There are many different genres of music: pop, rock, country, indie, rap, hip-hop, jazz, and many more. These are some genres people know and love but a new genre is rising up called lo-fi. Lo-fi is a genre that has been around since the late '80s. The name Lo-fi comes from the word low fidelity. Low fidelity is “the electronic reproduction of sound or images using technology that results in unwanted distortion or imperfections” . Many recordings in the ‘80s were produced quickly, resulting in low quality.

What is lo-fi music? As said before, lo-fi is unique because it is made low quality on purpose, which is different from music now. Lo-fi music has raw sounds and cracks in the music because of the cheap equipment used to make it. The lo-fi genre has been very popular with the teens recently because of the aesthetic that comes with the songs. Lo-fi music causes people to feel very calm and touched in different ways. Most lo-fi songs are known to make people feel melancholic. Each song has its own unique sounds and feelings that is shown through its beats or lyrics. Many people love this genre because of the feelings they get from the tune itself.

What makes lo-fi so aesthetic? Lo-fi is considered to be aesthetically pleasing to the ears but also to the eyes. Lo-fi is often paired with anime or cartoons to match the song. The use of anime and cartoons help connect the songs to the people listening. Many teens would say that lo-fi music is something they relate to which makes them attached to the song.

Lo-fi is not as popular as the genres I listed at the beginning but it is still a genre that many people love. The rawness and realistic sounds in the song itself might be helping teens connect to the song more. The lo-fi tunes feel more realistic compared to the songs that are currently popular.

Lo-fi is a new and uprising genre that is slowly taking over teenagers hearts with its raw sounds. The sound may sound cheap or low quality but, in my opinion, that is what makes this genre so unique. Each song can have different meanings and connects to each person differently. Lo-fi, to me, is an expression of feelings people have hidden and wanted to tell the world. Each song is a story, each beat is someone's feelings pouring out.