Political stances aside, the economy is not looking good. My dad encouraged me to open investing accounts back in January, and every time I check on them, I have less and less money. The word “recession” is being thrown around quite a bit, and for a lot of us, this is the first time a recession will impact our own bank accounts (rather than just our parents when we were elementary school and preschool-age kids). It’s certainly a scary thought, but we have to take our small victories where we get them. And the silver lining here?
Recession pop is back.
“Recession pop” was first popularized during the 2008 economic recession and reigned supreme for the next several years. Any song that talks about going to the club, partying and having fun, and/or being young, wild, and free to forget about the problems being faced is classified as “recession pop” according to Berklee College of Music. The songs have simple, relatable choruses that usually feature catchy rhyme schemes that get people out on the dance floor. They’ve become wedding reception and school dance regulars. So, let’s think back to the music we listened to growing up: Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” Pitbull and Ne-Yo’s “Time of Our Lives,” and Kesha’s “Tik Tok” are classic examples of the genre. Other sources will say that any pop song from 2008 to roughly 2012 could be considered recession pop, so this includes other hits like La Roux’s “Bulletproof” and Jason Derulo’s “Ridin’ Solo.”
TikTok users have been talking about recession pop for about a year now, though the real kickstart for all the discourse was the release of Kesha’s “JOYRIDE” on July 4, 2024, marking her return to the music scene. “JOYRIDE” signaled something to many Gen Z music fans: the return of recession pop. Social media was all abuzz with who would be next to return to music (with many hopeful attempts to reach Rihanna), as well as what this could mean for the economy. Last summer also gave us BRAT, which was a recession pop album disguised as modern dance-pop, and that’s definitely at least part of the reason why Charli XCX had such success with it. Berklee also discussed last summer’s upturn in streams for recession-era artists like Flo Rida and Pitbull. People turn to nostalgia to bring them joy when the state of everything else is looking bleak, and last summer, things were starting to get bleaker and bleaker, so we turned to “365,” “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl,” and “Nasty” to give us those same vibes we felt from “Just Dance” and “Pon de Replay.” Some media analysts have coined the term “vibecession” (which I sort of hate but understand the sentiment) to refer to the overwhelmingly negative feelings held by the general public since the start of the COVID pandemic, with no shortage of confusion in the air.
Let’s be honest, things have really only worsened since then. We’ve gone from “vibecession” to full-on economic stress that is 100% crash-out-worthy. Recently, “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn, one of the very best recession pop party anthems, has made a resurgence on TikTok, with an audience of mainly college-age girls discussing how ‘hearing this song in the club would fix all our problems.’ While this is troubling, because it shows that the recession-era mindset is coming back into the mainstream, it does bring a sliver of hope for music fans, because recessions bring in some of the best art in all forms.
Cue: MAYHEM, the newest release from the MVP of Recession Pop- Lady Gaga.
We are so back. This album brought the classic Gaga sound we have been craving, judging by its overwhelmingly positive response from social media users. The lead and second singles, “Disease” and “Abracadabra”, hinted at what the sound of the album would be like, but many listeners thought it would be a mix of these and tracks like “Die With A Smile.” While I do love “Die With A Smile,” I am so glad the album is more adjacent to its solo lead singles. Users have likened “How Bad Do U Want Me” to a Taylor Swift 1989-esque sound, while others are joking that “you know the economy is s*** when Gaga starts saying her own name in songs again.” The album is an instant hit, with my personal favorite track being “Vanish Into You,” and it’s definitely the largest signal that recession pop is here once again. Mother Monster has done it again, and the release is both timely and a gift. My argument for this album as a recession pop frontrunner lies in the following tracks: “Zombieboy,” “Garden of Eden,” “Don’t Call Tonight” (the latter of which is a perfect mix between “Telephone” and “Alejandro” in lyrics and melody). While Gen Z music fans crave the vibes of the first recession pop era, she has provided us all with exactly what we’re looking for.
So, party girls and new adults, do not be afraid. The girls have made it through one recession, and we can do it again. It isn’t looking good, not at all, and I understand the fear. But we have one superpower in our corner, and that is the magic of recession pop. Music is medicine, so get out your headphones and pay a visit to your favorite artists—recession pop or not. In the words of Gaga herself, “Just dance, gonna be okay!”
Sources:
https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/recession-pop-playlist
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/21/recession-pop-explained-how-music-collides-with-economic-trends.html