Professional Fangirl- Katelyn Benschoter
Pop music has its name for a reason; it is the popular music of the time, to put it simply. Historically, pop music is more upbeat, catchy, and has either a beat or a hook that gets stuck in your head for days. But that being said, pop has a wide range of sounds, which is what’s expected from the genre. As someone who consumes a lot of music, and a lot of pop music to be specific, I have felt a shift. I recall a very different sound and feeling from my youth than what has been popular in the last five years—and, once again, I feel a shift, this time in the past year. Dare I say the upbeat, bright-sounding, colorful, and fun sound of pop music is back? But it wouldn’t be changed if there wasn’t any pushback, would it?
When I think of the music of my childhood, I think of super fun and upbeat songs. Songs like “Baby” by Justin Bieber, “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen, and “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction. These were all the hits of their respective years and have a lot in common. These songs are upbeat, follow a simple structure, and have simple and digestible lyrics. These songs are good, but they are not poetic or inspirational in any way. The genre of pop is based on songs like these, and when I was young, making songs like this was the key to success for musicians. As I have grown older, I have found other genres that I gravitate towards, such as indie pop or even alternative, but I have always maintained a love for pop. That being said, as I have become an adolescent and now an adult who actually picks what music I listen to instead of just whatever plays on the radio, I have noticed a shift in what pop music seems to sound like. In the last five years of music, I have noticed pop is not necessarily these ultra-upbeat, fun songs. But rather songs like “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish or “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo. When I say that there has been a shift in pop music, I am not discounting these songs as bad; I actually quite like these songs. But, they are very different from what used to be the formula for an instant number one hit.
The old formula for a number one hit was clear-cut: simple lyrics, repetition, and a memorable beat or line. Meanwhile, songs such as “Drivers License” were easily one of the biggest songs in the last five years. This completely breaks the old formula. This song is not upbeat; it has emotional and smart lyricism and is not necessarily super catchy. But despite that, it played everywhere, and if you play at any high school, college, or even just in a grocery store, most people will be able to sing along. What I am saying is that in the last five years, pop music has had a focus on more reflective, slow, and poetic lyrics rather than fun and simple ones. This is not to say that upbeat songs simply vanished, but those were not the songs at the top of charts and being added to playlists. When reflecting on this shift in popular music of the last five years, I think there is a very clear reason for the desire for deeper and slower songs. That reason being COVID. The world was sad; we couldn’t go out and do things. We couldn’t go out dancing or for blast music on a summer drive with friends. We were all alone in our rooms with nothing but our own thoughts and feelings. It was an intensely reflective time. Therefore, naturally, the music being made was less upbeat, but also, there was less of a need for fun and upbeat music. One example I think of when I think of COVID music is folklore by Taylor Swift. This album was a stark contrast to Swift’s previous albums. This one has a focus on lyrics and storytelling, and it even went on to win Album of the Year at the 2021 Grammy Awards. As we now reach five years since the COVID lockdown, the world no longer needs reflective and deep music. People are going out again, so it seems that pure pop music is making its return.
It has been a very fun time for music in the last few months, as there has been a lot of new pop music coming out. It has also been a very interesting time for music, as there has been a lot of criticism against pop music lately. One example of this is Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album, Man’s Best Friend. This album was highly anticipated and was bound to be a hit, but when it came out, it somehow fell flat. To sum up the complaints that the general public had, they were disappointed by the simplicity of the lyrics and the emphasis on the upbeat track. Going along with the complaints of the lyrics, I think audiences were disappointed in the themes of the lyrics, which often relate to drinking, going out, and having sex. And while I can admit I do like some of Carpenter’s earlier albums more, I do think Man’s Best Friend was too harshly criticized. An album can be fine, and just not for you. The general public seems to be having a hard time with this idea, though. All over social media, people were bashing certain lyrics and posing questions such as “What happened to the old Sabrina?” To me, it is very unproductive and a waste of everyone’s time. You can criticize something for a real reason, such as “I prefer more complex lyrics and structures to songs,” rather than just immediately hating. And with the recent release of The Life of a Showgirl, there have been similar complaints asking for the Taylor who wrote folklore to come back.
It seems that artists are ready to make “pure” pop albums again, but the world still seems to be unsure. I feel that within a year, pop music may have gotten back to what it once was, but only time will tell. Music is ever-evolving, and there is no way to know what will top the charts in another five years. But I do expect pure pop fun music to be back on top soon, as the world adjusts out of “COVID music.” As a fan of pop music, I am very intrigued to see what happens, as I have a love for both the fun hits and the understated lyrical songs, too. We will just have to wait and see if pop music will return.