For The Record…
From “brat” summer to sipping espresso with Sabrina and being a tortured poet… this year in music was anything short of being casual. We’ve seen breakout pop stars, such as Chappell Roan reaching new heights, genre crossovers, and artists like Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift still continuing to dominate the music scene. But what are the real reasons and stories behind these new music trends? What surprised us? And which artists managed to break through this year’s noise?
A New Era of Artists
It has seemingly been a slow couple of years for emerging pop artists, but 2024 held huge breakout moments for artists like Sabrina Carpenter to have a reemergence, and artists like Chappell Roan to get their chance in the spotlight. Not only did each of these artists have huge songs throughout the year, but their latest and even debut albums have resonated quite well with listeners of all ages. “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” Roan’s late 2023 debut, could best be described as a cinematic soundtrack to queer love and youthful rebellion. After touring with Olivia Rodrigo as an opener on the Guts World Tour, Roan has created a sparkly lane for herself and her career in the music industry. Her songs have taken over social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, she’s holding massive, record-breaking concerts all across the country, and has been rising up the charts as our favorite pink pony girl. Her songs are bold, her lyrics hold honest explorations of identity, belonging, and heartache, and her distinct aesthetic only further distinguishes her as an icon in the making.
Sabrina Carpenter has also made her sweet impact on this year’s music (5 feet to be exact). Her latest album, “Short n’ Sweet,” has toppled over the charts and has cemented her place as one of this year’s top artists. After touring with Taylor Swift on her historic Eras Tour at sold out stadiums across the world, Carpenter has since departed on her own sold-out world tour. Her playful performance style, skillful songwriting, and meteoric rise have further led to her attracting multiple Grammy nominations, including Album and Song of the Year. Fans alike are eager to see what these princesses of pop hold for the future of music, and the upcoming pop renaissance sitting just beyond the horizon.
This Year Hit Us… Hard and Soft?
In the midst of new waves of artists, what better way is there to wrap up this year than to be named Apple Music’s 2024 Artist of the Year? Well, for nine-time Grammy and two-time Oscar winner Billie Eilish, this is nothing short of a major honor. After releasing her latest, and greatest album, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT,” on May 17, she instantly rose back up to the top and became the #1 artist in the entire world. Listeners were immersed in a full spectrum of emotions through Eilish’s lyrical grace and skillful writing, ranging from heartbreak, sexuality, self-perception, friendship, discovery, anguish, and ultimately… grief. The 23-year-old songwriter didn’t disappoint with this highly anticipated 10-track album, and fans are sticking together, like birds of a feather, as Eilish is currently on her immensely large, sold-out world tour for the album.
And speaking of large tours, a historic one seemingly just wrapped up in recent weeks: Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour just finished up its last stop in Vancouver after being ongoing for almost 3 continuous years. Swift has become quite the household name, both for her extensive music career and for her current relationship with NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Songs that reflect their relationship, as well as previous relationships of Swift and struggles faced within the music industry, can be found in her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” which was released in April of this year. It’s an intense, immersive journey into the depths and despair of creativity, vulnerability, and raw human emotions, serving as diary entries into the most intimate aspects of the songwriter’s life. With their shared ability to weave complicated stories and topics through powerful vocals, these two women continue to dominate the music industry, and we can only look forward to what the future holds for them!
Embracing Genre Fluidity (“brat,” but it’s actually just a review for the album, and I liked it, by the way.`)
Although summer has since ended, lime green is still very much having its moment, and we have Charli XCX’s hit album “brat” to thank for that. After being released in June, these electronic and synth beats featured throughout the tracklist immediately became mainstream and infected music platforms and social media with a bedazzled, danceable virus. This soundtrack to female empowerment has taken over pop culture and underground clubs, and has become heavily intertwined in Gen Z culture. The vibes and energy are high, as this dance pop album strives to take the negative connotation away from the title word and replaces it with a movement advocating for women’s expression, careless enjoyment, and unapologetically being yourself. These marketing methods are tearing down misogynistic views and suggesting listeners instead lead with strength and resilience. Even into the latter part of this year, Charli has continued to rework this iconic album and continuously gain more momentum through unexpected collabs with artists such as Lorde, Bon Iver, Billie Eilish, and many more. Charli XCX is showing no signs of slowing down, between her “Sweat” tour sets and her multiple remixes of songs featured on the hit album. And for which artist she’ll possibly collaborate with next? Well… We can only keep bumpin’ that beat and guess!
Personalized Music
This year’s shining moments in women’s music and LGBTQ+ expression have not only transcended the music industry as a whole but have offered opportunities for inclusive fan bases to be created, no matter your background or identity. The support radiating for all of these female artists and the issues they continuously stand up for truly shows how powerful movements like these can be created. While it may be highly due to their popularity, it’s also a result of acceptance and adoration that truly exhibits how the music industry has evolved into what it is today. When asked about music trends and artists that stood out this year, senior Sydney Hayes referred to it as “one of the biggest strides we’ve made in a while that was positive for pop; especially with female positivity and uplifting each other.” Hayes additionally pointed out how “music is so versatile; there were so many catchy songs this year, especially with female artists like Chappell Roan dominating the field. Her style and the way she presents herself, the way she produces and advertises her music, I thought was really interesting and a really cool move in the pop industry.”
As we continue to move forward into a new era of a world led and curated by women, it will be refreshing to observe how this year’s music will be incorporated into the upcoming years, and even decades to come.
