Culture

Rising Pop Stars Sing About Womanhood and Girl Power

By Elle Mason

Many rising pop artists have different ways of expressing themselves through music. Some musicians, such as Sabrina Carpenter, have risen to fame for the relatability and authenticity they share with their listeners. It is hard for women, particularly female artists, to share their opinions and thoughts due to the prominent fear of judgment from others. In response to criticism regarding her expression of her sexuality and costume choices, Sabrina Carpenter has shown the internet that she is not going to change herself, garnering the enthusiastic support of many fans.

Superstar pop artist Taylor Swift has also faced intense media backlash throughout her career. She has reflected on how people commented that she was “dating too much in her 20’s”, prompting her to put a pause on her romantic life for a while. She then released an album that was claimed to have “too many breakup songs”, so she instead wrote a song about her friends. As Swift worked tirelessly to accommodate her music to critics’ demands, the media claimed that her style was changing too much to be defined as country, causing her to change genres completely. Swift’s experiences show that no matter what you do, people are still going to find something to criticize.

A third inspirational female artist who has recently been topping the charts is Chappell Roan. Even though there are multiple queer female pop artists, Chappell Roan separates herself by writing empowering lyrics and scorching hot melodies, making her very popular and one of the most mainstream artists today. While being a female artist is hard, being a queer female pop artist is even more challenging.Until recently, Chappell Roan was considered a niche singer who was “your favorite artist’s favorite artist”. However, she is now one of the biggest mainstream pop artists on the charts at the moment. After Chappell Roan performed the opening act for Olivia Rodrigo at one of her concerts, her music gained popularity and the support of many fans. Her new album was very successful as indicated by its ranking in the top 10 in the Billboard 200. Even though Roan is super grateful for her rise to fame, it is important to consider the amount of stress that this accompanies as well, especially considering how her career took off within the short span of 2 months. As Roan expresses her sexual identity through her songs, people have made her music political because they view her lyrics as “gay.” Like many other female artists new to the pop culture industry, she has been receiving an unreasonable amount of hate and judgment from others who have negative opinions on her music. Chappell Roan has stayed true to herself, her fans, and her music, separating herself from other artists. She even had a special appearance on Saturday Night Live with Jimmy Fallon, creating a bigger audience for her music and showcasing her lyrical talents. 

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