Welcome to the 111th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode we retrace Yung Lean’s rise to stardom, documenting how a ‘Sadboy’ embraced our discarded nostalgia.
Before the fame, Yung Lean was regarded as a monotone, rather tonedeaf rapper. Void of a resume, the Swedish teen turned to what is now regarded as ‘cloud rap’, a subgenre that manifested an ethereal, modern take on new-age music and style. Often glorifying bedroom escapism, Lean’s polarizing take on the traditions of… well just about everything, defined him an odd 9 years ago.
A by-product of Tumblr’s lust for late 90’s and Y2K lore, the niche Lean found himself within would soon become his eponymous genre. Releasing ‘Ginseng Strip 2002’ in 2013, his esoteric, dingy visuals and lackluster sound would pioneer a so-called “memeified” aesthetic. Along with such, came an abundance of after-effects that contested the fantasy of clean cut production, opting to instead welcome his amatuer skills.
Looking to signatures of classic Americana style, Yung Lean would reach for Arizona Iced Tea and bucket hats as a recurring theme throughout many of his videos. Becoming synonymous with his namesake, each film would feature tropes of digital psychedelia, a post-internet, URL derivative known as “vapour-wave”.
Lean’s fittings were congruent with his art, depicting the depressed, suburban creative he idealized. As his following grew, so did his persona, forming the ‘Sad Boys’ group that same year. Working with Travis Scott on underground hit single ‘Ghosttown’ in 2014, his debut LP ‘Unknown Memory’ would also be released, marking the beginning of Yung Lean’s come up.
Through a glitchy and somewhat dystopian atmosphere, Lean was able to climb the social ranks with ease. On the back of Manga and Japanese lust, he’s become a stylistic embodiment of the distorted and brazenly hectic virtual universe. Accredited with large influence in both the fashion and sonic sphere, Yung Lean retains undisputed authenticity to his roots.
Comments