chillwave
A microgenre of electronic music characterized by hazy, nostalgic synth textures, lo-fi production, and dreamy vocals evoking a sun-bleached 1980s aesthetic.
In Depth
Chillwave emerged around 2009–2010, largely through blog culture and online music platforms. The term was reportedly coined semi-satirically by a blogger, but it stuck. Core artists include Washed Out (Ernest Greene), whose "Feel It All Around" became the genre's signature track; Toro y Moi (Chaz Bear), who blended chillwave with funk and R&B; and Neon Indian (Alan Palomo), who added krautrock influences.
The genre is characterized by heavy use of synthesizers, reverb-drenched vocals, tape hiss and analog warmth, and a pervasive sense of nostalgia for a half-remembered 1980s. Critics debated whether chillwave was a genuine genre or a media invention, but its influence on subsequent indie and electronic music is undeniable. It anticipated the broader "vaporwave" movement and influenced mainstream pop's embrace of retro-synth aesthetics. Most of its key artists have since evolved beyond the genre's initial parameters.
The term "chillwave" was allegedly coined as a joke by a music blogger filling out a column — it was never meant to become an actual genre name, but the internet decided otherwise.