Years before it became associated with an algorithm-driven playlist on streaming services, hyperpop was an unruly and nebulous internet subculture driven by independent musicians obsessed with pop music.

Chief among them was SOPHIE, whose debut project celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. PRODUCT wasn’t necessarily the first hyperpop record let loose into the world, but this maximalist and alien-sounding collection of songs helped catapult hyperpop into the mainstream.

When the late British producer released PRODUCT in 2015, the subculture’s mycelia had already begun to spread beyond the darker corners of the internet. Producers like SOPHIE, A.G. Cook and 100 gecs‘ Dylan Brady and Laura Les would stake hyperpop’s flag into the music industry. Soon after, pop acts like Charli xcx, Carly Rae Jepsen and Clairo would become early investors, turning the subculture into a bonafide mainstream movement.

To commemorate 10 years of SOPHIE’s PRODUCT, we wanted to thread the needle between past and present by considering older tracks that preceded hyperpop but are imbued with the subgenre’s experimental and oddball spirit.

“Temporary Secretary,” by Paul McCartney

This is basically McCartney noodling about with a new toy — a sequencer that produces those squelching synthesized arpeggios. Combined with his robotic vocal delivery and nonsensical lyrics, “Temporary Secretary” feels in line with the synthetic sonic textures and “uncanny valley” feel that defined a lot of SOPHIE’s signature sound.

“Let Your Body Learn,” by Nitzer Ebb

Much more minimalist than most hyperpop tracks, Nitzer Ebb’s single from 1987’s That Total Age still pulses with a frantic energy. It’s an aggressive fusion of punk, industrial and techno that hyperpop acts would continue to push and distort in subsequent decades.

“Pluto,” by Björk

This deep cut from the Icelandic musician’s Homogenic is a chaotic ball of fire, fueled by powerful lines about destruction, transformation and rebirth. It feels spiritually tethered to SOPHIE’s work, which often explores how we perceive ourselves versus how others perceive us — and how we have the power to reshape ourselves into new forms.

“We Like To Party! (The Vengabus),” by Vengaboys

Long before hyperpop sprung from the cyber-ether, faceless producers across Western Europe were engineering some of the campiest and most cartoonish facsimiles of pop music ever recorded. If songs were food, “We Like To Party!” is high-fructose corn syrup made from genetically modified kernels.

“Volcano,” by Swans

Hyperpop isn’t all sugar. There are moments on PRODUCT that bite too. This track from Swans’ 2001 album, Soundtracks for the Blind, is cut from the same cloth. “Volcano” is a 5-minute odyssey through a violent, metallic and ghostly soundscape that channels hyperpop’s more abrasive edges.

“What If,” by Aaliyah

SOPHIE wasn’t just a music producer. She was a sound designer who stretched and distorted musical elements beyond recognition. It’s an approach you can hear on this track from the late pop star’s self-titled album from 2001. Producer Timbaland pits rubbery beats against distorted guitar riffs, creating a weirdly synthetic take on R&B that hyperpop will eventually pull from.

“Grindin’,” by Clipse

In a 2020 interview with The Face, SOPHIE credited this early hit from the hip-hop duo of Malice and Pusha T as a formative song for her. The connection is pretty obvious once those jagged, impossibly crisp beats — courtesy of The Neptunes — hit your ears.

“Tokyo Drift (Fast & Furious),” from The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift OST

By the mid-aughts, the sheen of the internet was leaving a clear mark on pop music. This NOS-charged track from the third film in the Fast & Furious franchise is a mish-mash of global influences, American commercialism and modern technology. It’s the perfect embodiment of hyperpop’s appreciation for fast cars, cute ringtones and undeniably viral music samples.

“Bubble Pop Electric,” by Gwen Stefani

“Bubble Pop Electric” has all the ingredients for a hyperpop masterpiece. You’ve got Stefani’s coquettish vocals, a playful cameo from André 3000 and an innuendo-fueled, B-movie, drive-in theater concept built around a flurry of popping bubble sound effects.

“XXXO,” by M.I.A.

Deeply misunderstood upon its release in 2010, M.I.A.’s third studio album was a clarion call, in retrospect. “XXXO” is 3 minutes of glitchy, glossy, noisy pop that is as alluring as it is grating. No one knows if SOPHIE heard this song, but the following year, she’d begin uploading the glitchy, glossy and noisy demos that would eventually become PRODUCT.

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