synthwave
/ˈsɪnθ.weɪv/
CommonA music genre and visual aesthetic inspired by 1980s film scores, synthesizers, and retro-futurism, built on neon, grids, and driving electronic beats.
Retrowave and outrun are sometimes used interchangeably with synthwave, though technically retrowave is broader and outrun is a specific visual subset tied to racing game aesthetics.
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | i put on kavinsky while driving at night and i briefly became a character in a movie. | The music creates a strong cinematic, retrowave atmosphere. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | hotline miami has the best synthwave soundtrack in gaming and the bar is not even close. | The game's use of synthwave is the definitive example in its medium. | reddit, 2022 |
| 03 | this city at night from this angle is pure synthwave. neon, fog, empty street. calling kavinsky. | The real environment visually matches the aesthetic. | instagram, 2023 |
| 04 | outrun sub-genre of synthwave specifically hits something in my brain at 11pm that nothing else does. | A specific synthwave subgenre has a particular emotional effect. | reddit, 2023 |
Use it when
- Describing the original 80s-influenced electronic music genre.
- Referring to the neon-grid-highway visual aesthetic.
- Something has that cinematic, 80s night-drive energy.
Do not use it when
- You mean vaporwave, which is slower and sample-based.Use “vaporwave” instead.
- You just mean 80s music in general.
Variations and related forms
Synthwave vs vaporwave
synthwave
Synthwave is composed original music with an energetic, cinematic, 80s-action-film feel.
vaporwave
Vaporwave samples and slows existing music for a dreamlike, melancholic effect.
Origin and context
Developed in the early 2010s as producers began creating original music inspired by John Carpenter film scores, Giorgio Moroder, and 80s synth pop. Artists like Kavinsky, Perturbator, and College were early figures. The Drive (2011) soundtrack brought the sound to broader audiences.
- First seen
- 2010
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/synthwave