[2] Momus says the album was inspired by "falling back in love with pop music" through YouTube videos.

[3] Hypnoprism was, in turn, the first Momus album released through YouTube, with self-made music videos uploaded as songs were finished, a process that he would continue into the 2020s.

critic Michael Edwards praised the artist's "newfound playfulness" and commented that some tracks harkened back to his Creation Records output of the 1990s.

However, Edwards commented that the mix of genres present on the album, though ambitious, could "clash awkwardly" and were "somewhat fragmented".

[6] Mojo praised the album's lyrical content and noted hints of bossa nova, and Uncut called it "21st century lounge music".