How the Pop Girls Dominated 2024
Every year has its signature iconic moments and themes that are remembered as defining that time. This year, pop culture and music have been defined by neon green, espressos, and discussions around artist-fan interactions. Specifically, 2024 has been a year for the “pop girls.” We’re taking a deep dive into what these divas did to influence music this year.
You may be wondering – what even is a pop girl? A pop girl is a female musician creating music that aligns with the production style, instrumental sound, and general fandoms related to music popular at the time. This definition has changed a lot throughout the years. For example, Madonna is regarded as the “Queen of Pop,” but her music is drastically different from rising pop singer Tate McRae. There is even some male pop singers that are sometimes included within this group, like Harry Styles. Overall, anyone who listened to pop music in 2024 has surely encountered music by the so-called “pop girls” of this year with their catchy songs and distinctive aesthetics.
Although her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, was released in 2023, Chappell Roan rose to stardom during 2024. Her aesthetic is bold and stands out, with synth-pop songs and a drag queen-inspired appearance. People started recognizing her name more often after her stint as opening act for Olivia Rodrigo on her GUTS World Tour from February to April of this year, previously having opened for Rodrigo’s Sour Tour in 2022. With the release of Good Luck, Babe!, performances at music festivals like Coachella and Gov Ball, and her HOT TO GO! dance trending across social media, she has certainly left a mark this year.
At That Fangirl Life, we’re drawn to Roan for multiple reasons! We loved her many performances this year, especially her Tiny Desk Concert and 2024 MTV Video Music Awards performances. Roan is vocal about her feelings about the music industry, artist-fan boundaries, and human rights. Her outfits make a statement and inspire us to be true to ourselves in everything we do.
This past summer (and autumn) has been celebrated as a “Brat summer.” Charli XCX released her album BRAT in June, with a notable lime green album cover and blurry black letters. From the party girl aesthetic to smudged lipstick and electric vocals, this album encompassed what it means to live a chaotic, fun life and be confident in yourself. One song specifically took over TikTok, with the Apple dance trend getting people of all ages to have fun with it. The album release cemented the vibe of this era of Charli XCX in place, with a bright green wall painted in Williamsburg, New York that stayed up to promote the album once again when the deluxe edition was announced. There were deluxe and remix songs released with artists such as Lorde, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and Troye Sivan (who performed with Charli XCX during their co-headlining Sweat Tour). Although Charli XCX has created music for many years that topped the charts, her work as a pop girl this year will help to define 2024.
We owe an energetic year to Charli XCX and loved experiencing our most confident and carefree selves, encouraged by her. The simple yet bold design of BRAT and the Sweat Tour graphics and marketing stood out to us. Also, the dance trends and edits to popular characters that took over social media kept us entertained all year. We loved seeing how many different artists across various genres could contribute to the “Brat summer” too!
“I’m working late, cause I’m a singer” and “that’s that me, espresso” are phrases that will stick with us as we finish this year. Sabrina Carpenter isn’t exactly new to fame – after all, she was a Disney Channel star. However, her popularity especially skyrocketed this year with her album Short n’ Sweet. Following her hit songs, Nonsense and Feather, from her previous album, Espresso and Please Please Please became the songs that topped the charts this year. From performing at Coachella and opening for Taylor Swift during The Eras Tour, she became a common name in pop music discussions. Her Short n’ Sweet Tour sold out quickly and clips of the concert, such as her iconic Juno pose and surprise songs, spread on social media.
We adore Carpenter’s confidence and body positivity! Additionally, her fashion sense is notable and fits her album aesthetic perfectly. From babydoll dresses to platform boots, Carpenter embraced her style throughout her live performances, appearances on late-night TV shows, and music videos. She also made every night of her tour special with their own surprise songs, outfits, and dance moves which we loved to experience and see fans get excited about.
One singer’s journey from dancer to pop star makes her stand out as one of the best pop girl performers this year. Tate McRae started as a competitive dancer on the television series So You Think You Can Dance. In 2020, her music career started gaining traction with the popularity of her song You Broke Me First. McRae’s momentum didn’t stop there as she entered 2024 with her album Think Later. From performing Greedy at the Brit Awards to singing a medley of songs at the 2024 NHL All-Star game, fans became drawn to her skill as both a dancer and singer. Her iconic dance breaks electrified this autumn, with songs like It’s OK I’m OK and 2 Hands trending on social media. After a successful year of touring this year, McRae will be releasing her album So Close to What and performing on the Miss Possessive Tour in 2025.
Performing live isn’t just about singing lyrics at a show, and we know that McRae is an amazing example of an artist putting effort into every aspect of a concert. With impressive dance breaks during songs and the ability to still sing during her energetic actions, this pop girl is an icon! Her way of styling sports jerseys is also something that we love about her. Any girl who went through heartbreak or insecurity can surely find inspiration and confidence in McRae’s music.
As we near the end of 2024, we hope that we can say that we “made it out alive” without thinking that we lost it. And by “it” we mean our love for Gracie Abrams’ music. Although Abrams became a more recognised name last year while opening for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour, her album The Secret of Us helped her rise as a pop girl this year. While black and white hair bows were significant to her Good Riddance debut album aesthetic, bold and fun 90s and 00s visuals dominated her newest album vibe. Many of her songs trended across social media such as Risk, Close To You, Us (featuring Taylor Swift), and lately That’s So True from the deluxe version of The Secret of Us.
Abrams’ improvement with The Secret of Us is significant and what makes us consider her a major pop girl of 2024! Her live vocals were previously referred to as whispery, but she brought out her best with performances of I Love You, I’m Sorry and other songs. The shift in aesthetic while still retaining past items is something we noticed with her appearance, album visuals, and even tour. It wouldn’t feel like a Gracie Abrams show without muted yellow, lace outfits and matching bows.
Despite there being a rise in many new pop girls, we can’t forget to recognize artists that have already risen to fame. Taylor Swift released The Tortured Poets Department this year and has been earning awards and beating chart records left and right, while also completing The Eras Tour, including a twist in the setlist and plenty of surprise songs. Billie Eilish released Hit Me Hard and Soft in May and has brought about casual yet stylish concert outfits, emotional connections to lyrics, and confidence throughout this era of hers. Olivia Rodrigo released her GUTS album in 2023 but has shown a new, bold side of herself during the deluxe version, as well as in performances and new music videos. Ariana Grande released Eternal Sunshine earlier this year, with music videos and live versions of the songs impressing both fans and casual listeners- not to mention her spectacular performance in Wicked. There are so many more pop girls that dominated this year – Kesha, Tyla, and Dua Lipa to name a few – but we love how everyone brought their unique perspectives and styles to contribute.
Whether you went to see these artists on tour or streamed their albums for months, we know that 2024 was the year for the pop girls to shine. We’re excited to see who the new female artists to rise in 2025 will be and to continue watching these singers grow!
