Between Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential election and the rise of Chappell Roan, the year of 2024 will go down in history as an iconic year. The year of 2024 has been the year for female sung and written pop music, from introducing newly popular artists to the resurgence of iconic artists that have been reintroduced into the spotlight.
Speaking of the rise of Chappell Roan, I want to start this feature by talking about her. Chappell Roan is a newly emerging pop star that has actually been doing music for the last ten years. This year she has been brought into the spotlight and has become an international superstar. Thanks to her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and her hit song “Good Luck, Babe!” made her popularity sky rocket this summer to the point where she was even on the Jimmy Fallon show.
What’s so special about Chappell Roan’s story is that she worked on her music career, consistently for ten years straight. As a queer woman living in a small, conservative town; her dedication, not even knowing if she would be able to make a living yet still doing what she loves, is admirable. Also, in my opinion, I love her music. My personal favorite song of hers is “After Midnight.”
Of course Chappell Roan is a popular name so I went around West Boca and asked the people’s opinions of her and her music. “I feel that Chappell Roan is the encapsulation of the return of real pop music.” Another student said that she felt that, “She makes you feel really connected to the music, especially as a woman.” These insights show that many of the students of West Boca–especially the female population–not only enjoy Chappell Roan’s music but also feel a certain connection to her as a performer. Whether or not you are a fan of her music, this kind of feedback is what pop music should represent, a feeling of connection.
The next topic in regards to pop music and 2024 that I am going to discuss is the birth of the Brat album. Brat, written and sung by emerging popstar Charli xcx has become one of the most popular trends on social media to date. According to Tik Tok stats, #Brat has almost 62 million views and over 1.2 million posts associated with the trend.
The hyperpop album has become a brutalist movement called “Brat summer.” Brat summer can be defined as identifying as a “party girl” and living in a messier and carefree aesthetic, entailing a resurgence of hyperpop, a music genre at its peak in 2014 with hit songs including “I love it”–which ironically is partially written by Charli xcx. Even though both of these hyperpop eras include promotions of problematic topics like drug use, these songs have become widely regarded and listened to internationally.
Oddly enough, when I talked to different students at West Boca, some of them said, “Oh that trend on Tik Tok? I’ve heard of it…” It seems to have been much more popular and well regarded online than amongst the students. Yet on a larger scale–according to the internet, Brat has been received well overall.
Some more new pop albums this year include Eternal Sunshine by Ariana Grande, The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift, Orquídeas by Kali Uchis, along with hundreds of new albums made and publicized this year. Overall, the year of 2024 has created a plethora of new music whether it had just been released or if it had only become popular for the first time. Either way, 2024 has been the year for women in the music industry overall.
