Addison Rae, Reneé Rapp, Sabrina Carpenter and Lorde all released contenders for album of the summer. Photos courtesy of Spotify.
ABBY KIDWELL | ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITOR | arkidwell@butler.edu
The summer of 2024 was explosive for female pop musicians. Charli xcx launched a cultural movement with “BRAT”. Record crowds flocked to see Chappell Roan at Lollapalooza. Billie Eilish’s “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” marked the artist’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200. Overall, glass ceilings shattered.
While nothing could capture the magic of summer 2024 pop, this summer’s releases have certainly carved out their own space in the genre.
“Addison” by Addison Rae
Addison Rae’s rebrand from TikToker to pop star might seem sudden, but in reality, she laid the groundwork for her music career back in 2021. While Rae’s initial projects did not garner much in the way of commercial success or critical praise, the tide turned significantly with “Diet Pepsi”, which became the lead single for her album “Addison”.
“Addison” excels in its distinctive, synth-pop soundscape and dreamy aesthetic. The mood drips nostalgia by echoing 2000s icon Britney Spears. Rae’s lyrics and vocals are not notable on their own, but work splendidly with the production to create a cohesive work. Despite the abundance of sound, no elements compete for the listener’s attention.
Senior English major Logan Goettemoeller thought “Addison” distinguished itself nicely from other pop projects.
“It just feels very, very carefully thought through and very uniquely constructed in a way that I think a lot of other pop albums have not been doing recently,” Goettemoeller said.
“Virgin” by Lorde
While other artists churn projects out one after the other to stay relevant in a demanding industry, Lorde allows her creative process to gestate as long as it needs. Thanks to a devoted fan base, the long periods between studio album releases yielded no significant impact on her popularity.
When Lorde pivoted to a softer acoustic sound with 2021’s “Solar Power”, the reception was lackluster. In “Virgin”, Lorde returns to the distinctive electropop style that characterized earlier, fan favorite works like “Pure Heroine” and “Melodrama”.
“Virgin” is gritty and intimate. Throughout the 11 tracks, Lorde dives deep into rebirth, generational trauma and body autonomy — the album title itself is meant to subvert purity culture standards.
Junior psychology major Emily Farkas enjoyed the theme of self-discovery that Lorde expertly wove throughout “Virgin”.
“This album was a lot more centered on relationships with yourself as you are growing and entering this new stage of life,” Farkas said. “[It was] just very personal and so raw … Lorde is growing with us. And you can really see that not just in this album, but [in] all of her albums.”
In “Man of the Year”, Lorde navigates her fluid relationship with gender, singing, “Some days I’m a woman / Some days I’m a man.” The motif of gender identity has largely dominated discussions of the album.
Junior sociology-criminology major Max Korte appreciated “Man of the Year” despite Lorde’s style not aligning with her personal taste.
“I feel like most of her songs sound the same,” Korte said. “I think that she has a unique voice, but she does kind of the same stuff with it … The one song that I did like from that album was definitely ‘Man of the Year’. I was not the biggest fan of the sound of it, but I liked the concept behind it.”
“BITE ME” by Reneé Rapp
Gen Z celebrates Reneé Rapp’s witty one-liners about as much as they celebrate her jaw-dropping vocals. She could easily be a personality hire if she were not so undeniably talented.
At times, “BITE ME” feels disjointed — the competing sonic influences can be overwhelming, leaving listeners with a half-baked impression. The contagious energy of tracks like “Leave Me Alone” and “Kiss It Kiss It” — wherein Rapp’s magnetic personality shines through — are the album’s saving grace.
“I am not a big fan of artists who put on or adopt a persona that is not necessarily true to themselves,” Korte said. “[However, Rapp is] genuine and vulnerable, especially in this album.”
“Man’s Best Friend” by Sabrina Carpenter
No one can refute that Sabrina Carpenter has been “working late”. On Aug. 29, she opened a new chapter with her seventh studio album before the sixth studio album’s chapter officially closed.
Carpenter elicited shock when she announced “Man’s Best Friend” right on the heels of 2024’s “Short n’ Sweet”. A mere 371 days separates the projects. During the transition, each scroll on a TikTok “For You Page” offered the latest scoop on Carpenter — from the dissolution of her relationship with Irish actor Barry Keoghan to the latest “Juno” pose on the Short n’ Sweet Tour — thus making the period feel even shorter.
“Something especially prevalent right now is oversaturation in pop music,” Goettemoeller said. “As good as [‘Man’s Best Friend’] is, ‘Short n’ Sweet’ just dropped a year ago. In theory, I want my favorite artists to keep releasing songs forever and ever. [But] I [wonder] at some point, when is the artistry being intentional versus when is it being manufactured?”
“Man’s Best Friend” feels like a B-side to “Short n’ Sweet” with heavier disco influences, reminiscent of late 1970s and early 1980s megastars like Madonna and ABBA. Lyrically, the raunchiness, double entendres and scathing accounts of past relationships are nothing her audience has not heard before.
She does not say anything new, but should she have to? Female popstar reinvention has become standard for the music industry. Pivoting to a new style is an assured method of keeping audiences interested. Carpenter has clearly found her niche and wishes to stay there, conveying a sense of confidence and direction.
What comes next?
This year’s pop princess summer is turning into a pop princess fall. There are a few releases to keep on the radar, with Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” — slated for Oct. 3 — being the obvious one. Additionally, Doja Cat’s “Vie” and Olivia Dean’s “The Art of Loving” will both be available Sept. 26. Female domination of the music industry is year-round.
Rae’s “Addison”, Lorde’s “Virgin”, Rapp’s “BITE ME” and Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend” are available on all streaming platforms and in stores.
