Written by Sophia-Ines Klein
Illustrated by Sylvain Chan
“Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter seems to be the soundtrack of 2024. Not because it actually represents how the year went, but because the song followed us relentlessly, playing in every cafe, restaurant, and shop we walked into. Please, please, please stop. All jokes aside, it’s catchy, and Sabrina deserves the stardom she was crowned with in 2024. However, she is not alone in her success—2024 saw female pop artists soar to the top of the charts, with names like Chappell Roan, Charli XCX, and Tate McRae leading the way.
But what drove the popularity of what Roan would call the ‘feminomenon’ in pop music in 2024? Looking back at this year, I think it’s clear that listeners’ expectations have risen past the typical “bright, bubbly melody with an irrepressibly catchy chorus” that The Little Black Book said gave “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen its success in 2012. They are now demanding more from a song’s message, sound, and production.
The success of female pop stars seems to ride the wave of female-centric pop culture that has risen since the Barbie movie kicked it off in 2023. There is a growing demand for strong female narratives in music especially in a time where women’s rights are being challenged. As TikTok played a large role in blending politics into social media’s dominant discourse, the youth have become more politically engaged and are calling on public figures like singers to use their platforms.
Chappell Roan has taken the bull by the horns with her unapologetic lyricism and bold feminist message. What I think is one of Roan’s greatest pulls is the consistency that runs through her music, look, and personality she presents. In a few words, most would describe her as bold, unapologetically strong, and a figure for the queer community. Roan is not just an artist for the girls, she’s garnered a fanbase in the queer community as a queer woman and drag artist herself. Despite being a slow burn since her first single in 2017, Roan’s big hits including “Good Luck, Babe!”, “Pink Pony Club”, and “Hot To Go!” gave her name a home on the charts in 2024. Beyond boasting strong vocals, her songs are statements about female and queer experiences with lyrics like “she’s got a way” repeated 24 times in her unreleased single “Subway” or “it’s a femininomenon” in “Femininomenon”. She is especially credited for creating space for queer artists in mainstream pop music.
Charli XCX stands alongside Roan for the strong female narrative she promotes. She shot to the top as her album Brat single handedly sparked one of the biggest online trends of the year—Brat Summer. It rose as a resistance to the ‘clean girl aesthetic’, letting women break loose from expectations of idealised perfection. Collins Dictionary even crowned ‘brat’ its word of the year describing it as “a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”.
In the come down of Covid-19, concerts have become all the more alluring with superfans and casual listeners alike crowding to Ticketmaster. Look to the artists themselves and female pop stars have proven that they can do it all with what feels like a never-ending rampage of tours that tore through 2024. Safe to say, performance has seemed to be a defining factor of success in 2024’s pop industry.
This is the case for Tate McRae who has made a name for herself with catchy music and dance performances to match. It’s not often we see an artist in the pop industry whose dance moves match their stellar vocals. With video snippets of her Think Later world tour going viral, McRae capitalised on her background in competitive dance to show how to tactfully balance singing with dance in a concert. While some have critiqued her for focusing too much on dancing and not being a ‘real singer’, I think McRae’s talents revitalises concert performances where dance breaks aren’t just a break from the singing but a show in their own right. Think Michael Jackson and Britney Spears – their performances remind us of just how much their dancing elevated their concerts. McRae’s success in carrying this legacy forward continues with her already sold out Miss Possessive North America tour, announced before her 2024 Think Later tour was even over.
With so many women making moves in the pop industry, this article could go on forever… But alas the Social section only has two pages. 2024 has shown exciting developments in pop music, and I have no doubt the trend will continue. So, what can we look forward to in 2025? Beyond artists like Karol G and Victoria Monet climbing the charts, there remains a gap to be filled. We had Little Mix, our parents had the Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child, but who do the younger listeners of today have? The industry is waiting for a new big girl group and I think Flo could step into the role. Their debut album Access All Areas has already claimed new fans, and their bold look, personas, and R&B pop sound encapsulate all the characteristics of a chart-topping girl group. Only time will tell, but 2025 is already proving another exciting year in music.