Why is everyone suddenly ten toes behind Meg? You may think that she’s always been popular because she’s had multiple trending songs throughout the years, but I’ve noticed a recent spike in her fandom. Many people who maybe listened to a song or two before are now more interested in Megan Thee Stallion herself. Here’s why I don’t think this is a coincidence.
MusicÂ
The bottom line is, Megan’s music and persona are both empowering to women.Â
Her lyrics are extremely clever and exude confidence in a way that encourages women to have a similar mindset to her. The reason her songs trend so much is because she makes them catchy and cool. Â
An example of this is from her song “Cocky Af”, with the lyrics: “I hustle to get it, I get it, I get it/ I am not seeking approval/ I’m number one, I tell [people] what to do”. These lyrics encourage women to go after what they want regardless of what someone holding them back thinks or says. Many girls, myself included, listen to her music at the gym or before a party because it gets them hype.
Her music can also be inspirational because of her creativity and expansive vocabulary—it takes immense talent to write lyrics like Thee Stallion does.
Socials
She markets herself well through social media, using the same persona that she does in her music. A lot of the videos she posts of herself can just be her looking good with a song in the background, reinforcing the confident vibes in her music. She also has the look to back up her confidence, so her posts tend to get lots of views or likes. For her TikToks, she usually uses songs by other female rappers or trending sounds to support up-and-coming artists as well.
I know I’m using the word persona a lot, but it is to avoid being presumptuous, as it is how you would refer to Thee Stallion’s presentation of herself online and through her art. Furthermore, her confidence and support for women seems genuine regardless of how long you’ve known of her. “Only [girl] I’m in a competition with is me” is a lyric from her song “Roc Steady (feat. Flo Milli)” that I love because it encompasses the idea of expressing your own confidence without tearing other people down, another aspect of her appeal for those who are just now getting into her content.
We are also in a world obsessed with fitness fads and diet culture. Megan has been open about the fact that she works out to stay in shape. This is common in artists who regularly perform on stage, as it builds the stamina needed to move around and sing at the same time for hours. However, it’s not just the fact that she works out, but the variety of exercises in her workouts that makes people feel more motivated. She doesn’t just go on the treadmill – she does weightlifting, plyometrics, Pilates and more so others can relate their fitness journeys back to her. People might be more inclined to follow or support celebrities when they take care of themselves and promote healthy habits.
Cheating
Her music and social presence are two great factors in why people love and support Megan Thee Stallion. However, I think the event that truly made some people obsessed with her—and feel the need to support her much more—was her breakup with Klay Thompson. It’s not necessarily the breakup, but the fact that he cheated on her.Â
Everyone knows that getting cheated on can deplete your self-confidence. Because confidence is such a huge part of Megan’s public persona, fans want to ensure she kept that part of her intact despite the breakup. Additionally, people who weren’t devoted fans also sympathized with her situation and began supporting her, or just felt the need to comment about how they don’t understand how someone could cheat on her. I think fans felt a stronger connection to her because she seemed more relatable and human instead of remaining a perfect and untouchable celebrity.
What do you think? Am I just behind in pop culture and didn’t realize how strong her fanbase has always been, or have you noticed “Thee Stallion Spike” too? Or maybe I’m missing something else that has to do with this increase in fandom. Either way, I love it for our girl Meg.