, which is meaningful on a personal level. Its influence endures not because of mainstream attention but because of the connections listeners have formed with it over time.
Five years into my experience, it remains a central part of my musical identity. The genre itself is over a decade old, yet it continues to feel alive to me in its subtle evocative way.
For anyone new to it, starting with “Resonance”, “420”, Macross 82-99, Melonade or “Warmpop” provides a glimpse into the enduring appeal that has carried the genre and its offshoots across years and personal histories like my own.
Whitford can be reached at [email protected].
