As we head into a new decade, Ampersand music writer Haley Bosselman zeroes in on pop music’s rising artists.
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A new decade felt like the chance to start over. 2020, from the viewpoint of 2019, actually seemed ripe with optimism. It was time for a recharge, another go at the Roaring ‘20s. But this time no prohibition, no running toward an economic downturn.
Boy, were we wrong.
In hindsight, our current state of chaos makes a whole lot of sense. The world, wherever you look, hasn’t been right for a long time. But now, stuck in our homes, the murkiness of the future and absolute disaster of, well, everything is hard to escape.
In pop music, maybe we would have heard it coming. At the turn of the century, Britney and friends were sweet and synthy artificial. The 2010s eased into optimism fueled by party rocking. It was pop, with a bit more grime. And then Lorde snuck in with her honesty. And Halsey brought earworm gloom. For the decade’s finale, Billie dragged us all to hell.
My rose-colored view of the world faded, as one’s does when getting older. At the same time, pop music became darker. I had to believe this was purely coincidental. But I’ve come to learn pop is in fact a barometer for the state of the world.
“It’s a mirror of our collective consciousness, our collective soul,” Jordan Roseman says. “There’s a reason why every song is popular. It hits people in a way that other songs aren’t hitting people.”
Roseman operates as DJ Earworm. Since 2007, he has produced mash-ups of the year’s biggest songs. From the EDM bottleneck of ‘09 to the sad bois of pop in the late ‘10s, Roseman watched pop descend from dancefloor bangers to hip hop darkness.
As for pop music’s current manifestation, it’s hard to define.
“It hasn’t taken form yet,” Roseman says. “I think people aren’t really looking for stretching the boundaries as much as comfort.”
Roseman points to Dua Lipa, The Weeknd and Doja Cat’s recent singles. Each exudes a disco funk or retro ‘80s flair. It’s sonic comfortability propelled by nostalgia.
“People are consuming disco again, that’s comfort food,” he says. “It’s a signal that people are needing reassurance.”
Experimenting with music, Roseman explains, is more likely to happen when the state of the world is more secure. In our societal demise, people will search for any avenue of joy.
“Fun music is back,” he says.
Looking at emerging artists, what I’ve learned in conversations with Mothica, Amir Kelly, R E L, Dorian Electra, Rebecca Black and Vietta is the necessity of going with the flow. To boil it down: Genre is dead and embracing your identity is key. Fluidity reigns supreme. Each of these artists carefully executes sound and style, but the structure of the music industry from a bygone era is no more. Why would these artists want to be anything but authentic in their own timely fashion? The world is burning; there is only time for truth. And that truth, as Roseman says, must feel good to listen to. A smart pop star, afterall, will always aim to invigorate the masses.
With streaming niching down the music we hear, does popular music even matter? Even with states slowly re-opening, it will be a while before live music venues and bars will be open. If we’re no longer enjoying music in public spaces, united and dancing together, to what degree can a hit song mean anything to our culture?
In 2018, Anne Hathaway told Glamour magazine, “For me, the goal is not happiness. The goal is peace.” I remember agreeing and disagreeing when I first read the article. But since the pandemic annihilated our “normal” lifestyles, I’ve come to understand more the value in peace. Around the world, over 80,000 people have died so far from COVID-19. The fallout, in true United States fashion, has become a clash of race and class. The absurdity and sorrow is overwhelming.
Back in 2014, the way Jon Dolan ended his review of Bleachers’ Strange Desire, producer Jack Antonoff’s indie pop project, echoes as we settle into an even lonelier, hyper-online world. Dolan said, “Antonoff’s big-sounding songs are a warm, safe place for the whole world to hide.” Though a critique, Dolan captured the necessity of how music will need to function as we endure our Roaring ‘20s.
It’s important to face the reality of COVID-19 and all it’s repercussions. But in coping with the mass hysteria, it is essential that we nestle into safe places and hide every once in a while. To be hypnotized by glimmering pop laced with sonic grooves is a welcome antidote to temporarily find peace.
Giving an audience the privilege to feel good will be crucial for rising artists. There’s something to say about reveling in misery and sadness, but caring for others boils down to some sort of happiness lifeline. Audible euphoria is among the few ways, in this moment, that can invigorate day-to-day. Good music (however you define that) can carry us; I hope it’s enough.