Pop Music in 2024: Messier, Rawer, and Better Thanks to Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, and Sabrina Carpenter
This year, pop music took an exhilarating turn. While industry titans like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Dua Lipa...
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This year, pop music took an exhilarating turn. While industry titans like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Dua Lipa delivered blockbuster albums that captivated fans, the real shake-up came from three rising stars: Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter. Their music brought a refreshing messiness, emotional candor, and vibrant energy to the genre, propelling pop into an exciting new era.
These artists embraced imperfection and raw emotion, creating music that resonated deeply with a generation craving authenticity. “People like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, who’ve dominated for so long, have a polish that’s somewhat unrelatable as a listener,” said Sam Murphy, a pop music analyst. “This year, the TikTok generation craved chaos and flaws — we wanted pop stars who felt human.”
Charli XCX: The Defiant Veteran
For Charli XCX, 2024 was the year she broke free from the constraints of being labeled as part of “pop’s middle class.” Her album Brat was a bold, sweat-soaked masterpiece that pushed boundaries with its edgy, experimental sound. Charli’s defiance and unapologetic creativity solidified her status as a trailblazer, proving that pop doesn’t need to be pristine to be powerful.
Sabrina Carpenter: From Supporting Act to Superstar
Sabrina Carpenter stepped into the spotlight with playful, provocative songs that topped charts and charmed audiences. After touring as a supporting act on one of the highest-grossing tours in history, she emerged as a leading force in pop. Carpenter’s humor, charisma, and knack for crafting irresistibly catchy tracks made her a fan favorite this year.
Chappell Roan: The Underdog Who Took Over
Though Chappell Roan’s debut album dropped over a year ago, 2024 was her breakout year. With songs like “Pink Pony Club” and “Good Luck, Babe,” Roan captured the hearts of listeners and electrified dance floors. Her unabashed embrace of queer joy and emotional storytelling turned her into a star, as she connected deeply with fans during her high-energy tours.
Why These Artists Matter
What sets Charli, Sabrina, and Chappell apart is their accessibility. Unlike the towering personas of Beyoncé and Swift, these artists felt approachable. They interacted with fans online, shared their struggles openly, and created music that was deeply personal. Their lyrics explored self-hatred, unrequited love, and lust with striking honesty.
“The songs are great — they’re well-written, performed beautifully, and carry an urgency that’s impossible to ignore,” said Mike Errico, a songwriting professor at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute.
While their music doesn’t reinvent pop, it adds much-needed diversity and vibrancy to a genre that has felt formulaic in recent years. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen a changing of the guards in pop,” Murphy noted.
As 2024 comes to a close, the impact of these three stars is undeniable. By embracing imperfection and pushing boundaries, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter have made pop music messier, rawer, and infinitely more exciting.
