Adviser’s Note: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this opinion article belong solely to the author and do not reflect the view of The Colt Chronicle Staff, Kinnelon High School, or its students and staff members.
The 2020s have been a decade known for many sweeping changes to culture. The complete takeover of social media has transformed how people interact with media, such as movies, TV, and music. One of those changes was the increasing specificity at which people listened to music.
Music streaming services such as Spotify or Apple Music allow listeners to hear music from any time or genre which means people have been far more likely to find underground and hyper-niche artists. Even at the beginning of this year, the Colt Chronicle released an article about how pop was dying off. However, throughout 2024, a movement has taken over, leading to the rejuvenation of pop music.
Pop music has exploded in relevance this year thanks to the myriad of artists who have taken center stage. The most popular of these are Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, who have been making music for years but broke out into massive fame at the beginning of 2024.
The former was originally a Disney child star who released a series of albums before their breakout single “Espresso” released in April. The latter was working as a songwriter trying to get music out when she finally got her opportunity to releaser her first album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess which has been a massive success.
Of course, those two are not the only artists that have gained fame this year. In a poll conducted at KHS in September, Colt Chronicle asked students what artists they thought of when it came to recent pop music, and the answers were mostly new to the scene. The top answers were Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan (as well as Taylor Swift, of course), but other artists named included Gracie Abrams, Tate Mcrae, and Renée Rapp who are all artists who have only gained popularity in the last year or so, similarly to the big two of the year. This recent deluge of new pop artists has given new blood to the dying genre. In fact, when asked if they listened to pop music more now than in the past 4 years of the decade, 80% of respondents to the poll said yes.
But why does all this matter? Well, it’s important because it means music taste is likely to become more homogenized again. People’s algorithms are sending them to the same few songs which means playlists and libraries are looking more similar every day. This has its negative effects of course as more underground music might have further difficulties finding an audience but it also means people will have more common interests and tastes which can be good for unity which is a thing that is sorely needed in America. It doesn’t matter though if you are excited or worried about the new pop revival, it is here and it can not be stopped.
If you haven’t joined the pop wave just yet, here is a quick playlist to catch you up to speed for this year’s hits: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13xoknpWbz7Vc9iBOhdvog?si=_UidjdUFRlSK_JHbr9d5Rg
