With its introspective lyrics and captivating melodies, dream pop has consistently been among my favorite genres.

Also referred to as “shoegaze,” dream pop features layered and heavily reverbed guitar melodies behind enchanting harmonies and soft vocals. It’s best to listen to songs under this genre with headphones in both ears as artists experiment with stereophonic sounds, creating 3-D effects.

Pioneered by the Velvet Underground and Cocteau Twins, dream pop skyrocketed in popularity during the early ’80s and continues to be featured on today’s charts.

The Velvet Underground’s 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico was one of the first to take the generic song structure alternating between verses and the chorus, and make it unique. They added enchanting sonic textures and played with tone and repetition, which contributed to the genre’s early development and classification.

The Cocteau Twins was a Scottish band that drew inspiration to the British post-punk band, Joy Division. The impressively high vocals of Cocteau Twins’ lead singer Elizabeth Fraser, coupled with guitarist Robin Guthrie’s experimental techniques earned the band massive critical acclaim, especially for their 1990 album, Heaven or Las Vegas. This album embodies the spirit of dream pop and created the blueprint for future artists to thrive.

Dream pop has stayed relevant in recent years, especially following the 2010 release of Beach House’s Teen Dream. This iconic duo is comprised of vocalist and keyboardist Victoria Legrand and backup vocalist, keyboardist, and guitarist Alex Scally. They are most well-known for “Space Song” off of their 2015 album Depression Cherry. With more than 336 million streams and counting, this song is undoubtedly a dream pop staple in today’s indie music community.

Lana Del Rey has become a favorite of teenagers and lovers of classic dream pop. Her self-made music video to her song “Video Games,” which she released after her debut, self-titled album in 2010, went viral. This internet sensation led to her signing to Stranger Records and winning a Q award, one of Britain’s biggest music awards. Her romantic misty vocals pair perfectly with the classic guitar distortion and introspective themes most often seen in dream pop projects.

This genre is one of the few that captivates me on such a deep level. The emotional lyrics and hypnotizing melodies keep me excitedly engaged with every song I come across. As I write this column while listening to Cocteau Twins’ “Pitch the Baby,” I can confidently say my exploration of dream pop will not stop now.