Latest / Mini Scroll / The Rise of the Gen Z Pop Girlies: How 2024 Changed The Perception of Pop Music

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The Rise of the Gen Z Pop Girlies: How 2024 Changed The Perception of Pop Music · Mini Scroll

0:00
On July 17th, 2021, a redheaded 23 year old from Missouri
0:04
stepped up to a mic and keyboard to perform for a crowd of less
0:09
than 50 people at Pan Pacific Park in West Hollywood.
0:13
The singer was performing at a fundraiser for Hot Donna's Bar,
0:17
an inclusive. Queer Clubhouse for queer.
0:19
Women and gender expensive folks though.
0:22
She'd been making music professionally since 2017 and
0:26
had even toured with Vance Joy and Declan McKenna.
0:28
Years prior this. Fundraiser in pan.
0:31
Pacific Park for less. Than 50 People was the first
0:34
time the artist would perform a new ballad that explored the
0:37
experience of coming out as queer.
0:40
The ballad was. Pink Pony Club and the Singer.
0:44
Was Chapel. Roan over the next.
0:46
Three years Chapel would develop her.
0:47
Identity as an artist transforming from a melancholic
0:51
indie style singer that was popular at the time.
0:54
To a full-fledged queer pop star who?
0:56
Seems in complete control of her entirely unique sound.
1:00
But Chapel isn't the only pop star to find astronomical
1:04
success in 2024. After years of paying her dues,
1:08
Sabrina Carpenter and Charlie Xex can also claim that title in
1:13
Act 2024 has been dubbed the. Year of Pop.
1:16
By many influential media outlets around the world because
1:19
of how many pop stars found their big break.
1:22
This year so. Why has 2024 been such an
1:26
impactful year in pop music, and what is it about the Gen.
1:30
Z? Pop girlies that.
1:32
Audiences just can't get enough of from Centennial World.
1:36
I'm Lauren Meissner and this is infinite.
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Was so interesting. I feel like we finally got a
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Teacher so I hear skibbity toilet a lot.
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Love you. Oh my God, thank you, I am.
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Glad that I could be of help, Hillary said.
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Love. This episode on the.
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Reddit episode, you always pick the best topics.
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For deep dives, Oh my God, thank.
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You we actually. Have like of course I mean as
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you would expect, like a running dock.
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For our deep dives. And we take a lot of pride in
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what we cover and how we. Pick the deep dives.
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And we try really hard not to pick anything that is like too
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overdone. All right, so.
3:33
Let's just. Get straight into today's.
3:35
Topic we are going to be. Talking about the rise of the
3:37
Gen. Z.
3:38
Pop girly. It is no surprise that this year
3:41
has been like the year of the. Female Pop. *.
3:45
So I wanted to explore who is on the rise, why they're on the
3:49
rise. Why it feels like?
3:51
Pop music is finally not breaking into the mainstream
3:54
'cause it's obviously been like the most mainstream, but like
3:56
breaking into the cultural zeitgeist in a way.
3:58
That like it's OK to like. Pop music.
4:01
Now there's just a lot going on for pop music and we.
4:04
Wanted to explore why? So that's what today's topic is
4:08
all about. Over the past few months, we
4:16
have witnessed the meteoric. Rise of Chapel.
4:19
Roan and Sabrina Carpenter While both women have been making
4:22
music for years, they have only just caught true mainstream
4:26
attention. With both Espresso and Good Luck
4:28
Babe dominating the charts and social media, it's clear that we
4:32
are in the dawn of a new era. Of pop.
4:34
This, in turn, has led to more discussion than ever about the
4:38
Gen. Z.
4:39
Pop Girl. And what pop music means to this
4:42
generation. But before we get into how the
4:44
identity. Of the pop girl is.
4:46
Shifting. It's worth taking a look.
4:48
Back at How we got. To this point, for a long time,
4:51
women did not own the pop. Space rather men.
4:54
Were the bonafide pop stars. In fact, an article for Holly
4:58
Williams for BBC named Charles Dibden as.
5:01
The first ever pop. * While Dibden was way before our time,
5:05
having died in 1814, Williams describes him as a.
5:09
Quote hugely prolific. Extremely.
5:11
Famous figure whose persona was as well known as his music of.
5:15
Course. We have seen the rise of many
5:18
singers who fit that description since then, from David Bowie to
5:21
Prince to Donna Summer. But when we are considering the
5:24
modern pop star, a singer who has an aesthetic, is known for
5:28
their catchy songs and has mass appeal and different eras, quote
5:33
UN quote Madonna is the blueprint.
5:36
Many pop culture enthusiasts and journalists have described
5:39
Madonna as the template for the modern female pop icon, as Matt
5:44
Kane writes for the Sydney Morning Herald.
5:46
Quote Madonna was the first female.
5:48
Pop star to project. An image of control, drive and
5:51
fierce independence. For all her personal suffering,
5:55
her mother died when she was 5. She has.
5:57
Barely portrayed any emotional. Fragility rather.
6:01
She has worn costumes that looked like armor.
6:04
Madonna exuded a deep sense of confidence, breaking down
6:07
barriers for many women to follow her while
6:10
unapologetically bringing female sexuality to the forefront.
6:13
While Madonna was dominating the pop industry through the late
6:17
1980s and 1990s, the. Idea of the pop star as a.
6:21
Quote UN Quote Role model was also gaining traction, but as
6:24
Laura Snapes explains for The Guardian, this perception was
6:28
only solidified. After the Spice Girls.
6:31
Burst onto the scene, given that they were.
6:33
Beloved. Marketed to children quote given
6:36
their fans, youth and the sponsors that used the band to
6:39
reach them, they also had a duty of responsibility.
6:42
Their real lives, the. All nighters and eating
6:45
disorders were hidden so effectively.
6:48
Snape's rights soon with the rise of Britney Spears,
6:51
Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga and later Lana Del.
6:54
Rey the idea of the pop girl as a flawless.
6:57
Role model was shattered. It was replaced.
7:00
By a more authentic version, one where artists moved away from a
7:04
cookie cutter image to something raw and more vulnerable.
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This isn't to. Say that the.
7:08
Expectation of being a polished role model doesn't.
7:12
Exist. It absolutely does.
7:14
We all remember how hard Miley. Cyrus tried to break.
7:17
Away from it, however, social media has made it increasingly
7:21
difficult to maintain this kind of persona.
7:23
Having said that, Gen. Z, being the 1st generation of
7:26
digital natives, is redefining the genre.
7:29
We are currently seeing the rise of a new.
7:31
Class of diverse pop. Girlies, with many earning
7:34
critical and mainstream acclaim. This feels.
7:37
Different to how pop stars have been received in the past, pop
7:41
has long been the genre that everyone loves to hate.
7:44
With pop music described as shallow.
7:47
And inauthentic. An aspect of inauthenticity is
7:50
inherent when it comes to celebrity, especially as we
7:53
navigate through late stage capitalism today.
7:56
Every facet of a. Celebrity's identity has become
7:59
a marketable product and behind all this is a team of business
8:03
managers, stylist, publicist and agents who carefully construct
8:07
the brand of a celebrity, treating singers, actors and
8:10
influencers more like corporations and less like human
8:13
beings. The function of celebrity moves
8:15
from producing art to. Profit with this goal.
8:18
The majority of pop music becomes.
8:20
Over saturated. And as a result.
8:23
People get sick. Of this type of music extremely
8:25
fast and then they. Start to hate it, but it would
8:28
be. Remiss to assume that this is
8:30
the only reason why pop music has received such a bad
8:33
reputation over the years much of the reason why pop music has
8:37
been. Trivialized is that?
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It was always seen as something that women enjoy.
8:42
We have spoken at length about how women's interests and the
8:46
girl Internet are taken. Far less seriously.
8:48
Than anything masculine in pop culture.
8:51
Of. Course, the consistent
8:52
belittling of pop music and any other interests that may
8:55
stereotypically appeal to women and girls is rooted in misogyny,
8:59
as Catherine McLaughlin rightly points out.
9:01
Quote Once teenage girls find something they love, you can
9:04
predict. That it will just as quickly be.
9:06
Dismissed in the eyes of most everyone else, many celebrities
9:10
and companies operate under the assumption that by catering to
9:13
teenage girls, they can quote hook them as they grow into
9:16
independent adults with even greater spending power, Samantha
9:20
Grindell writes for Insider. By no means has this sentiment
9:24
completely disappeared from pop culture.
9:26
Internet users are still quick to undermine anything young
9:30
women are interested in. But as the Gen.
9:32
Z pop. Girls are.
9:33
Rising and moving through the mid tier pop.
9:35
Star phase. It's clear that this perspective
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has. Shifted slightly as more and
9:40
more young people embrace pop stars.
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The question now. Is why there are a couple.
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Of reasons first and foremost. Pop music.
9:49
Has become less siloed since the rise of Internet culture.
9:52
We talk a lot about the death. Of monoculture, a monolithic
9:56
version of pop culture. Dictated by Charts Award.
9:59
Shows and magazines with pop culture becoming increasingly
10:02
personalized, where algorithms dictate our feeds and cater to
10:06
our interests, it is also made for an environment where.
10:09
Every aspect of Pop. Culture intersects if we take a
10:13
moment to think about monoculture when it was at its
10:15
peak, different publications, critics, and.
10:18
Experts would dictate our. Experience of pop music during
10:22
this era Respected critics and publications often didn't give
10:25
pop music the same weight as other genres, but that changed
10:29
with the rise of poptimism, a portmanteau.
10:32
Of pop. And optimism, which advocates
10:35
that pop music deserves the same respect as rock music and is
10:39
worthy of. Serious discourse and critique.
10:42
Poptimism emerges in response to rockism, an ideology that
10:46
essentially. Sees rock as the superior.
10:49
Genre of music. The term has been around for a
10:51
while, gaining mainstream traction after journalist
10:54
Khalifa Senay wrote an article headlined the Rap Against
10:57
Rockism for The New York Times in 2004, or explaining how quote
11:02
rockism means idolizing the authentic old legend or
11:05
underground hero while mocking the latest.
11:08
Pop star quote. Let's stop.
11:09
Pretending that serious rock songs will last forever, as if
11:13
anything could, and that shiny pop songs are inherently.
11:16
Disposable as if. That were necessarily a bad
11:19
thing, she writes. Rockism was so.
11:21
Deeply embedded in music. Review Culture.
11:23
Where prolific music magazines like Rolling Stone were first
11:27
known for covering rock music and therefore the sentiment
11:30
spread quote countless. Critics assail pop stars.
11:33
For not being rock'n'roll enough without stopping to wonder.
11:36
Why that should be? Everyone's goal, or they reward
11:39
them disproportionately for making rock'n'roll gestures,
11:43
Snae writes. From punk rock rags to
11:45
handsomely illustrated journals, rockism permeates the way we
11:49
think about music. If you write about music, you're
11:51
presumed to be a rock. Critic.
11:53
Poptimism emerged in the 1990s. Partially as a result.
11:57
Of identity politics. As Saul Austerlitz.
12:00
Notes for the New York Times Magazine Poptimism had a.
12:02
Desire to quote. Undo the original sin of
12:06
rock'n'roll white male performers Co opting of
12:09
established styles and undeservedly receiving credit as
12:12
musical innovators. Consequently, music journalism
12:16
pivoted, with poptimism dominating the space.
12:19
Today quote poptimism. Wants to be in touch with the
12:22
taste of average music fans to. Speak to the rush.
12:25
That comes from hearing a great single on the.
12:27
Radio or YouTube? And to value it no differently
12:30
from a song with more quote UN quote serious artistic intent,
12:34
Austerlitz continues. While poptimism might have
12:37
emerged in the 1990s, the movement is definitely having a
12:41
modern day renaissance. Since the rise of.
12:43
Social media Internet users have been able to generate parasocial
12:47
relationships with mainstream celebrities more than ever
12:50
before. This, in turn, has changed the
12:52
direction of many music publications and journalists.
12:56
Essentially the. Obsessive coverage of pop.
12:58
Stars and their personal. Lives, drives traffic.
13:01
In a way that reviews just simply could not, pushing pop
13:04
personas further and further into the spotlight.
13:08
On top of this, the music industry has undergone a seismic
13:11
shift since the era of monoculture.
13:14
The advent of streaming platforms like Spotify and even
13:17
TikTok have revolutionized music discovery and discussion.
13:21
Quote. Click culture creates a closed.
13:23
System in which popular acts get more coverage, thus becoming
13:26
more popular, thus getting more coverage.
13:29
But criticism is supposed to challenge readers on occasion,
13:32
not only. Provide seals of approval.
13:34
Australitz Rice. Quote In this light, poptimism
13:37
can be seen as an attempt to resuscitate the unified cultural
13:40
experience of the past when we were all, at least in theory,
13:44
listening together to Sergeant Pepper's or Thriller Now
13:48
creators. Take to TikTok.
13:49
To analyze and appreciate pop music in ways that.
13:52
Traditional critics hesitated. To do in the past quote, music
13:56
critics are as snobbish as any. Other variety of critic, but
13:59
lately. Their snobbishness has been
14:01
devoted to demonstrating just how unsnobbish they are.
14:05
Austerlitz observes. With this in mind, journalists
14:08
and critics are expected to meet audiences, especially the Gen.
14:12
Z audience. Where they are.
14:14
Rather than setting the tone of pop.
14:15
Culture themselves. This shift has allowed pop.
14:18
Music to become legitimized in the eyes of the mainstream like
14:22
never before. Another factor we can't ignore
14:25
in Gen. Z's relationship with pop music
14:27
is the events that have come to define this generation.
14:30
Obviously there was COVID. 19 which kept everyone locked
14:33
indoors for two years. And then to come out of that
14:36
into a recession, the vibes have just not been it.
14:40
But oftentimes with these kinds of stressful world events, we
14:44
see music swing the complete other direction.
14:47
Through the 2008 GFC, for instance, there was a rise in
14:51
house music production, with many pop songs following suit.
14:54
This has since become known as recession Pop in a piece for the
14:58
University of Pennsylvania's Hot Knife Mag.
15:00
Akil Veda explores the. Concept writing Quote Crisis
15:04
points like economic recession create a recurring dissonance in
15:07
popular culture. Because of how these.
15:09
Economic. Stress fractures shake our.
15:11
Vision of autonomy and agency. As a result.
15:14
Pop music becomes about seeking joy, empowerment, and of course,
15:18
a sense of escapism, quote some of the usual thematic suspects
15:22
of recession pop include consumerist anthems that assure
15:26
us that we can spend our our way into a new.
15:28
Reality. Sexless.
15:29
Songs about sex that reduce physical intimacy to its
15:32
mechanical attractions and rote motions and vague empowerment
15:36
chants that try to. Lifelessly propel us up.
15:39
Off the ground during the recession, some of the most
15:42
iconic bangers in pop music history dropped from Lady Gaga's
15:45
Just Dance. To Kesha's TikTok.
15:47
To LMFAO's Shots in a video by commentary creator Naomi
15:52
Cannibal, she explains the intention of these songs wasn't
15:54
to be deep or get you thinking, but actually the opposite.
15:57
It simply exists for enjoyment. She also notes how many of these
16:00
songs were meant to. Cater to the club.
16:03
Seeing these settings as a place of community and fun, a lot of
16:06
the recession pop from the Great Recession, which again was
16:09
mostly Electro pop or some infusion of it, was intended to
16:12
be club music. That's because the genre started
16:14
in the club in rave scenes and clubs are still considered a
16:17
place for escape. Well, Gen.
16:18
Z was too young to experience these songs for what they were
16:21
intended for. The pandemic and the economic
16:24
conditions that have followed have made way for the return of
16:27
recession pop, but a twenty 20s version?
16:30
Take Beyoncé's release of Renaissance in 2022 as an
16:34
example. Act One of a.
16:35
Three act project. Renaissance marked Beyoncé's.
16:38
First full. Length album Venture into dance
16:41
and house music. The album draws heavily on
16:44
reference points from Black dance music, particularly that
16:47
of the queer community. As well as the disco era.
16:50
Quote With no ballads and a thudding, insistent beat,
16:52
Renaissance is an album of recession bangers.
16:56
Dancing is a means of escape though.
16:58
Beyoncé's examination of dance music.
17:00
Is also about how it weaves. In and out of Black culture,
17:03
Geeta Jackson writes for Vice. With many Gen.
17:06
Z feeling the need to just have fun, we have witnessed Gen.
17:09
Z fully embrace recession, pop and pop music more broadly.
17:13
Dance music resonated with people so much because they
17:16
longed to be able to return to the clubs and dance, so they had
17:18
to live vicariously through the music for the time being.
17:21
Now, Electro pop became really popular online during
17:23
quarantine. I'm sure this was similarly born
17:25
out of this boredom from being shut in and a desire to find
17:28
anything intriguing and mood boosting, which a lot of hyper
17:31
pop is as cacophonous as it can sound.
17:33
Of course, with Gen. Z being deeply unserious, this
17:36
genre is just fun and feels like it fits with Gen.
17:40
Z's overall vibe. So from the democratization of
17:43
pop commentary to the return of recession pop, it's no surprise
17:47
that Gen. Z has welcomed a new era of.
17:49
Pop girlies. But there is.
17:50
One more reason why this demographic.
17:52
Is excited to see. This new rise The normalization
17:56
of Stan culture With the advent of Stan Twitter and fandom
18:00
culture on Tumblr, Stan behavior became all too common on social
18:03
media through the 20 tens. Now, by this point, I'm sure all
18:07
of you know what Stan culture looks like.
18:10
But for those. Of you who are unfamiliar with
18:11
the term Stan's are hardcore fans, so much so that a Stan is
18:16
a combination of stalker and fan.
18:19
The biggest difference between a fan and a Stan is how an
18:21
interest in a celebrity, influencer, or piece of media
18:25
impacts identity stands. Make that part of their identity
18:28
and thus being a fan of this one thing becomes.
18:31
Part of your life. Almost like a hobby, Stands are
18:34
deeply committed to their fan object, building their own
18:37
communities around the. Celebrity or creator?
18:40
Some of the most prolific fandoms through Gen.
18:42
Z's childhood and adolescence. Would be the Swifty.
18:45
'S beliebers, Directioners and even the BTS Army standam has
18:50
deeply influenced how many Gen. Z individuals engage with pop
18:53
music and rally around. Particular stars.
18:56
We all know Gen. Z's obsession with lore.
19:00
In every aspect of life. This demographic enjoys creating
19:03
a whole world and side characters within it.
19:06
This mindset has encouraged Gen. Z to.
19:08
Sleuth for clues. And pop artist content leading
19:11
many. To drop Easter eggs.
19:12
And subtle hints across their songs and music videos.
19:16
Ultimately, this has elevated. Gen.
19:17
Z's analysis. Of pop.
19:19
Culture to new heights. Some may view the intense
19:22
reactions. Of this demographic to the
19:24
Easter eggs as. Brain rot.
19:26
But it's undeniable that this engagement is revitalizing the
19:30
genre for years to come. So that brings us to now.
19:34
We're at a place in modern culture.
19:36
Because of all the. Reasons we just discussed and
19:38
more where pop music made by women is finally being taken.
19:42
Seriously. While this shift.
19:44
Has made the pop landscape more welcoming of new artists.
19:48
It's also made it more competitive.
19:50
As a result, the. Gen.
19:52
Z. Pop girl has.
19:53
Become all about subverting the pop star archetype in one way or
19:57
another. So let's go through.
19:59
Some of the most prominent examples in a recent piece for
20:02
The Atlantic author and journalist Spencer Kornhaber.
20:06
Explores how the likes. Of Sabrina Carpenter Chapel
20:09
Rhone and Charlie Xex are paving the way for a new.
20:12
Type of pop girly. One that appeals specifically to
20:16
Gen. Z while Sabrina, Chapel and
20:18
Charlie. Are all.
20:19
Very different artists. Kornhaber notes how all three of
20:22
them chose to center the female experience and embrace a brutal
20:26
sense of honesty. Quote.
20:28
In all cases, these women's feistiness stems less from
20:31
youthful rebellion than from mere candor, and from the
20:34
assurance that growing up in the conventional sense is just
20:37
optional. For Sabrina Carpenter, this is
20:40
through her songwriting. Many of her songs are laced.
20:43
With witty. Quips from the nonsense outros
20:46
to entire. Tracks like espresso.
20:48
Kornhaber draws an intriguing parallel to Oops I Did It Again
20:51
by Britney Spears, highlighting how Espresso reimagines the
20:55
theme of the song, suggesting that breaking a man's heart is
20:58
no accident. Quote the Spears.
21:00
Comparison also sheds light on what makes Carpenter feel novel
21:03
so often in pop history feminine performances of sexual.
21:07
Power have. Seemed on some.
21:09
Level shaped by. And for men, Carpenter.
21:12
Might appear to fit. That mold with her vintage pin
21:14
up fashion aesthetic. All teddies and Tiny.
21:17
Skirts, but The Who? Me attitude she projects, is
21:20
knowing and ironic. So Sabrina might seem like a
21:23
cookie cutter pop star on. Paper, but it's evident that she
21:27
uses. This expectation to subvert and
21:29
redefine the archetype entirely. Meanwhile, Chaparron is an
21:34
artist who stands far from the cookie cutter mold.
21:37
She centers the female gaze. Through her drag.
21:39
Persona and aesthetic Drawing comparisons to Lady Gaga,
21:43
however, she goes beyond merely celebrating the female
21:46
experience. She authentically and
21:48
unapologetically. Portrays the life.
21:50
Of a queer woman this contrast significantly with pop history's
21:54
tendency. To exploit the LGBTQIA.
21:57
Plus community through queer baiting.
21:59
While we have previously debated whether real people.
22:02
Can. Actually, queer bait.
22:03
It's. Clear that using queer.
22:05
Culture to. Expand listenership and support
22:08
has become. A way for Hollywood?
22:09
To commodify queer identities. Quote celebrities can use.
22:13
Queerness as a marketing tool and take advantage of LGBTQIA
22:17
excitement without offering meaningful representation,
22:20
writes Annabelle and David Fricentennial.
22:23
With Gen. Z growing up in a world where
22:24
queer baiting is everywhere, it makes sense that this
22:27
demographic. Is welcoming artists like
22:29
Chapel? Quote Her songwriting toes the
22:31
line between gut burstingly funny and just gutting, and
22:35
she's queer and a refreshingly confrontational way.
22:38
Quote She sings about gayness not as an abstraction but as a
22:42
fact of her life, and she seems frustrated in a productive.
22:45
Way with how the self. Acceptance slogans that she grew
22:48
up singing along with still clash with modern society in
22:51
all. Sorts of ways.
22:53
Songs like Pink Pony Club and Good Luck Babe are perfect
22:56
examples of this kind of honesty that many of us aren't
22:59
necessarily used to seeing in pop music.
23:01
While both Chapel and Sabrina are Gen.
23:03
Z, born in 1998 and 1999 respectively. 1 Millennial.
23:08
Artist is. Coming to personify Gen.
23:10
ZS cool girl obsession Charlie Xex.
23:14
Although Charlie has been around for a while featuring on hits.
23:17
Like I love. It with Iconica Pop in 2012 and
23:20
Fancy with Iggy Azalea in 2014. She has only recently solidified
23:25
herself as a Gen. Z.
23:26
Fave with Brat for the vast majority of her career.
23:30
She has remained relatively underground, cultivating a culti
23:33
fan base after solidifying herself in the hyper pop genre,
23:37
creating fan only. Spaces like a private.
23:39
Instagram called. At 300 and. 60, brat and
23:42
ultimately becoming a gay icon even though she identifies as
23:46
straight. What truly captivated Gen.
23:48
Z? About the brat.
23:49
Album and its rollout is both the subject matter and the
23:52
overall. Aesthetic with.
23:54
Charlie being the ultimate party.
23:56
Girl Brat also feels like a perfect follow.
23:58
Up to COVID-19 and the rise of recession pop on top.
24:02
Of this the aggressively. Green background and plain text
24:05
reading Brat along with the deluxe album called Brat and
24:08
it's the same, but there's three more songs so it's not.
24:11
Perfectly captures the cultural zeitgeist.
24:14
Through the anti design. Cover, she taps.
24:17
Into Gen. Z's love for irony and
24:19
self-awareness. Not to mention, this feels very
24:22
chronically online, something that Charlie also fed into in
24:25
the 360 music video, which featured Internet icons like
24:28
Emma Chamberlain, Julia Fox, Quinn Blackwell, among others on
24:32
the subject matter of the album. Specifically, Kornhaber says
24:36
quote. She's not singing about boys.
24:38
But about how it's? So confusing sometimes to be.
24:41
A girl there are. Songs about idolizing mean girl
24:44
podcasters, feeling threatened by her male friends, female
24:47
squeezes, and having. Awkward rivalries with other.
24:50
Women in the Pop. World while listeners are
24:52
baited. To guess at whom she's really
24:54
referring to in all these songs, they're also urged to consider
24:57
the tensions inherent to modern feminism's simultaneous
25:00
encouragement of careerism. And sisterly solidarity it's.
25:04
Clear that the Gen. Z pop girlies are moving away
25:07
from a version of pop that aims to please everyone of Charlie
25:10
Chaplin, Sabrina. This is something that former
25:13
Capital Music Group. Chief executive Michelle
25:15
Jubilier. Sees in all three women telling
25:18
the Los Angeles Times that quote, they're all incredibly
25:21
strong, independent women who are are a little brash and who
25:24
build worlds and remain authentically themselves.
25:27
Kornhaber for the Atlantic attributes.
25:29
The shift to the. Growing influence of streaming
25:32
while this undoubtedly. Plays a role.
25:34
We must acknowledge Trail Blazers like Madonna, who broke
25:36
barriers and fought for women's freedom in pop music.
25:40
This sense of freedom and the embrace of the unconventional
25:43
has been common among the Gen. Z.
25:45
Pop girlies. For some time now take.
25:47
Billie. Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo as
25:50
examples being 2. Artists who have already
25:52
solidified. Themselves in the mainstream,
25:55
Billy has essentially redefined the genre with her three albums,
25:58
pioneering a unique style of pop music and an overall.
26:01
Vibe. First and foremost, she embodies
26:04
Gen. Z's Moody tendencies,
26:06
contrasting. Sharply with the hyper.
26:08
Produced vibrant worlds of millennial pop.
26:10
Stars like Taylor Swift Throughout her career, Billy has
26:13
fearlessly tackled heavy topics such as power.
26:16
Dynamics sexuality, anxiety and depression from as young as 15
26:21
in an era where Gen. Z is deeply value driven and
26:24
prioritizes socio. Political.
26:26
Issues Gen. Z pop girlies must address these
26:28
themes authentically, something that Billy has done time and
26:32
time again, unlike strictly media trained pop.
26:35
Stars of the past. Billy's openness makes her
26:37
easily relatable to Gen. Z, many of whom are accustomed
26:41
to forming personal connections with their favorite.
26:43
Artists through Parasocial. Relationships on top.
26:46
Of this she is. Completely dismantled
26:48
traditional notions of the female.
26:50
Pop star archetype. Moving away from sexy outfit
26:53
outfits and perfectly choreographed dances on stage.
26:56
Her shows. Often just her Phineas and a
26:58
band on stage are authentic and extremely intimate in a piece
27:02
for The Guardian. Amy Cliff.
27:04
Explores how Billy has. Become the voice of a
27:06
generation, likening her introspective.
27:08
Style to quote. Emos, who ruled the early 2000s,
27:12
a genre that is currently experiencing a revival of its
27:15
own. Hannah Owens, a music journalist
27:18
and the author of Fangirls, Scenes from Modern Music
27:20
Culture, notes that quote. She's not singing like, say,
27:23
Britney Spears did about being a girl and teen heart breaks.
27:27
She's leaning into the darkness of her whole vibe as an artist.
27:30
Cliff concludes by noting just how much.
27:32
Billy is a quote radical departure.
27:34
From what we have. Expected of pop.
27:36
Heroines in the past. With this.
27:38
The journalist questions with the Next Gen.
27:40
Z. Pop Girl would quote.
27:41
Look or sound like of course, the next.
27:44
Artist who broke. Through in a similar fashion was
27:47
Olivia Rodrigo after building her.
27:49
Early career with. Disney starring in bizardvark in
27:52
High School Musical. The Musical.
27:53
The Series. Olivia was primed for success.
27:56
She debuted her music career in 2021 with drivers license, which
28:01
quickly became a viral phenomenon.
28:03
While this song showcased her talent and songwriting ability,
28:06
Olivia went on to. Shatter every expectation
28:09
placed. On her initially expected to
28:12
fall into the indie Moody. Pop category her subsequent.
28:15
Singles revealed a much edgier direction.
28:18
With tracks like good. For You and Ballad of a
28:20
Homeschooled Girl, Olivia has emerged as Gen.
28:23
Z's designated pop punk icon. Quote she is.
28:26
Creating sort of a radio friendly version of the pop punk
28:29
that millennials grew up with. So to them it feels nostalgic
28:32
and familiar. Whereas among her younger
28:34
listeners, a lot. Of them are.
28:36
Discovering this sound for the first time.
28:38
Hugh McIntyre, a Forbes music journalist.
28:41
Tells BBC aside from Olivia's. Songwriting ability which
28:44
perfectly. Captures the.
28:45
Experience of being a teenage girl her brutal honesty is
28:49
something that Gen. Z deeply values quote.
28:52
As with most enduring performers, there is a
28:54
compelling internal struggle going on in Rodrigo's works.
28:58
She is a songwriter who expresses an ongoing teenage
29:01
crisis of confidence, alternately as self flagellation
29:04
or as righteous explosions of self esteem.
29:07
It's a seesaw. That.
29:08
Keeps you coming back, Kitty Empire writes for the Guardians
29:11
as a Disney star turned pop punk artist.
29:14
It's. Clear that.
29:14
Olivia is just another example of how Gen.
29:17
Z is seeking to break molds and doing it successfully.
29:20
Interestingly, a recent article in the Los Angeles Times by
29:24
Mikael Woods. Positions Olivia as the.
29:26
Final Gen. Z pop sensation to break into
29:28
the mainstream before artists like Sabrina Chaplin, Charlie,
29:32
According to an anonymous pop songwriter interviewed for the
29:35
piece, the timing of Olivia. 'S rise to.
29:37
Fame is a key factor contributing to the current wave
29:40
of popularity. The songwriter says that the
29:42
almost. Four year gap.
29:43
Between Olivia and Sabrina Chaplin, Charlie is quote not
29:47
normal. Where quote there used.
29:49
To be at least one massive breakout every year, if not two
29:52
of. Course, this gap is partly.
29:54
Due to the pandemic. Where labels had to adjust
29:56
their. Strategies to elevate young
29:57
artists during this time. TikTok took over.
30:01
That being said, we can't discuss the rise of the Gen.
30:04
Z pop artist without acknowledging the platform's
30:07
influence. TikTok has facilitated the rise
30:09
of pop stars like Tate. Mccrae and Tyler while both draw
30:12
inspirations from previous pop and R&B.
30:15
Artists they have created. A new archetype, the social
30:18
media pop. *. We have seen social media pop
30:21
stars before, with singers discovered through social media.
30:24
Of course, after. Being discovered by Scooter
30:26
Braun on YouTube, Justin Bieber is one of the most iconic
30:30
examples, but today, social media pop stars are different.
30:33
While artists. Like Tate, Mccrae and Tyler
30:35
initially blew up on TikTok, they continue to be integral to
30:38
the trends circulating on the app.
30:40
Many of these trends are dance challenges, such as the recent
30:43
Tyla Dance challenge to her song Jump, emulating one of her
30:47
performances in the South African dance style.
30:49
Bacardi, Tate, and Tyler are not only embracing these trends but
30:53
also performing Tik Tok's iconic choreography on stage, all while
30:57
maintaining their authentic selves on social media
31:00
platforms. This has established.
31:02
Them as some of the most popular rising Gen.
31:05
Z pop. Stars.
31:06
All in all, as. Each of these pop girlies rise.
31:09
It's clear that they are. Carving out their own own unique
31:11
lanes and redefining the genre in the process, Sabrina is
31:15
breaking away from bubble gum pop.
31:17
Olivia has pivoted. From the classic path for the
31:20
Disney pop star and Billy completely shattered the
31:23
traditional pop star mold. As the space becomes
31:26
increasingly competitive, it's clear that honesty,
31:29
self-awareness and sometimes humor is paramount for the Gen.
31:33
Z pop artist, marking a departure from the perfectly.
31:36
Polished pop stars of decades past.
31:39
Infinite. Scroll is a podcast.
31:41
Written, produced and presented by me, Lauren Meisner for
31:44
Centennial World. Additional research and
31:46
reporting is by Annabelle and David.
31:48
Editing is by Danny Fennick. Thank you so much for listening.
31:52
I love you guys. So much and I will talk to you
31:54
next week.