This summer, women dominated popular music. Major female pop artists have been controlling music charts with hits that listeners can’t get enough of, both instrumentally and lyrically. But some of the biggest names in pop music right now are taking up space on more than just the charts; many of this year’s best albums take on themes that go far beyond music. Popstars today have become more than just musicians: they’ve become advocates for real social and political change. Let’s take a look at some of the headliners of 2024 pop and what they’re advocating for beyond their music.
1. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift has been a focal point of the music industry since her first album came out almost 18 years ago in October 2006. Over the past few years, however, Swift’s (Taylor’s Version) phenomenon, worldwide billion-dollar-grossing Eras Tour and almost back-to-back releases of albums “folklore,” “evermore,” “Midnights” and, most recently, “The Tortured Poet’s Department,” have positioned her as an unstoppable force in popular music.
Swift’s latest release, which listeners refer to as “TTPD,” deals with the topics of fame and the toxicity of celebrities in several songs, including “But Daddy I Love Him,” “The Albatross,” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” and more. The issue of public invasions on celebrities’ privacy has always been a hot topic for Swift, whose personal life (and personal space) has been the center of public fascination and scrutiny throughout her career.
Beyond advocating for herself as a mega-celebrity, she has also spent much of her recent career using this platform to advocate for other causes that matter to her. Most notably, she took to Instagram directly after the presidential debate on Sept. 10 and gave her long-awaited, passionate endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 election.
A longtime opposer to Donald Trump and his policies, Swift’s endorsement was expected, but many were still waiting to see her directly support a candidate. In her statement, she specifically mentioned the issues of LGBTQ+ rights, in vitro fertilization and a woman’s right to her own body. She wrapped up the post by urging her fans to educate themselves and choose what they feel is right while reminding everyone to register to vote. Her post has driven hundreds of voter registrations in the days since.
2. Sabrina Carpenter
Many have deemed “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter to be the song of the summer. Carpenter’s recent album release, “Short n’ Sweet,” has propelled her into massive pop stardom following the breakout hits on her last album, including “Feather” and “Nonsense.” Long-time fans may remember her from the other albums she’s dropped since her debut in 2015, or from her lead role in Disney Channel’s “Girl Meets World.”
Like Swift, Carpenter spent the early years of her career being largely inactive in politics, but she has recently started advocating for a few key issues that matter to her. On June 20 this year, she launched the Sabrina Carpenter Fund. This fund is centered around three major issues: mental health, animal welfare and LGBTQ+ rights.
Throughout her career, Carpenter has always amplified LGBTQ+ artists and voices. On June 18 this year, she covered Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” on BBC’s Live Lounge and chose to keep the feminine pronouns of the song rather than change them to support a male love interest. This move made the cover a massive hit among fans of hers, especially those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Carpenter has also worked with many other queer artists and themes, most notably her recent collaboration with indie icon Girl in Red on “You Need Me Now?” and her viral kiss with “Wednesday” actress Jenna Ortega in Carpenter’s “Taste” music video.
3. Gracie Abrams
Gracie Abrams was born to famous parents: her father, J.J. Abrams, directed multiple Star Wars films and her mother was one of the founders of Time’s Up, an organization created during the #MeToo movement to protect women from sexual harassment.
Her most recent album, “The Secret of Us,” dropped on June 21, 2024. It totals 13 songs and features a collaboration with Swift, who she knows after opening for the Eras Tour. The album has been Abrams’ most successful yet.
It’s still early days of Abrams’ career compared to some of the other artists on this list, so she’s been less politically active than most. The issues she’s prioritized most throughout her career, though, have centered around women’s rights and abortion access.
After the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade, Abrams took to X to express her opinion on the case. “The Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will be responsible for the death of so many women in this country,” Abrams said. “It is a denial of our dignity and our right to access private medical care. It is a denial of our bodily sovereignty.”
Because she is newer on the political and musical scene, Abrams will be someone to keep an eye out for in both areas.
4. Charli XCX
Charli XCX has been one of the hottest names in music since her album “Brat” dropped on June 7 this year. Her music career began over ten years ago in 2012, with her breakout single “Boom Clap” dropping a year later in 2013. The “Brat” record and its accompanying lime green branding have become a symbol of summer 2024. Remixes after the original release included collaborations with Troye Sivan, Billie Eilish and Lorde.
Charli’s lyrics have always been written for women and women’s empowerment. For a long time, she’s advocated for mental health and wellness and worked to support causes she cares about. In the 2024 election, she has chosen to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, whose PR team has used the “brat” theme to draw Gen Z’s attention to her campaign.
Charli’s collaborations with Troye Sivan (who she is touring with right now on the Sweat Tour) and Billie Eilish have brought LGBTQ+ voices and sexuality into the spotlight of mainstream pop music. While Eilish and Sivan are both big names in pop music, Charli has given them both a different platform and a new fanbase where they spread their messages.
Charli has also used her platform to give back to communities of women. The music video for “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish uses thousands of underwear sets. After production of the video closed, all sets were donated to the nonprofit I Support The Girls, which distributes underwear and menstrual products to survivors of domestic violence and women facing homelessness across the U.S.
5. Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo’s most recent full album release was over a year ago now, but her voice stays relevant in pop music. “GUTS” dropped on Sept. 8 of last year, but the deluxe version, “GUTS (spilled),” was released on March 22 this year. “GUTS (spilled)” was successful among Rodrigo’s fans and features the song “so american,” which immediately became a fan favorite.
Rodrigo’s first claim to fame was her lead role in the Disney Channel show “Bizaardvark,” which premiered in 2016. Later, this role was followed by a more well-known lead appearance in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” and her breakout single, “All I Want,” which she performed in the show.
Her first album, “SOUR,” included the song “hope ur ok,” which told the stories of two teenage victims of domestic violence and homophobia. The song focused on the courage of the survivors of these situations, and it showed her openness about her political views from the very start of her music career.
Rodrigo has also been very politically active outside of her lyrics. Over the course of her GUTS World Tour, she brought her views on abortion and reproductive rights to center stage. At several stops on the American leg of the tour, Rodrigo’s team made free Plan B pills available to fans. She has also made numerous statements on the importance of protecting abortion access in America.
6. Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish has undergone intense political scrutiny throughout her career. Once criticized for “queerbaiting,” she has now become a source of empowerment and pride in the LGBTQ+ community. Her lyrics on her most recent record, “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT,” bring bisexuality as well as female sexuality into mainstream music in a way that hasn’t often been seen before.
One of Eilish’s most constant issues has been body shaming from the public. The internet has always been critical of her body and women’s bodies in general, and throughout her career, Eilish has advocated for people to dress the way they want and do what makes them feel most comfortable and confident rather than let others dictate those things for them.
Eilish has been an activist in many other ways. Her single “What Was I Made For?” highlighted the struggle of women to find an identity in today’s society and was the soundtrack to the most pivotal scene in the “Barbie” movie, which was a huge film for women empowerment when it came out in 2023.
Eilish has spoken out in support of several political and social issues, including climate change, bisexuality, women’s rights and reproductive access. She, along with her brother Finneas, endorsed Vice President Harris in the 2024 election by posting a video on Instagram. In the video, Eilish says that she is voting for the Democratic Party because “[Harris and Walz] are fighting to protect our reproductive freedom, our planet and our democracy.” In her caption, she wrote, “We are voting for Harris-Walz. The choice is clear.”
7. Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan is the internet’s newest pop darling. Her most recent (and most popular) album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” dropped over a year ago on Sept. 22, 2023, but gained popularity very recently following the release of the single “Good Luck, Babe!” and her performances on Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour and at Coachella.
Roan, an extremely passionate creator and activist, has given LGBTQ+ culture and artists a platform more than any of the other artists on this list. Her concerts each feature several drag artists, her makeup and style frequently pay homage to important LGBTQ+ figures before her and her music embodies queer joy in a way that’s unique to her.
Whatever the issue, Roan has made her stance very clear. Not one to be ashamed to speak her mind, Roan has spoken up for women’s rights, abortion access, celebrities’ and women’s rights to privacy, Palestinian people, a ceasefire in Gaza and more. She has purposefully chosen not to endorse either major party candidate in the 2024 election. “There’s problems on both sides,” Roan said. “I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote…vote for what’s going on in your city.”
ÂŁ1 of every ticket sale for the UK branch of Roan’s Midwest Princess Tour goes toward the Kaleidoscope Trust, which advocates and provides resources for LGBTQ+ people around the world. When she accepted her 2024 MTV VMA award for Best New Artist, she read her speech from her diary. “For all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now, I see you, I understand you because I’m one of you,” she said. “And don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be exactly who you wanna be, bitch.”