Social media users are always looking for the next pop star, but only a few succeed in adopting the label. Even when an artist has a hit song, they have to turn that attention into momentum for their next single. Not everyone remains successful, and it can be difficult to maintain a household name. In the 2000s, we had Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera. In the 2010s, we had Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Katy Perry. Halfway through the 2020s, the internet is already guessing which pop girls are one-hit wonders and who is here to stay. As of now, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, and Tate McRae have taken over the world, but conversations about Madison Beer’s rise to stardom continue on TikTok.
It seems as though Beer has been in the spotlight for at least a decade, yet she hasn’t made that Hollywood name for herself. Why isn’t she more popular? What is stopping her?
She first came into the spotlight when Justin Bieber discovered her through a YouTube cover of Etta James’ “At Last,” causing the internet to go into a frenzy. Since then, however, people seem to only see her for her looks, not her talents. She debuted in 2013, yet no one noticed her music.
Her first significant entry into the Billboard charts came from a single from her 2026 album, Locket, called “bittersweet.” While the song gained some attention, it did not establish her as a lasting mainstream artist. She has had other tracks gain popularity on TikTok and streaming platforms, such as “Selfish” and “Reckless,” but it seems like when one of her singles gains some popularity, the rest of the songs on the album do not, and she fades away.
Beer isn’t just known as a pop artist, but also as a streamer and influencer. This is, arguably, the main thing keeping her from being more popular. People see her as an influencer trying to make music, when in fact she has been in the music industry for a decade. She’s had public appearances with influencers like the Vlog Squad, and sometimes it can be hard to shake that digital image.
An essential part of the music industry that attracts audiences is branding. Artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter have a certain brand that people associate them with. Rodrigo has that pop-rock, purple aesthetic, while Carpenter has a baby-doll look. Beer creates her music authentically without a specific branding. Yes, she does have a softer aesthetic, but she doesn’t have any bold branding that the public can obsess over. Songs are also typically created to fit TikTok or radio algorithms, which helps expose artists to success. Beer hasn’t had this happen with any of her hits yet. The closest thing was “make you mine” in 2024, but it went viral only briefly and did not generate enough radio hits to jolt her into becoming a pop girl name.
With Locket now entering the Billboard Top 10, Beer may finally be on her way to becoming a mainstream pop girl. Or, she could fade from the media spotlight, just as she has before. Her career shows that talent isn’t always enough—branding often matters just as much. Only time will tell whether she can turn this moment into lasting stardom or remain a talented artist admired by her fanbase.