The Creator of ‘Smutstep’ Wants You to ‘Let Your Freak Flag Fly’

Smutstep, a genre of horny voiceovers and growls over dubstep beats, has gone viral, aimed at the BookTok romantasy audience. Its creator, DARQ DAGR, a professional vocalist named James, says the genre grew out of fan requests and combines BookTok and dubstep communities. He says he does not take it seriously and views the virality and the hostile reactions as part of being an artist. The piece is a Q&A interview covering his background, the community's role, and the backlash.