The Songs of a Downwardly Mobile Summer
The mainstream is disintegrating. What’s a frustrated pop star to do?
In recent years, the optimism of songs like Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." has become rarer in American life, replaced by a new wave of recession pop. TikTok pundits and media commentators speculate that a new wave of recession pop might emerge to suit the economic state of the mid-2020s. The rise of streaming services and changes in music consumption have contributed to the decline of perky pop in the charts.
Instead, a subculture of twisted nostalgia and tarnished glamour has emerged, with songs like Adéla's "Ain't in LA" and Slayyyter's "BEAT UP CHANEL$." These songs feature elements of trap-pop, dark electronica, and a message of resilience in the face of the American dream's ruins.
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