Put This Song on Replay: Zendaya’s Influence on Hyperpop

Ily Dunlap

Rap/Hip-Hop Journalist

For three years now, I’ve been an avid listener of Underscores and Jane Remover. When I first listened to Wallsocket and Census Designated, I was astounded by the number of genres and lore you could hear in both albums. The storytelling on “Johnny johnny johnny” astounded me, and the blaring guitar on “Backseat Girl” brings me to tears every time I listen. Now, both artists have broken out of their shells, with Jane Remover selling out a headlining show in Austin in September, and Underscores just finished opening for Charli XCX and has gained critical acclaim for U.

Pop is Back

As the rollout for U was happening, I was impressed by the stark difference between U and Wallsocket. Wallsocket’s rock influence meant a lot to me, so I was quite surprised to hear a deeper pop influence on the album, and more general lyrics about fame. At first, I was a bit reluctant to embrace this album, but as the year has passed, U has become my most listened-to album, as well as my favorite album of the year. As my interest in Underscores, Jane Remover, and the general hyperpop scene has increased, I’ve pushed myself to understand its influences more, and I’ve realized, as crazy as it might sound, that Zendaya’s debut single “Replay,” along with a few other “Disney Channelesque” songs, had a large influence on the current hyperpop scene.

Now, personally, before working on this article, I had never really listened to “Replay,” but I knew that the song had been mentioned by both Jane Remover and Underscores. In the unreleased Jane Remover song “Shake It Up,” the title is a reference to the Disney Channel show that rocketed Zendaya to stardom; Jane Remover sings, “And your boyfriend got my songs all on replay/I shake it up/I-I’m Zendaya/song on replay.” Underscore has remixed her song “Innuendo (I Get U)” to “Replay” just last month.

Way More than Disney Channel

So, what makes this song so influential? I mean, most people would view this song, along with other songs of this period, as “cheesy” or “repetitive”. In the early 2010s, as Disney Channel stars of the time were growing apart from the shows that brought them fame, many of them turned to music. The most obvious example of this is Miley Cyrus, who, as soon as Hannah Montana finished, was making controversial, repetitive pop music. As the years have gone by, though, we see many artists mentioning Miley Cyrus’ criticized music as a means of inspiration to them. With Zendaya, she never quite got her foot out the door in the music industry, with “Replay” being one of her only hits before she resumed her acting career, where she is now.

“Replay,” like many other pop songs in the early 2010s, takes inspiration from the dubstep genre, which was booming in popularity at the time. Dubstep artists like Skrillex were collaborating with pop artists everywhere, introducing elements of rave music into mainstream pop. As the electronic scene continues to grow, we see how the music we grew up on becomes a part of the music we listen to now. When artists like Skrillex, who were raised on the music of The Prodigy and Daft Punk, introduced this sound to early 2010s artists, they didn’t understand that they were influencing the young artists of a new generation, who would hear these collaborations and work on their own sound, which is now infiltrating the music industry. 

While “Replay” is sort of a meme regarding Zendaya’s career, it’s important to understand the way that it has influenced the music that we listen to now. Pop music is always evolving, and the music we listen to as children can influence the music we listen to now. Without “Replay”, we wouldn’t have “Hollywood Forever.” Without “Bangarang”, we wouldn’t have “Replay”, and without “Firestarter”, we wouldn’t have “Bangarang” and so on. Music is a cycle, and the generations ahead of us will hear ‘Innuendo’ and incorporate the song into their own art. “Replay” is more than just a “forgettable” single in a flourishing actress’ career; it’s an influence on musicians and their willingness to find inspiration in just about anything.

Header Image Credit: Gage Skidmore