Recession Pop is Back… Again.

From Lady Gaga to Lorde

2008 was rough. The U.S was knee-deep in the Great Recession and, to put it simply, in shambles. With surging unemployment, poverty, and economic despair, the light at the end of the tunnel was growing for the American people. The temporary fix? Recession pop, the nostalgia-ridden subgenre starting to make its rounds again over a decade after its inception.

What is Recession Pop?

Recession pop is the recently coined term for music released during periods of economic recession. This informal subgenre initially emerged during the Great Recession of the late aughts and was popularized by prominent 2000s pop artists like Lady Gaga and Kesha. Recession pop, in essence, is pure hedonism, encompassed by an overwhelming joie de vivre that would serve to numb the pain; what else is there to do in such a hopeless time than party nonstop and drink cheap beer until the sun comes up? The root of the subgenre is escapism. When times got tough, those infectious, feel-good tracks were enough to tune out the turmoil… for the time being, at least.

Pop and Dance Music Are Back and Booming

Now, some seventeen years later, we seem to be back at the start of the cycle. As a user from the r/popheads subreddit cleverly stated, when socio-economic status goes down, BPM goes up, and it’s safe to say we’ve seen this trend reflected in music gaining traction as of late. Subgenres like hyperpop, glitterpop, bedroom pop, and dance pop are resurging in popularity and becoming increasingly commercialized, taking over radio stations, stuck on repeat in department stores, and dominating social media. Tried and true artists of the original recession-pop era are releasing new music reminiscent of their heyday, and new-school pop artists are rising from the weeds, ushering in a new wave for the genre and putting a spin on the recession-era pop we know and love.

Recession Pop 2.0

Artists like Charli xcx, Chappell Roan, and Lorde have contributed to the revival of the mind-numbingly uptempo dance hits, dominating charts across the globe with tracks like “Girl, so confusing ft. Lorde” and “Good Luck Babe!” While these new releases have a similar feel to the aughts-era classics, there’s a fresh take on the lyricism, burying deep, introspective, almost cynical lyrics into dance beats that serve as the perfect emotional dichotomy — the pleasure and the pain all at once. Chappell pairs easily danceable, 80’s-fashioned melodies with narratives surrounding the facets and challenges of queerness and the “American dream” of a queer girl from the midwest. Lorde seems to be going back to her roots with her upcoming album, Virgin, navigating the aftermath of a breakup, teenhood, femininity, and MDMA, a substance Melodrama proved she’s no stranger to. Charli XCX’s brat is perhaps the epitome of club culture and new-gen recession pop wrapped up with a neon green bow. It’s sleazy, raunchy, and maybe even a little messy and controversial, but woven within the framework of bumping lines in the bathroom and lower back tattoos are lyrics reflecting on the anxieties of entering your thirties, the fragility of ego among the industry, scrutiny under the public eye, and even the complexities of grief. The album also sparked a cultural phenomenon referred to as “brat summer,” where being carefree and partying the night away — two primary facets of recession-pop ideology — were highly encouraged.

What Recession Pop’s Resurgence Means

It goes without saying that, one way or another, the state of our country is on the decline. We’re still recovering from post-pandemic disarray, the housing and renting markets suck, the job market is even worse, and trade tensions and inflation have eggs feeling more valuable than gold bars. Are we in a recession? Not technically… but the fear is definitely there, and with that fear comes the need for comfort. As we usually do, the public plays the association game, drawing connections between recession indicators of the past and downticking socioeconomic factors in the present, thus repeating the cycle and pulling recession pop back into the scene once again. Might as well have a drink and see how long it lasts this time around.