LoFinal Fantasy?

Content originally posted to Instagram on August 27, 2020.

Just wanted to share this commercial for the SQUARE ENIX Chill Out Arrangement Tracks – AROUND 80’s MIX album, which features remixes of music from the earliest entries of the Final Fantasy, SaGa, and Mana series. The commercial prominently features lofi hip-hop, but the album features other genres too, and it’s all perfect for “chilling out” 😌

What I find interesting about the album is how it intersects two art forms and their distinct niches (video games/old school JRPGs + music/lofi hip-hop), and how it’s an instance of a video game company officially acknowledging/incorporating the genre of lofi hip-hop in their merchandise. The latter really stands out to me, considering how the genre very much came from “bedroom producers” rather than “big record labels.”

Life is strange sometimes…my teenage years were spent being fascinated with Final Fantasy and listening to underground hip-hop that helped to inspire the birth of lofi hip-hop. And now I’m seeing the two together. I wouldn’t say I listen to lofi hip-hop that often, and it doesn’t really feel right to call myself a Final Fantasy fan anymore (despite my interest, I usually couldn’t get through the beginning of most of the FF games I tried. It wasn’t because I thought they were bad, but somehow I’d lose interest + the drive to play them). Regardless, this fusion of video games and music has been nothing but enjoyable to listen to.

The AROUND 80’s MIX album can now be purchased through Square Enix’s North American online shop, and if you’re in the U.S. like me, you can also stream it through Spotify. If there are any surprising combinations of video games and music you know about, feel free to share in the comments too!