Lofi Hip Hop and Community in YouTube Comments During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Having addressed one distinctly internet-infused hip hop genre in Chapter 3, Chapter 4 looks at a very different one, lofi beats on YouTube. This chapter delves into data-driven methods through thematic analysis of YouTube comments. It addresses lofi hip hop in a period of transition, as a community once reputed for its friendliness saw an influx of new users during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter analyses the shifting aesthetics, conventions, and values of lofi hip hop music and culture, supported by reading comments posted before and after the onset of the pandemic. It considers how commercial and political appropriations of lofi as general conventions of internet culture, especially memes, reshape formerly established conventions. The chapter reveals how internet users interact with online music cultures and how platforms like YouTube (at their best) afford communities the space to express sentiments about belonging, identity, and social connection, within the broader context of networked publics.

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