Lofi hip hop -- vibey beats engineered to invoke a sense of chill and promote concentration -- has been around for a while. There are a number of channels on YouTube dedicated to livestreaming the music, but none have inspired a community the way Lofi Girl has. Originally named Chilled Cow, the four-year old channel rebranded in tribute to its namesake avatar, who has taken on a life of her own.
How this anime-inspired exemplar of studiousness has become such an icon is the subject of the first of our series of videos explaining the most interesting trends coming out of YouTube.