Music From the Home Studio
Bedroom pop is a music genre and movement defined more by its method of production than by a specific sound. As the name suggests, it is music created in a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) fashion, typically by a solo artist in their own bedroom or home studio using accessible technology like a laptop, a simple microphone, and music software. This process gives the music an intimate, authentic, and often lo-fi quality that stands in contrast to the polished sound of professional studio recordings.
While the sound of bedroom pop can vary from dreamy synth-pop to gentle indie rock, it is often characterized by introspective lyrics, hazy vocals, and simple, catchy melodies. The genre saw a massive surge in popularity in the late 2010s with the breakout success of artists like Billie Eilish (whose debut album was famously recorded in her brother’s bedroom), Clairo, and Rex Orange County.
The intimate, yearning, and authentic feel of bedroom pop has made it the definitive sound for a generation of independent coming-of-age films. Its often melancholic and introspective tone is the perfect complement to stories about teenage loneliness, first love, and the anxieties of self-discovery. A filmmaker can instantly establish a young character’s personality and inner world by showing them listening to or creating bedroom pop music in their room. Series like Heartstopper and films like Eighth Grade (2018) have used the genre to great effect.