Lofi Girl: Lofi Hip Hop as Soundtrack to the Productivity Culture on YouTube

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30962/ecomps.3134

Keywords:

Lofi hip hop, Lofi Girl, Ubiquitous music, Productivity culture, YouTube

Abstract

The article explores the idea of listening to lofi hip hop to increase productivity, based on the Lofi Girl channel on YouTube. The central hypothesis is that, although the channel promotes a pleasant atmosphere, it reinforces ideals of high performance and 24/7 temporality, becoming a tool for enhancing listeners' “biocapital”, helping them to focus and overcome sleep and fatigue. Organized in three parts, the work traces the history of the Lofi Girl channel and its growth during the pandemic, discusses the connection of background music with neoliberal discourses, and analyzes the arguments and aesthetics related to productivity in the comments of the channel's most-watched video.

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Author Biographies

Débora Gauziski, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Pesquisadora de pós-doutorado vinculada ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação da Universidade Federal Fluminense (PPGCOM-UFF). Bolsista de Pós-Doutorado Nota 10 da Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ). Doutora e mestra em Comunicação pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (PPGCom-UERJ).

Simone Pereira de Sá, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Doutora pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (PPGCOM-UFRJ). Professora titular vinculada ao Departamento de Estudos Culturais e Mídia da Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF). É também docente no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação da mesma instituição e coordenadora do Laboratório de Pesquisa em Culturas Urbanas e Tecnologias (LabCult). Bolsista de produtividade do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).

References

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Published

29-03-2025

How to Cite

Gauziski, D., & Pereira de Sá, S. (2025). Lofi Girl: Lofi Hip Hop as Soundtrack to the Productivity Culture on YouTube. E-Compós, 29. https://doi.org/10.30962/ecomps.3134

Issue

Vol. 29 (2026): E-Compós 2026

Section

Artigos Originais

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Copyright (c) 2026 Débora Gauziski, Simone Pereira de Sá

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