Synthwave is an earnestly nostalgic aesthetic that romanticizes a fictional 1980s—one of neon arcades, chrome Ferraris, and Miami sunsets that never actually existed. Born on Bandcamp and SoundCloud around 2010, it crystallized into a coherent visual language of hot-pink-to-purple gradients, cyan grid floors vanishing to infinity, and chrome display type glowing against pure black.

The movement draws from Out Run's attract screen, Miami Vice's opening titles, Tron's digital frontier, and the Drive soundtrack. Unlike vaporwave's ironic pastel critique, synthwave is sincere in its love for 80s excess—cocaine-fueled optimism rendered in pure neon light.