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Bedroom Floor Music, TikTok, and Demos

Pop music died down after the 2010s, but what replaced it?

Bedroom floor music
Illustration by Maddy Aykens

Independent artists are more popular than pop, but why is that? TikTok has allowed for democracy in the music industry, and the people have spoken.

Throughout the 2010s, the pop star was extremely important, but these days, it seems to be more about the songwriter. Pop was big and brilliant. Iconic albums like Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, Taylor Swift’s 1989, and Beyonce’s self-titled album were defining the era. Streaming was yet to take over, and music was bigger than itself, with all its icons, narratives, and drama. Maybe it is the rosy glow of nostalgia that makes the 2010s so alluring with regard to pop music, but its legacy truly speaks for itself.

However, that era of pop came to an abrupt end without any true successors to continue it. Everything changed when the TikTok app hit peak popularity in 2020. On TikTok, music from independent artists could go viral organically. In fact, most of the now-viral songwriters on TikTok were not even career musicians. Many of them were just young people recording videos to share their work, which is what makes their success so fascinating.

TikTok and Songwriting

The past few years have seen a plethora of singer-songwriter artists rise to fame, few concerned with the fantasy of monolithic pop culture. Artists have been discovered on TikTok by fan demand, and the fans have been demanding sincerity. 

A major example is Lizzy McAlpine, a Berklee alum turned singer-songwriter who amasses more than 9 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Her song ‘you ruined the 1975,’ which she has said she will never release, went viral and introduced her to new fans. So begins a culture of intense honesty, fruit metaphors, and candle-lit videos on bedroom floors. 

An image of Lizzy McAlpine with the blue background of a lake behind her, from her music video.
Photo Credit: TikTok/@lizzymcalpine

Bedroom Pop vs. Bedroom Floor

Beyond just kick-starting careers, this phenomenon has created a shift in musical style. More and more artists are emulating the folky melodies, hushed vocals, and personal lyricism that you might find on a Phoebe Bridgers record. Clairo was one of the first front-runners for the ‘bedroom pop’ genre in her Immunity heyday. Since then, her work with Jack Antonoff has moved her into a more folksy space. ‘Bedroom pop’ was different — it was more chilled out, with mellow melodies and vocals and lyrics that had no specific style. Essentially ‘bedroom pop’ became a more distinctive variation of itself, rebranding as what we may call ‘bedroom floor pop.’

Clairo's album cover for 'Immunity'
Photo Credit: Spotify/Clairo

The main distinction between the two is lyricism: ‘Bedroom Floor’ songs tend to have a Swiftian storytelling approach, borrowing from her more lyrically-inclined style. On the other hand, ‘bedroom pop’ songs center more on the vibe of production and catchy melodies. ‘Bedroom pop’ is about feeling and ‘bedroom floor’ is about emotion, but both describe a genre of music led by young people breaking down the barriers of traditional success in the music industry.

Why Do We Love It?

The connection between the democratic approach to discovering artists and the growing popularity of the singer-songwriter genre is interesting. My view is that Gen Z craves sincerity as a way to combat the isolating aspects of growing up in the digital age. The connectedness of social media is not always authentic, and the obsession with it makes young people feel out of touch with each other.

Real people write these songs about their life experiences in excruciating detail. The videos are filmed on their bedroom floors. With no budget or team in tow, it is refreshing and human. 

The comment sections of such videos are filled with analyses of the lyrics. People express that they relate to the song or beg for it to be released. The sense of community found in this corner of the internet is quite special. It is unlike the typical content built upon artifice or performativity that you might find elsewhere. 

Demo Projects

Of course, artists have seen the demand for more stripped-back, low-key music. A slew of musicians have been officially releasing demos or voice memo versions of their songs. 

‘Downer’s Grove’

One example of this that really gripped me was Kevin Atwater’s ‘Downer’s Grove (Original Demos)’ EP. It revisits the original EP through the lens of the first voice memos, with no real production. These songs generally debuted on TikTok before the project was announced, or released. Songs like ‘christopher street’ and ‘jacob killed a cat’ received particularly astounding receptions on TikTok, and their streaming numbers today reflect that.

An image of Kevin Atwater selected from his TikTok. He is playing one of his songs on guitar.
Credit: TikTok/@kevinatwatermusic

The original EP, Downer’s Grove, is excellent in its own right, but the demos have a raw and undeniable sincerity to them that is so compelling. Atwater’s decision to release this iteration of the EP was a smart one because it allowed his online audience to enjoy the exact version of the songs that they were initially drawn to. It also emphasizes his creative authenticity. Following your favorite singer-songwriter throughout the process of making the songs only makes the experience of music more impactful and honest. 

More Examples of Bedroom Floor Music

Tristan’s 2023 ‘Keep That to Yourself’ also got a voice-memo release, which showcases a slower, acoustic version of the song. It returns the songwriting to the foreground of music in a way that carries the spirit of Joni Mitchell and Carole King into modern music.

The process of bringing back bedroom floor music works in reverse, too, as demonstrated by the cases of Jensen Mcrae’s ‘Massachusetts’ in 2023 and Katie Gregson-MacLeod’s ‘Complex’ in 2022. Both of these songs gained a massive amount of traction on TikTok, with fans enthusiastically showing their excitement about the eventual releases.

An image of Jensen Mcrae sitting in the back of a red truck, part of the artwork for her single 'Massachusetts'.
Photo Credit: TikTok/@jensenmcrae

People resonate with a particular song they encounter on TikTok, and in doing so, they can contribute to creating a viral moment. This is a more effective way of building a lasting audience who genuinely cares about the art. More than anything, songwriters on TikTok have brought back honesty. We can proudly claim that the confessional genre is back! Some of my personal favorites on TikTok include Alix Page, Jake Minch, Faith Zapata, Nemahsis, and LILIana.

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