If you're into lofi hip hop, there's a pretty good chance that you know - or maybe you're even a fan of - The Lofi Radio app. Originally started in 2017 as a little fun project by two friends, aimed at helping other people to unwind and to discover new music and artists, the app popularity has grown significantly over the years, along with the growing popularity of the "genre" itself. And there was also something about the app itself - it's simple, beautiful minimalistic UI free of any ads got just had some kind of warm, friendly feeling, contributing to the overall pleasant experience.

But lately, people started noticing that something has happened to the Lofi Radio, and questions on its state started popping up around Facebook and Twitter. And unfortunately, an official statement appeared on Lofi Radio's official website yesterday, confirming people's fears that the radio is officially dead, leaving maybe hundreds of thousands of Lofi Radio's fans feelin' sad and empty.

As it turns out, it was actually the unexpected amount of popularity, that killed this radio star. The Lofi Radio app couldn't handle it, started doing drugs in massive amounts, and eventually died on heroin overdose at the end of a month-long bender.

Jokes aside, tho'. It's not even appropriate here, I'm just such a dildo I couldn't help myself not to joke about it. But as you may know, the Lofi Radio was absolutely free for anyone to download, and there wasn't a single ad displayed in the app's UI. Unfortunately, running your own server (or renting) one costs money, and it costs significantly more money when your traffic is suddenly all over the roof. And this, in combination with that popularity, basically made the whole project financially unsustainable for its creators, emptying their pockets without giving them anything in return, apart of a good feeling how many people's lives The Lofi Radio may have touched.

It's really saddening to see such a project that has been making so many people happy go down like this, but there's also a lesson in this for all of us to remember, The next time there's a project we really like, we should smash that "Donate" button as hard as we can!