If any color is Chrissy Chlapecka’s, it’s pink.
From pink clothes to pink makeup to even, at one point, bright pink hair, Chlapecka is perhaps the definition of girlypop.
In 2020, Chlapecka reclaimed the previously misogynistic term “bimbo” and made it her brand, amassing over 5 million TikTok followers. “BimboTok” quickly grew into a fandom, with Chlapecka as the queen. Influenced by other hyper-feminine icons, such as Paris Hilton, Chlapecka is mostly known for aggressively (and lovingly) telling girls and nonbinary people to embrace their hotness. Her radiant confidence exudes from the screen, and it’s hard not to want to follow in her footsteps. It’s very hard to resist throwing on the sluttiest outfit imaginable and strutting the streets of NYC after watching one of her well-timed pep talks.
Girlypop Pride
Having initially wanted to pursue a career in musical theatre, it’s no surprise that Chlapecka started releasing her own music. Her 2023 debut single, “I’m So Hot,” currently has over 16 million Spotify streams and encompasses everything Chlapecka stands for. She earned the title as one of “The Brightest Pop Stars to Watch in 2023” by Rolling Stone. Since then, Chlapecka has released several more singles, even a 2024 EP that should be considered self-titled: Girlie Pop.
“For me,” Chlapecka told PAPER Magazine, “Girlie Pop is a subgenre of music that I have created based on my own experiences and love for girly, fun, campy, cheeky self-love music that makes you wanna dance. I think there is so much beauty in creating music that feels like a celebration.”
For the girls, the gays, and the them/theys, Girlie Pop stands as the culmination point of Chlapecka’s brand thus far.
However, as of April 11, her pink, girlypop aesthetic might have to make a permanent shift to red girlyrock.
Her Newest Release
“Cherry Do You Love Me” is Chlapecka’s newest single, the song hailing as a sapphic rock anthem. With driving guitars grounding Chlapecka’s impressively belty vocals, “Cherry Do You Love Me” is a stark contrast from her previous repertoire that more resembles the likes of the Princess of Pop, Britney Spears. In previous tracks, such as “I’m Really Pretty” and “10 Boyfriends,” Chlapecka employs higher-register, melodic speaking, not unlike the vocals associated with Spears. Nevertheless, Chlapecka was always ready to demonstrate the scope of her talent, seen in songs like her debut single, “I’m So Hot,” and its successor, “Alpha.” Her juxtaposition between femininity and power effectively blends the two together, erasing any dichotomy between them.
“Cherry Do You Love Me” is not an outlier to this trend. The single begins with Chlapecka whispering the question to the titular lover, starting the song at ground zero, not unlike AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” The song then immediately catapults into the first verse, with Chlapecka lamenting on her lover’s previous girlfriend. The pre-chorus, which only makes one appearance in the track, simmers back down and mirrors the intro, preparing the listener for the fierce main chorus.
The guitar drops and Chlapecka’s voice rings, asking, “Cherry, do you love me?/Will you call my name?” before kicking it into drive. After the first chorus, the song is at full throttle with Chlapecka hitting astronomically high and supported belts, emulating the classically trained Pat Benatar. Though the verses are short, with the second only coming in at four lines, the intoxicating chorus is the real sustenance here, and where Chlapecka shines.
The Pit of “Cherry”
Though a bold leap in the opposite direction, “Cherry Do You Love Me” is not an unnatural progression of Chlapecka’s discography. Her music has always been a breath of fresh air, especially in the polluted genre that is pop. Her EP fits in perfectly with the trend-setting, pop summer vibes curated by Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Charli XCX; now, Chlapecka stands out from the rest with this single. In this way, “Cherry Do You Love Me” is a modern rock pioneer, especially when considering its LGBTQ+ themes. Though LGBTQ+ love songs have made their way to the recent Top 40s—think Chappell’s “Good Luck, Babe!” and Billie Eilish’s “Lunch”—representation is still severely lacking, which is where Chlapecka helps fill the void.
Authenticity is what the 25-year-old singer does best, whether it’s through TikTok videos about activism and loving yourself or through music hits. Plowing her way to making herself a pop princess in her own right, Chlapecka effortlessly shows us that girls really can do it all.
