There are eras throughout the years when a certain genre of artists thrives, and when people think of music from that period of time, they often associate it with specific artists. The Beatles from the 1960s to the ‘70s, Green Day and Radiohead from the ‘90s, Eminem, Kanye West and Jay-Z from the early 2000s, but the 2010s were dominated by prominent female pop figures at the time: Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and more. Labeled as “superstars,” these female idols generated multi-million dollar careers through their music, but over time, the decreasing popularity of female pop idols became evident once the trend had passed.
The downfall of these superstars was a result of the decline of radio airplay, in which the American population who listened to radio had a drastic decline of 10% over the last two decades. The marketing of radio stations was in competition with the rise of mainstream media, like TikTok, Instagram and X. Music enthusiasts believe that TikTok’s virality of artists does not account for the longevity of their popularity, boosting songs rather than the artists themselves.
Since then, the hunt for a breakthrough artist has been unsteady until the mid-2020s. The recent years have birthed a new era of female pop artists who are now considered to be the rising and reformed superstars, displaying authenticity and a fresh approach to pop stardom. Artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat, Chappell Roan and the like have garnered the attention of mainstream media. The current lineup of artists, including Charli XCX and Billie Eilish, is possibly defining this new era of pop-girl superstars. From dance trends like Tyla’s Water and Chappell Roan’s HOT-TO-GO to Sabrina Carpenter’s relatable and humorous image, there has been an incredible 6% improvement of female artists in song charts since 2022.
Their brands were able to capture a freshness of new talent and sound that embraces femininity and the spectrum of “girlhood” through the variety of their music that doesn’t shy away from acceptance of character. The marketing of their image was able to bring life back into musical personalities outside of music, focusing on the artist more than just their songs. This milestone comes with the hopes that their careers will not last for just one summer but rather the continuous rise of female idols throughout the years.
