Pop music has never had the best reputation. As the most popular genre in the industry, it’s easy to treat pop as a musical punching bag and blame the newest generation of singers for every issue in music. But this decade, the tides have begun to turn.
Whether it be the rise of creatives like Chappell Roan or the vibrant evolution of household names like Charli XCX, modern pop stars are no longer defined by generic tunes and derivative songwriting, but by their bold risks and unabashed personalities. For the first time in a while, pop music is getting better.
But where has this change come from? The evolution of the pop landscape can be accredited to four key factors, all of which have helped lead to the embracement of fresh sounds and the abandonment of the old and uninteresting.
The advent of BRAT Summer
Charli XCX has always been an innovator in pop music. After her early height with hits like “Boom Clap”, the English megastar faded into the background. She avoided the spotlight of the mainstream as she crafted a catalog full of bold, bright, and experimental pop. For hardcore fans, BRAT seemed like the logical next step in her career. The album sees Charli at her most daring, encapsulating the gritty sound of the European club scene. But against all odds, it pulled her to the top of the charts.
BRAT is an obvious Album of the Year contender, but its impact goes beyond that. The album represents a seismic shift in pop culture. Through Charli’s autotuned vocals accompanied by blaring synths, BRAT ticks every box for another underground smash, but its mainstream acclaim reveals a universal hunger for creativity.
The fact that BRAT has had more staying power than the latest Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa records proves that listeners are ready for change. BRAT is evidence that, no matter how intense or niche, any sound can flourish in the mainstream. Though it may be too early to tell, Charli’s success could encourage other pop stars to follow suit.
The fall of the sad pop anthem
Masters of melancholy like Lana Del Rey and Adele have always injected just the right amount of sadness into the mainstream. However, other stars have added to the effect, overwhelming listeners with despairing, mood-killing ballads. From Hozier to Teddy Swims, Gracie Abrams to Sam Smith, singers across the globe have smothered listeners in sadness. Thankfully, over the past year, happiness has made a comeback.
Perhaps the most obvious example of upbeat pop is Chappell Roan. The modern sensation is no stranger to ballads, but her greatest strength lies in her light-hearted, raunchy, electro-infused bops. Whether it’s the feel-good chanting on “HOT TO GO!” or the party-loving mania of “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”, Roan has brought back something missing in pop for the last half-decade: a sense of fun.
But Chappell Roan isn’t the only one. Sabrina Carpenter has proven the power of comedy in pop music. Telling witty stories of her turbulent love life and sneaking in tongue-in-cheek one-liners, Carpenter perfectly balances pop appeal and personality. Looking at the lasting relevance of Carpenter in comparison to Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams’s latest sad pop albums, it seems that melancholy is going out of fashion.
Death of the interpolation
A short-lived trend in modern pop was the infamous interpolation. Artists have always drawn from their influences, but never as blatantly as some modern acts, crafting songs solely to remind listeners of older, more interesting music.
One glaring example of this is “I’m Good (Blue)” by Bebe Rexa and David Guetta. It’s a creatively bankrupt tune that borrows from Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Be Dee)” without reinventing it. “Super Freaky Girl” by Nicki Minaj is equally obnoxious, sampling Rick James’s “Super Freak” but refusing to do anything interesting with the sample. In the right hands, sampling an old track can make for a brilliant reinvention. However, for many, it felt like artists were too afraid to experiment, relying on nostalgia to attract more ears.
Thankfully, in more recent years, the trend of interpolation has died down. Instead, artists are embracing sounds fresh and colorful, with Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, and Billie Eilish among the most unique voices in the mainstream.
The rejection of ‘TikTok music’
Everyone knows the power of TikTok. Release the right song at the right time, and the TikTok algorithm could boost your track to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. An incredible song could be released with little success, but if the right TikToker dances to it, all of a sudden, it’s the song of the summer.
Artists know this, but more crucially, executives know this. Unfortunately, knowing the success of songs on TikTok, many labels have pumped out low-quality fodder to force a trend. These come in the form of tacky choruses and manufactured dances. They strip TikTok of its organic value by forcing trends on users rather than letting them decide what should and should not succeed.
A few infamous examples include “abcdefu” by Gayle and the soulless “Toosie Slide” by Drake. Such cynical tracks give TikTok a bad reputation, but the overwhelming criticism has scared labels away from forcing trends.
Look at the biggest TikTok trends of 2024, and the difference is apparent. No longer are the biggest trends manufactured dances by greedy corporations, but genuinely compelling songs adored by music fans. From “Nasty” by Tinashe to “Apple” by Charli XCX, brilliant songs are being boosted by TikTok, ushering in a new era of real talent benefitting from social media.
Where will pop go next?
No one could have predicted the rise of Chappell Roan. Likewise, nobody could have predicted the craze of BRAT, or even the critical failure of The Tortured Poets Department. Despite being slandered as a derivative genre that never changes, it is impossible to gauge where pop music will go next. But seeing how talented this generation of pop acts is, the genre is headed in a promising direction.
Compared to a few years ago, pop music is in a fantastic place. Cynical corporations have taken a backseat to genuine talent, with bold sounds dominating the mainstream. Tired themes of sadness and heartbreak are fading, making way for a wave of colorful, upbeat bops. For the first time in decades, creativity is at the forefront of pop music. The future is bright.
