The past few decades have brought an influx of new female pop stars ranging from women like Britney Spears, Beyonce and child stars like Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez, all of which have sung love songs. But as the 2010’s came to a close and child stars grew up, a dry spout of new artists swept the music industry. This year, new trends and albums created by Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX took the internet by storm. With lyrics about more serious themes like suicide, drugs, and sexuality, these women are products of their environment, changing what it means to be a pop star.
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter rose to fame at fifteen years old, starring on Disney Channel’s spin-off of “Boy Meets World”, “Girl Meets World.” She also appeared on things like “Sofia the First” and “The Hate U Give.” Carpenter gained a following as she branched away from Disney, creating albums like “Singular Act I” and “Singular Act II” in 2018 and 2019. Carpenter further gained success with her 2022 album “emails i can’t send” which included the song “Nonsense.” This began Carpenter’s mainstream fame, being her second most streamed song ever with over a billion streams. In 2023, she released a popular song called “Feather” which further contributed to her growing popularity. With these two songs under Carpenter’s belt, it was clear a huge success was underway.
“I really like how honest and genuine her lyrics are, she doesn’t hold back when singing about her true feelings and it gives a lot of depth to her songs,” junior Gianna Krieger said. “I really enjoy her music.”
The release of the song “Espresso” skyrocketed Carpenter’s online fame, garnering over 1.5 billion streams on Spotify alone. The song is lighthearted and girly, and doesn’t take itself too seriously as it talks about a boy. Tiktok trends and dances to the song aided in its popularity and the subsequent release of “Please Please Please” further cemented her place as a rising artist of the year. The song talks about how it feels to be in a relationship that others don’t approve of, hoping that your partner doesn’t prove everyone right
“She has songs that promote being adventurous and taking risks when starting a relationship,” Krieger said. “It sends a really strong message of feminism that women can look up to…”
Carpenter’s currently on her “Short N’ Sweet Tour” for her new album which has garnered even more success for the artist. Her songs on the album cover ideas of sexuality, femininity, and the complexity of relationships; these are more adult themes that weren’t commonly covered by pop artists from just a decade before. “Bed Chem” and “Juno” normalize being in tune with one’s sexuality and feelings. Carpenter has received six Grammy nominations this year, was named number 4 on Rolling Stone’s “Best 100 Albums of 2024,” and she ended off the year with a Netflix Christmas Special called “A Nonsense Christmas.”
“I think she’s one of the best real pop stars of our generation,” Krieger said. “She’s teaching this generation how to be more confident while telling women not to define themselves by men.”
Billie Eilish
In 2015, Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes” introduced us to the talents of the young singer-songwriter and her music producing brother Finneas. At the age of fourteen, Eilish garnered attention from millions of people through a song she first uploaded on Soundcloud. After being signed, she went on to produce songs like “Bellyache”, “Bored” and her EP “don’t smile at me” in 2017. Eilish’s first studio album, “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” released in 2019, introduced Eilish’s first mainstream hit “bad guy.” The song has surpassed more than 2.6 billion streams, received a Grammy for “Song of the Year” in 2020, and has gone platinum in the United States five times. The song“xanny” from the album delves into not doing drugs in a society where it’s been so normalized, she promotes not indulging in substances even when all her friends are. This is an unpopular sentiment in music nowadays, and is an important message for young people to be sent.
“I love the production of her music and the reliability of her lyrics,” Senior Cameron Johnson said.
On May 17th of this year, Eilish released her third studio album “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” which accumulated worldwide success. The album covers themes like friendship, feelings of hopelessness, sexuality, and living up to the expectations of oneself. The first song on the album, “Skinny” talks about struggles with body image and weight loss in particular. It addresses comparing yourself to other phases in your life, and feeling bad despite everyone thinking you look better than ever. Another song “The Greatest” talks about putting your all into something, and it’s still not enough. Eilish sings about the feelings of defeat and hopelessness that come alongside that. Lastly, arguably her most famous song on the album, “Birds of a Feather” is practically a thank you letter to the people in our lives that we couldn’t live without, giving a sense of gratitude and optimism to the album.
“Her [lyrics] make people feel heard and seen,” Johnson said. “Feeling heard is important, especially in a time where people can feel so isolated due to social pressure and social media.”
In November of this year, Eilish was named Apple Music’s 2024 “Artist of the Year” following her newest album. This recognition made her the first person to ever receive this title twice, since she was previously named “Artist of the Year” in 2019 for her album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” Her new album “Hit Me Hard and Soft” was named 5 on “Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Albums of 2024.” Eilish collaborated with Charli XCX on the song “Guess” from XCX’s remix album “Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat” which soared to number 1 on Billboard’s “Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Chart.” Like Carpenter, Eilish is currently on a sold-out tour, performing around North America, Europe, and Oceania.
“She’s a generational talent,” Johnson said.
Chappell Roan
Unlike the other women on the list, Chappell Roan only made her mainstream debut this year. The song “HOT TO GO!” which tells the flirtatious story of two girls at a restaurant, and its accompanying dance were seen all over social media, and played repeatedly on the radio. Roan, who’s currently 26, began uploading music at 16 with the original song “Die Young.” Headlining for Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS” tour in 2023, Roan further propelled herself into mainstream media. It wasn’t until the release of her 2023 album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” that Roan really made it on the map. In March of 2023, she had 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and in October of 2024, that number skyrocketed, leaving her with 45 million monthly listeners. Some of her most recognizable songs from the album include, “Good Luck, Babe!,” “Casual” and “Femininomenon” that all have to do with what it means to be, and live as, a queer woman. “Good Luck, Babe” specifically talks about denying your sexuality at convenient times at the expense of your partner. The lyrics “You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling…” that claim getting rid of said feelings is impossible. Having a female queer artist become famous means a lot to LGBTQ people who haven’t had an artist to look up to. Especially since Roan is known for much more than her sexuality and she’s made a name for herself that transcends the LGBTQ community.
With the popularity of this new album, older songs of hers began to gain traction including the 2020 single “Pink Pony Club.”
Guidance Counselor Elizabeth Beatty was immediately drawn to Roan’s music when she heard it, “She sang Pink Pony Club and I remember thinking how unique her sound and style were.”
The song “Pink Pony Club” in particular covers the feelings of acceptance and joy within a space that’s safe for queer people. The song delves into what it feels like to see people that are like you after feeling alone and different for so long. Roan’s music focuses on the themes of identity, feelings associated with sexuality and being queer, and navigating relationships in a time where casual partners and a lack of labels is normalized.
“Her lyrics are catchy, [and] her songs have great hooks that are super infectious,” Beatty said. “I think she is able to champion the LGTBQ+ community while also attracting mainstream audiences.”
Roan recently featured on Sabrina Carpenter’s Netflix Christmas Special, “A Nonsense Christmas” in which the pair sang duets of holiday songs. This year, Roan has been nominated for 6 Grammys including “Best New Artist” and “Best Pop Vocal Album.”
Charli XCX
Last but not least, singer and songwriter Charli XCX has had a vast resurgence this year, coining the term “Brat Summer” with her 2024 album “Brat.” The iconic green color of the album cover was referenced all over the internet with Vice President Kamala Harris even referencing the album while campaigning. Charli XCX is not new to music, and was a household name in the 2010’s with songs like “Boom Clap,” “Break the Rules,” and “I Love It.”
“I used to listen to her music when I was younger,” said Junior Nick Collura. “I remember the radio always played ‘I Love It’ and ‘Break the Rules.’”
One recognizable aspect of the album is the way it sounds, it’s a blend between house music and club beats, it’s flashy, loud and fast paced. It promotes partying, having fun, and making the most of your time on Earth despite your difficulties.
“[She] constantly utilizes digital instruments and synthesizers to create unique sounds, mimicking and paying homage to Y2K club music,” said Collura.
Creating a name for herself early on, XCX eventually left the limelight, garnering a fanbase for herself with roughly 7 million monthly listeners. That was until her 2024 album “Brat” hit the charts. Her songs “360,” “Von dutch,” “Girl, so confusing,” “Apple” and “365” all went viral online, which came with their respective dances and trends alongside them. “Girl, so confusing” in particular featured fellow singer songwriter Lorde. In the song, the two go back and forth about their unspoken rivalry amongst themselves and within the music industry. More relatable to listeners, the song covers the feelings of envy, defensiveness due to insecurity, and girlhood. Fans of both artists loved the song, appreciating how two women could address how they’ve been put against one another while recognizing that it wasn’t either of their doing. Her song “Apple,” although a fun dance of it has been made on TikTok, covers intergenerational trauma and the difficulty of breaking away from it. Using the lyrics, “I think the apples rotten right to the core…From all the apples coming before” in regards to feeling like your actions and failures are predetermined because of those before you. The song plays with the famous saying ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ which claims that you can’t differ much from the tree you’ve been born a part of.
“Her music is authentic, it’s different from a lot of other popular music released today,” said Collura.
Although “Brat Summer” is over, the album is still being highly acclaimed. This December, The Rolling Stone Magazine named “Brat” the number 1 on their 100 Best Albums of the Year. The album has been nominated for the categories “Album of the Year,” “Best Dance/Electronic Album” and “Best Recording Package” by the Grammy’s Association.
It’s without a doubt that Charli XCX’s revitalized career has been the perfect rebrand for this generation.
“She’s unapologetic,” said Collura. “[Her music] crosses a line between what’s different and normal, and has depth and complexity which would otherwise be orthodox for a pop star.”
We can see how much times are changing through the types of music around us.
All of these women have made names for themselves by advocating for issues they face, while adding their own quirks that many people can relate to. All of the artists encompass girlhood, in their respective ways, through their personal struggles and strong suits. Their music surpasses the frivolous themes of previous pop stars, and young girls finally have role models that tell them it’s okay, and normal, to feel.
