Synthwave is a genre of electronic music that emerged in the early 2000s and combines elements of 1980s film soundtracks, video game music, and synthpop. It is characterized by heavily synthesized sounds, retro-style drum machines, and a moody, nostalgia-tinged style. Common themes in synthwave include nostalgia for the 1980s, science fiction, video games and neon-lit urban landscapes. The genre is often heavily influenced by the aesthetics of the 1980s, and its production style often utilizes vintage synthesizers and drum machines, such as Linndrum.

The most common chord progression in Synthwave music is an 8-bar loop consisting of a I, IV, V chord progression. This means that the chords used are typically the root or tonic chord, the fourth chord in the key, and the fifth chord in the key. This loop is often repeated for the entirety of the track. The chords are usually major chords, but minor chords can be used as well. Other common chord progressions in Synthwave music include the ii-V-I, I-vi-IV-V, and I-vi-ii-V.

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