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Recession Pop was the era of 2010s music released in the wake of the Great Recession. According to the US Federal Reserve, the Great Recession began in December of 2007 as the US housing market began to crash. Things only worsened until 2009 when the US economy hit rock bottom and began its slow recovery. It was a time of economic distress worldwide, and millions lost jobs, businesses, homes, and their entire life savings.
Amid hardship, many turned to music for solace, most of which reflected its listeners’ struggles while granting them an escape. Danceable pop flooded the radio, with lyrics often focusing on “tonight” and the sentiment of living in the moment. The music of the time was a product of the population’s financial struggles and need for escapism, hence the name ‘Recession Pop.’ Artists like Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, and The Black Eyed Peas all rose to fame with club anthems still heard on nights out today.
A perfect example of this is the 2014 song “Time of Our Lives” by Pitbull, that opens with:
I knew my rent was gon’ be late about a week ago
I worked my ass off, but I still can’t pay it though
But I got just enough to get off in this club
Have me a good time, before my time is up
That same song includes the iconic mantra still used as an affirmation by many in times of distress, and if it doesn’t sum up Recession Pop I don’t know what does:
This for everybody going through tough times
Believe me, been there, done that
But every day above ground is a great day, remember that
Today, while many economists insist a recession isn’t necessarily imminent, people are feeling the increased strain of day to day expenses regardless. In response, today’s new generation of pop stars is being hailed as the next wave of Recession Pop. The streaming service Spotify defines the genre mostly through 2010s hits, but today’s icons—Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Charli XCX—are front and center in both official and user-made ‘recession pop’ playlists. It would seem that the recent resurgence of popstars is being viewed as a ‘recession indicator.’
In terms of economics, a recession indicator is considered a rise in the national unemployment rate by 0.50 percentage points or more over the course of 3 months, according to the United States Federal Reserve Bank. The term is also used as a way to describe “changes in culture or lifestyle that show how people are reducing their monthly or daily costs,” as seen in Glamour Magazine. ‘Recession Indicator’ is often used to describe trends and media seen when analysing the Great Recession, such as 2010’s music or fashions trends that reflected the public’s loss of wealth at the time.
Gen Z social media users are now labelling new recession indicators—trends that echo the 2010s or hint at economic strain—as signs of the times. The return of mainstream pop, the resurgence of artists like Ke$ha and Lady Gaga, and even the comeback of flip-flops, smoking, and knee-high Converse are all thought to reflect the diminished state of the current economy. The Ice Bucket Challenge is back. The Kardashians are on TV again. These observations are entertaining, but beneath the humor is something darker: luxury beauty brands are fading as even drugstore makeup strains budgets. Sauce packets and take-away bags are no longer free at Maccies. “Skinny” is trending again and body positivity is waning. Casual racism and anti-immigrant sentiment are growing—as many look for someone to blame for job insecurity.
Recession jokes may be a way to laugh at the ever growing financial unease we’re seeing, but they also show Gen Z’s awareness of the economy they’re trying to survive in. With a cost of living crisis, rising global tensions, and growing financial instability as a result of new U.S. foreign trade policies, the future feels shaky to say the least. As we start building our futures, we’re watching for signs that the past may be repeating. Regardless, no matter how dire the situation may become, the best we can do is to keep a sense of humour and hope we get some good music out of it. Recession Pop music may be back, but the overt optimism in today’s music cannot yet be compared to the likes of Pitbull and Ne-Yo, which I think is a good sign.
Edited by Shelby Sveiven
Image: Stefan Schweihofer, 2014 // Pixabay
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