Recession pop

Recession Pop
Swift on her Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), the highest-grossing North American tour at the time
Stylistic origins	Pop Dance-pop EDM synth-pop[1] electropop house bubblegum pop
Cultural origins	Late 2000s to early 2010s, United States and United Kingdom
Other topics
Hyperpop Alternative Pop

Recession pop is a subgenre of dance-pop that emerged in the late 2000s to early 2010s, the term was coined to describe a wave of up-tempo, catchy, repetitive, feel-good pop music that was produced in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. It often blends elements of electronic dance music, electropop and synth-pop. The genre is seen as reflective of a broader cultural trend during economic downturns, where art serves both as a critique of the times and a coping mechanism.^[2]

Notable artists include Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Black Eyed Peas, LMFAO, Kesha, Dua Lipa, Pitbull, Lana Del Rey, David Guetta, Ariana Grande, Flo Rida, and Christina Aguilera.

The term "recession pop" first gained prominence during the Great Recession and 2008 financial crash, a global financial crisis that significantly impacted economies worldwide. As individuals and communities grappled with unemployment, housing instability, and financial insecurity, popular music began to reflect these changes. Artists crafted songs characterized by a danceable sound and an emphasis on nightlife and partying, providing a sense of escapism, while others focused on themes of survival, frustration, sadness, and hope, often wrapped in an optimistic message.^[3]

Music journalists noted the popularity of dance tracks, particularly those with narratives about clubbing and feeling positive during hard times, in pop music in the early 2010s being seen as a response to the 2007–2008 financial crisis or 2012 phenomenon, with the colloquial term "recession pop" used to define the popular songs of this decade.^[4]

The Guardian stated that times of economic downturn or global recessions were categorized by an influx of upbeat, fun and happy dance-pop music: "[...] when Pitbull and Kesha were massive – whenever there’s a recession, people party way more. If anyone wants to play a fun song, it’s usually from 2008."^[5] Additionally, Vice described recession pop songs as "meant to be screamed along to, danced to, used as a soundtrack to a chaotic night out. To be a recession banger means to offer your listeners a place of escape within your music, turning every party into an extravagant, maximalist club experience even if you’re broke."^[6]

Some music critics argue that the genre reflects popular culture, music, and art during times of economic downturns drawing parallels between the Great Depression and the rise of swing and big band music in the 1920s-30s.^[7]

Recession pop is characterized by its upbeat, infectious melodies as well as a party-laden, anthemic danceable sound. Features such as the use of the "millennial whoop," vocal pattern that became popular in 2010s pop music are also prominent.^[8] The genre frequently mixes elements of electronic dance music with synth-pop and electropop's heavy reliance on shimmering synthesizers, danceable beats, and lush production reminiscent of 1980s pop aesthetics. The genre is also primarily led by female artists^[9] and celebrates empowerment, optimism and resilience.

Artists such as Sam Smith and Chappell Roan explored queer identity, with writers illustrating the parallels between queer pop and recession pop stating that "recession pop tended to be adopted by queer communities in hindsight".^[10] Other central themes of the genre include consumerism, drinking, sexuality, materialism, escapism, partying, and hedonism.^[11]

Additionally, the music often reflects the economic and emotional instability of its time, with introspective, socially conscious, or melancholic lyrics as seen in the music of Adele and Lana Del Rey, reflecting the tension capturing the cultural zeitgeist of financial crises and social uncertainty, while maintaining a polished, accessible sound that appeals to mainstream audiences.^[12]

During the late 2000s, the decline of traditional genres like rock music, and the rise of electronic and pop-centric sounds, created a fertile ground for recession pop to emerge. The death of rock music's popularity^[13] on the billboard charts coincided with the enormous rise of pop artists like Taylor Swift,^[14] signaling a new era of music criticism which favored poptimism over previously heralded rockism. Poptimism argues that pop music can be as emotionally and socially significant as genres like rock music or classical. Around this time, publications like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and Vice began reviewing and celebrating pop music with the same rigor and seriousness traditionally reserved for indie or rock genres. Music critics increasingly challenged the rock-centric lens of traditional criticism.^[15]

Lady Gaga released her first album The Fame right after the 2008 financial crash while her lead single “Just Dance” implored listeners to “just dance/it’s gonna be okay.”^[16] Artists such as Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Madonna, Kesha, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Usher, David Guetta, Pitbull and Rihanna also began releasing dance-pop and club party anthems amidst the aftermath of the financial crisis.^[17]

The 2010s, similarly to the late 2000s, saw strong electronic influences present within dance-pop; there is also a strong emphasis on bass-heavy drum beats. Newer recording artists such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Rita Ora, and Dua Lipa joined the dance-pop charts within the decade.^[18][19] Poptimism played a role in elevating the critical status of artists associated with recession pop. For instance, Charli XCX, Robyn and Lana Del Rey, who might once have been relegated to the realm of just being "mainstream pop," were now being celebrated for their artistry and innovation.^[20]

In the late 2010s, recession pop started to lose popularity as mainstream pop artists such as Taylor Swift started moving away from danceable club songs in favor of laid-back folk albums. Subsequently, artists like Harry Styles and Justin Bieber whose music had previously been described as "generally lively" were now releasing songs that were described by Vice as "not meant for the club", signaling a cultural shift in pop music towards a more downbeat trend,^[6][21] the decline of recession pop can also be linked to the growing rise of hip hop music in the mid-to-late 2010s as it became the most popular genre in the United States.^[22][23][24]

Amidst the early 2020s COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdowns, the dance-pop music of the recession pop era began to experience a revival.^[25] The economic instability, widespread unemployment, and social isolation caused by the pandemic created a cultural climate reminiscent of the Great Recession, artists such as Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charli XCX are credited as the main innovators in this new wave of recession pop.^[26][27] Other notable artists, such as Kesha with her single Joyride and Beyoncé who with her album Renaissance, have helped revive the recession pop sound.^[6][28]

Dazed stated that Chappell Roan's debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess was responsible for “bringing [this] element of capitalism’s hardships and discrimination [to dance music] by discussing its depressive symptoms rather than its roots”.^[26]

Charli XCX, known as one of the leading artists in the hyperpop movement, contributed significantly to the recession pop revival with her 2020 album How I'm Feeling Now, which was written and recorded during lockdown.^[29] Sabrina Carpenter's work explored themes of self-discovery and navigating personal crises, while Chappell Roan's music infused elements of queer identity and empowerment into the genre's framework.^[30][31]

The Guardian credited Charli XCX's album Brat, with its hedonistic and party-laden sound as contributing in popularizing the resurgence of recession pop, the Brat summer social media trend further helped promote the album. Subsequently, music critics have also suggested that the rise of upbeat, danceable pop music post-COVID may be signaling an impending economic downturn into the late 2020s.^[32]

• Dance-pop
• 2008 Financial Crisis
• Great Recession