Pop girl summer
Pop girl summer popped off: a recap
Hannah Langley '25
Executive Podcast Coordinator
This summer was huge for all the pop music girls. Charli XCX’s “Brat” album took the world by storm and Chappell Roan became the hottest on the charts. They really fed us this summer with a bunch of new albums, and tour announcements. Here's a rundown of everything that was released and the cultural reset it entailed:
I will start this off with the one everyone knows, Charli XCX’s revolutionary “Brat.” The simple album cover garnered a lot of attention and suddenly lime green was everywhere. The first release was a 15 track album with “360” as the opening track. Throughout the album, her songs convey what it is like to be a woman in the pop music industry, her personal struggles, love, grief and of course, partying.
The second release had three bonus songs with an additional four collaborations. “Girl, so confusing featuring Lorde” was something we needed in order to heal as a society, and “Guess featuring Billie Eilish” was a cultural awakening. Charli gave her all on this album and made this summer, a “Brat girl summer."
Mr. Mac: a proud brat
Chappell Roan gained a huge amount of recognition for her 2023 album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” After working in the music industry for years, she finally got her big break. Her tracks “HOT TO GO!” and “Casual” were on repeat, making it onto every summer playlist. Her single “Good Luck, Babe!” is her top streamed song, and for good reason. She created a new wave of pop for the LGBTQ+ community and continues to be everyone's favorite non-media trained singer-songwriter of this year.
Billie Eilish never disappoints, so when “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” came out, it was unsurprisingly an amazing album. Eilish dropped ten songs May 17 this year and every single one is a banger. “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is uniquely about the deep connection and sibling love she has with her brother and fellow musician, FINNEAS. The sweet song pays homage to their years of songwriting, performing, and growing up together. “LUNCH” became a quick favorite by fans, the catchy beat caught everyone’s attention and still has it. Her tour dates are coming up in December so grab… whatever nosebleed seats you still can.
A special mention for three very special artists with amazing drops this year, Troye Sivan, Clairo and Addison Rae.
Sivan dropped “Something To Give Each Other” and is easily one of the most impressive albums he’s ever made with so many amazing tracks. “One of Your Girls” is definitely the favorite and the music video matched the perfection of the song. Watch out for all his collars with Charli XCX including the Sweat Tour going down this year.
Clairo, although not pop, released her experimental indie album “Charm” and it is something everyone should give a listen to. It has a unique sound that really captures your attention and expands your taste.
Addison Rae dropped her new single “Diet Pepsi,” a Lana Del Rey and Charli XCX live child that resurrected her music career. People are truly seeing her talent, Rae is developing her personal sound and I think we are all starting to like it.
Of course it goes without saying that Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter have had a big impact on pop music this year, so read more about them head over to the page…
Every artist delivered different albums and all of them were simply breathtaking. The art and talent they all exhibited and created this summer is unmatched. This summer was a cultural renaissance for the pop girlies and I would not have it any other way!