An Escape to Imperfection

In 2020, I listened to Lofi to escape (to) the chaos in the world. I had just moved into my own flat while a pandemic was unfolding, and people were taking to the streets, either protesting restrictions or demanding stricter measures. Lofi had become such an big part of my life that my TV was almost always tuned to Lofi Girl or similar streams. For me, Lofi was more than just music, it was a mindset. It connected me with others as I met and talked to people (online, given the circumstances). People who shared my love for this genre or even strangers who also listened to music (that you can have a conversation to).

But my connection to Lofi goes back even further, all the way to my childhood. As a kid, I would listen over and over to a specific calming music CD, and as a young teenager, I discovered early forms of what would later become modern Lofi. But I think my love for this kind of music is rooted even deeper in my inner child.

What I love about Lofi today is how it embraces rawness and imperfection. Most modern music is perfectly arranged, polished to the extreme, and free of any flaws. You rarely hear anything unpolished, and music is no longer shaped by the medium it’s played on. Lofi, however, brings all of that back. It keeps the warmth of unpolished sound, the charm of a crackling sample, or the slight inconsistency in a beat. Reminders that music doesn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful.

This ties into something I experienced as a child. Back then, my imagination thrived on simplicity. With just a few pixelated visuals on my Game Boy Advance, I could create entire worlds. The limitations of the medium never held me back, if anything, they sparked even more creativity. Lofi works the same way.

This feels completely different from the modern internet, where everything moves too fast. News becomes outdated while you’re still reading it, and online profiles are curated to be flawless, leaving no room for real imperfections, not just on social media only anymore, but also in life itself. In a world obsessed with perfection, Lofi is a break from all that. It gives you a moment to slow down, to reconnect with yourself, with nature, or with the past. Whatever brings you comfort.

For me, Lofi isn’t just music anymore. It’s a lifestyle. It reminds me that simplicity and imperfection still have value in an increasingly chaotic world.