In early 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was just beginning, Ash Gutierrez, a 15-year-old living in Hendersonville, North Carolina, immersed himself in the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. While at home, he frequently listened to his parents’ collection of pop and rock classics. His mom was a fan of ABBA, while his dad had a particular fondness for guitar-heavy bands like Led Zeppelin. However, it was on a CS:GO Discord channel that Gutierrez discovered a community of kids his age who were creating and sharing their unique electronic music on SoundCloud. This newfound inspiration led him to venture into making his own electronic music and sharing it on the platform.
To establish his presence in the music world, Gutierrez adopted the stage name Glaive, a reference to a weapon from the popular game Dark Souls III. In July, at the age of 18, he released his debut album, titled “I Care So Much That I Don’t Care At All,” under the major label Interscope. Since then, he has garnered over 300 million streams worldwide, all stemming from his initial steps into the online realm.
Describing Glaive on Zoom, one can easily discern his energetic and fast-paced personality. Holding his phone while constantly shifting his focus, even taking sips from a water bottle, his presence is thrillingly chaotic. The musical landscape that Glaive encountered with his online debut came to be known as hyperpop, thanks in part to the popularity of a Spotify playlist carrying the same name. Hyperpop gained significant attention, becoming an anomaly for a micro-genre, as it received coverage in renowned publications such as The New York Times and The New Yorker.
In previous times, before the rise of music streaming, fans treated the emergence and disappearance of micro-genres with a sense of lightheartedness and jokes. Conversations would revolve around phrases like “Are you into chillwave?” or “What about witch house?” However, in recent years, fans have grown more cautious, questioning the authenticity of these genres and whether they are simply marketing ploys. David Turner, who writes Penny Fractions, a newsletter about the streaming industry and formerly worked at SoundCloud, emphasizes that when companies attempt to codify a micro-genre through curated playlists, they often miss the essence and context that made it fascinating in the first place.
For Glaive, who has become one of hyperpop’s prominent figures, the commercialization and packaging of his organic online community felt stifling. He explains, “I was making music just because that’s what I was doing. Then, je ne sais pas, they’re putting words in my mouth. I felt that because I was young, an old fuck gets to say that I make blah blah blah. I grew up in an age where music was never presented to me as a genre. So why would I care?” Glaive expresses the sentiment that the over-commercialization of hyperpop resulted in an algorithmic approach, leading to the production of low-quality songs by artists solely motivated by monetary gain.
In his debut full-length album, Glaive leaned towards a genre called “midwest emo,” focusing on creating melancholic and somber guitar-driven tracks. As for his next album, he envisions it sounding like “picking berries in a field.” Glaive’s desire to break away from the constraints and commercialization of hyperpop showcases his commitment to artistic authenticity and a desire to explore various styles and sounds.
In conclusion, Ash Gutierrez, now known as Glaive, ventured into the world of music through his passion for the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. His journey led him to discover a community of like-minded individuals on SoundCloud, where he released his own electronic music. Glaive’s rise in popularity within the hyperpop genre was both a testament to his talent and a reflection of the commercialization that can potentially overshadow artistic authenticity. However, Glaive remains committed to staying true to his vision and exploring different genres and sounds in his future projects. As an artist who values individuality and creative expression, Glaive offers a refreshing perspective on navigating the ever-evolving music industry.
