EDM trap music (also simply known asEDM trap ortrap) is a fusion genre ofhip-hop,rave, andelectronic dance music (EDM),^[5] that originated in the early 2010s on peaking popularity ofbig room house andhip hop trap genres. It blends elements of hip hop trap, which is an offshoot ofSouthern hip hop, with elements of EDM like build-ups,drops, dense production with rave music synthesizers, andbreakdowns.^[6] As it was popularized, it increasingly began incorporating morepop elements. EDM trap songs and production are typically very dynamic, boisterous, experimental, and sparky in comparison to the hip-hop version of trap, due to its EDM and rave music elements, tendencies and structure.

Around 2012, a new style of electronic dance music (EDM) emerged which incorporated elements oftrap music,^[7] creating "dirty, aggressive beats [and] dark melodies."^[7] Electronic music producers, such asTNGHT,Baauer,RL Grime,Flosstradamus andYellow Claw (DJs) expanded the popularity, and brought wider attention to the derivative forms of trap.^[8] This genre saw the use oftechno,dub, and electro sounds combined with theRoland TR-808 drum samples and vocal samples typical of hip hop trap.^[8]

In the later half of 2012, these various offshoots of hip hop trap became increasingly popular and made a noticeable impact on the American electronic dance music scene.^[9] The music was initially dubbed simply as "trap" by producers and fans, which led to the term "trap" being used to address the music of both rappers and electronic producers, to much confusion among followers of both. The term "trap" continued to be used to describe two separate genres of hip hop and dance music.^[10] The new wave of the genre has been labeled by some as "EDM trap" to distinguish it from the hip hop genre. The terms "trap-techno" and "trapstep" are often labeled by producers to describe the musical structure of an individual track. The evolving EDM trap has seen incorporation and stylistic influences fromdubstep, in which trap has been hailed as the superseding phase of dubstep during the mid-2010s. The new phase typically plays at 140 BPM with strong bass drops, which began growing in popularity from 2013.^[11]

In 2013, a fan-made video by Filthy Frank (also known asJoji), of EDM trap producer Baauer's track "Harlem Shake", became aninternet meme, propelling the track to become the first EDM trap song to hit number one on theBillboard Hot 100.^[12] This challenge the track was used for consisted of one person dancing to the rhythm of the song until the beat dropped, in which then whoever else within the video would dance along with the person dancing in the beginning. Five EDM trap producers performed at the 2013Ultra Music Festival in the United States, includingDJ Craze, Baauer and Flosstradamus.^[7] The 2013Tomorrowland festival featured a "trap stage".

On February 10, 2013, All Trap Music released their debut compilation album which featured 19 tracks from artists including RL Grime, Flosstradamus, Baauer,Bro Safari and12th Planet. Described by the music press as the first album of its kind^[13][14] it reached number two in the iTunes dance chart withVibe stating it was "the world's biggest-selling EDM trap album ever."^[11] In 2013,DJ Snake andLil Jon released the single "Turn Down for What", which became both a commercial hit charting in several countries and a critical hit.Rolling Stone voted "Turn Down for What" as the second best song of 2014, saying that, "The year's nutsiest party jam was also the perfect protest banger for a generation fed up with everything. DJ Snake brings the synapse-rattling EDM and Southern trap music; Lil Jon brings the dragon-fire holler for a hilarious, glorious, glowstick-punk fuck you."^[15]

EDM trap music has also found fame internationally, especially in South Korea. South Korean boy bandBigBang was one of the earliest groups to bring EDM trap into the K-pop sphere with commercial hit singles such as "Good Boy" (2014) by its membersGD X Taeyang and "Bang Bang Bang" (2015).^[16] In 2018, South Korean girl groupBlackpink released the commercially and critically successful single "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du", which propelled the EDM trap sound to "global heights".Rolling Stone recognized "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" for having perfected and popularized K-pop's EDM trap template, and named it the sixth best Korean song of all time.^[17]

EDM trap began to fuse withsynth-pop andemo pop in the late 2010s when Philadelphia producer groupWorking on Dying began to produceEternal Atake, the third studio album byFrancisville rapperLil Uzi Vert. Brandon Finessin of Working on Dying earned eight producer credits on Lil Uzi Vert'semo rap album, addinghyperpop andEDM elements to traditional trap drum sequences. This led to Lil Uzi Vert and Brandon Finessin leading theBillboard charts collaboratively on the Producers and Songwriters Top 100s.^[18] This caused an offshoot scene of hyperpop trap beats to emerge from minorYouTube producers based on Working on Dying's electronic approach to trap music.^{[citation needed]}

A new subgenre of EDM trap music referred to as trapwave (orhardwave) emerged also in late 2010s that fuses trap music withsynthwave.^{[citation needed]}