“Internet music” known for its soft, playful, often ironic tone

(MENAFN) Once upon a time, “internet music” was known for its soft, playful, and often ironic tone — think Nyan Cat, vaporwave remixes, or mellow lo-fi loops. Even TikTok’s early soundtracks favored chill, melodic vibes. But over the past three years, a noticeable shift has occurred: internet music has gotten louder, faster, and more aggressive.

One viral meme captures this change perfectly: three pirates from an old Soviet cartoon confidently strut down a beach. The animation is crude, the resolution low, but when paired with a distorted, cowbell-heavy beat, the clip suddenly radiates coolness. The music? Pure phonk.

Today, phonk is everywhere — powering gym edits, car drift videos, anime montages, and sports highlights. Its gritty, lo-fi beats have become the unofficial soundtrack of short-form video culture. Yet, despite racking up millions of streams, the artists behind these tracks remain largely unknown. That’s because most of them are Russian. In fact, phonk didn’t just gain popularity in Russia — it was reinvented there. Without major labels, industry infrastructure, or PR machines, the genre evolved in unexpected directions. What began as a niche homage to 1990s Memphis rap has transformed into a uniquely Russian, internet-born phenomenon that’s now influencing global music trends.

To understand phonk’s origins, you have to rewind to early 1990s Memphis, Tennessee. Back then, a new form of rap was emerging from bedrooms, basements, and makeshift studios.

Memphis rap was stark and grim, its lyrics filled with raw depictions of street violence, poverty, drug use, and death. Unlike mainstream hip-hop’s dreams of success, Memphis rap was rooted in survival and menace, recorded on cheap equipment and copied onto worn-out cassette tapes layered with static. The music was dark, bass-heavy, and often included the sharp clang of a cowbell — a strange but distinctive element that gave even the bleakest tracks a danceable edge.

While Memphis rap never achieved mainstream fame, its influence persisted, shaping Southern hip-hop and modern trap. For some producers, though, the allure wasn’t in the lyrics but the moody atmosphere. They removed the vocals, looped the beats, and cranked up the distortion — birthing a raw, ghostly new genre: phonk.

Initially an obscure, instrumental offshoot of Memphis rap, phonk circulated quietly through online forums and underground playlists. Then, halfway around the world, Russian producers stumbled upon it — and everything changed.

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