When I think of the pop star, my mind immediately goes to 19-year-old Britney Spears’ performance of Slave 4 U at the 2001 VMAs. The iconic moment starred Britney in a vibrant green bra and low-rise embellished hot pants, adorned in jewels. Around her was revolving cages, one of which held a live tiger and on her shoulders was a yellow python. This performance changed pop history forever and created a legacy few have ever lived up to. Britney encapsulated what it means to be a perfect popstar.
In the 2010s, western pop music saw a shift away from the pop superstars of the nineties and noughties to the rise of the singer-songwriter. Gone were the days of scandalous outfits, historic performances, and pop culture controversy. The popularity of the singer-songwriter saw the likes of Adele, Taylor Swift and Lana del Ray cracking the global mainstream. With an emphasis on lyrics and storytelling over popstar iconography and the catchy pop song formula, singers of the 2010s seem to lack the ‘IT’ factor. As defined by a user on the K-pop subreddit, the ‘IT’ factor is “presence”. The natural confidence and charisma they exude on and off stage makes their presence in a room undeniable. They just have ‘IT’. While I’m not denying that there have been some charismatic personalities emerge from the singer-songwriter era, the nature of their artistry being both lyric and emotion-heavy moulds how we view them as public figures. We are always going to associate Adele with the vulnerability of Someone Like You as opposed to Beyonce with the confidence of being a single lady in the club.
It feels that finally in 2024 we are witnessing a shift back to pop-stardom in the entertainment industry. Pop culture of the 2020s has been defined by nostalgia of our childhoods, from film spectacles like Barbie to TV reboots like Gossip Girl. Perhaps this sentimental feeling is starting to find roots in the music industry, too. There has been a call back to the pop stars of the early 21st century and I think that finally some artists are picking up.
Although not new to the music industry, the 2024 Grammys Best New Artist winner, Victoria Monet, is a modern-day souvenir of the pop star era. Crafting her art and her vision for 15 years while songwriting behind the scenes has gifted her with the talent and star quality of the legends that came before her. With stage presence reminiscent of a young Beyoncé, Victoria Monet is a popstar in her own right. To Victoria, her art is a performance she executes with a mind-blowing level of professionalism. She accomplishes every show with impeccable vocals, infectious energy, and breath-taking choreography. She channels those who came before her with every move she makes and it feels like we’ve been waiting a long time for this level of artistry to be the standard again. Her star quality is undeniable.
In a similar vein is Tate McRae, dubbed as the ‘heir to Britney’s pop legacy’ by Medium. Before the song had even been officially released, Tate’s 2023 single Greedy took pop music by storm in a matter of days. It was impossible to scroll 5 minutes on TikTok without hearing the chorus. This was only multiplied by the music video. Being a dancer from a very young age – she calls dancing her “true passion”, Tate has the confidence and the charisma to pull off a career-defining music video. The addictive dance-pop instrumental, the noughties inspired visuals and her years of dance training make her a truly great performer. Nowadays it’s rare to see an artist combine it all but Tate McRae accomplishes it with ease.
The popstars we know and love were never afraid of a little bit of controversy, and neither is Sabrina Carpenter. Released in October 2023, her Feather music video found her at odds with the Catholic Church. The Jennifer’s Body-inspired music video, partly set in a church (which she confirmed they received approval for in advance), saw Sabrina attending the funerals of men she killed after they had acted inappropriately toward her. Although not particularly racy, the backlash from the video caused a Catholic priest to be stripped of his administrative duties. Carpenter didn’t have much to say other than a cheeky reference to her own name that “Jesus was a carpenter”. It turns out that scandalising the Catholic Church is a pop-girl rite of passage. In 2011, Lady Gaga’s Judas came under attack from Catholic groups for “using blasphemy as [cheap] entertainment”, as Katy Perry put it. Judas is now a pop music classic, and perhaps Feather is headed down that same path, too.
While the three artists I have named are all exceptional and exude star quality on and off stage, the list of stars who are taking notes from the popstar bible of the 90s and early 00s is not exhaustive. We are definitely in another golden age of pop stars.