2024 has seen the resurgence of pop music in the cultural landscape. From “brat summer” taking over the cultural zeitgeist, to songs like “Espresso” and “Good Luck, Babe” becoming pop and streaming mainstays, uptempo pop music is back on the charts and airwaves. While upbeat pop music has always had its place in the pop music realm, especially peaking during the summer months, bops and bangers now more than ever are prominent in a way that hasn’t been seen since, well…the late 2000s/early 2010s recession era.
“Recession pop” refers to a subset of uptempo pop songs released during an economic recession, particularly the pop music of the late 2000s and early 2010s. These songs can be characterized by being high energy with infectious melodies, and lyrics that tend to circle around partying, clubbing, and living life to the fullest. And these “recession pop” songs still continue to be played at parties and are a staple of throwback playlists. Think songs like “TikTok” by Kesha, “DJ Got US Fallin’ In Love” by Usher and Pitbull, and “Club Can’t Handle Me” by David Guetta and Flo Rida. These songs are quintessential examples of recession pop music from that era, and have arguably held up well from constantly being played on pop radio in 2010, to hearing these songs during a night out in 2024.
With the term “recession pop”, music can be seen as one of many consumer recession indicators: from hemlines to lip products, hair color to gas prices, consumer trends have pinpointed signs of an economic recession looming. It’s no secret that the late 2000s produced some high-quality pop music, and the fact that the 2008 recession was occurring is not a coincidence.
Akin to 2008, one could argue that an economic recession may be on the horizon. However, this current era of “recession pop” is not the same as the recession pop from 2008. Nor is it similar to the financial crisis triggered by COVID-19 in 2020, which produced “lockdown music” leaning more introspective and the inspiration coming from the confines of one’s own home. (Think folklore and similarly themed projects.)
Recession pop’s comeback has a few distinct departures from the pop of recessions past. While a hallmark of recession pop’s lyrics involves partying, drinking, clubbing, and the whole nine yards surrounding the act of “going out”, today’s pop music doesn’t entirely revolve around that. Yes, there is a fair share of current pop music with partying as a cornerstone, specifically brat by Charli XCX as the primary example, yet the pop bangers of today range from relationships to self-discovery. Even the going out music focuses more on the community aspect. This is for a few reasons:
COVID made people evaluate the importance of community in their lives, and there was a yearning for connection with others from the pandemic.
Money spent on going out has decreased due to shifts in alcohol consumption; some of it for wellness and health-related reasons, some of it as a result of alcohol being more expensive at bars and clubs.
Today’s listeners are drawn to songs with standout lyrics that can be on trend for a 15-second TikTok video while also being relatable and something they can play on repeat.
With that being said, recession pop today has evolved to have a wider scope than its 2008 predecessor: there is room for both the songs about living life to the fullest at the club and about the communities that bring people together. This is reflective of how pop music has evolved in 2008 in line with current musical trends. Especially now with the charts being a multi-genre concoction of music, true pop music has faced stiff competition from other genres. Even today, the Billboard Hot 100 features a considerable amount of country, hip-hop, R&B, indie, and even EDM, making it harder for a song to break through to the top of the charts. Music journalists have noted the rise of country on today’s charts and the continuing popularity of hip-hop, which is making today’s pop successes even more remarkable in a crowded music landscape.
Even amongst an ever-so-crowded musical landscape, recession pop is back. It’s not the recession pop of the past, but more emblematic of the pop of the future.
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