Now Playing: Recession Pop
Turn up the volume, we're living for tonight.
Raise your hand if you’ve heard the phrase “recession indicator” on your social feeds lately? ✋ #Recession has 2.1B views on TikTok as consumers look for signs to support or disprove the headlines they can’t escape.
One of the perhaps lighter moments of this conversation is the resurgence of “recession pop.” This is music that celebrates living in the moment and having fun where you can find it. During the recession of the mid-2000s, artists like Lady Gaga, Flo Rida, Katy Perry, Pitbull, and more dominated the airwaves. “Let’s live for tonight” was the common theme and the basslines bumped loud enough to drown out negative thoughts.
Now, in 2025 we’re seeing people turn once again to music to uplift their spirits. Coincidentally (or perhaps not) OG “recession pop” artists like Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and more have recently released new music for fans to escape into.
Speaking of fans, we caught up with M+S community manager, and music lover, Kaitlin Rodriguez to get her thoughts on the movement.
Let’s flashback - what music artists were you a fan of circa 2007 - 2012?
I was 8-13 then, so of course, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and One Direction were my favorites, but I also had an older sister who got me really into Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and 3OH!3 (lol). Truthfully, anything that was super fun, pop, and upbeat was my jam.
Does the rise of the phrase “recession pop” excite you or fill you with dread? Why?
I think it excites me because recessions aren’t new to me. I grew up during some of the most drastic economic recessions since the Great Depression. It’s not something I can control or fix, so if, at the very least, we get some bangers out of it, I call that a win.
Why do you think people are turning back to this type of music today?
The world sucks. There’s SO many awful things going on in the news, on TV, on social media, everywhere. It feels like a lot of times, the only escape is music. I think there’s also this element of nostalgia it brings. I mean, both Lorde and Gaga have released songs/albums before this, but their new stuff they’re currently releasing, like What Was That and Abracadabra, feel SO reminiscent of their original break-out hits that we all fell in love with. I think when there’s a lot of uncertainty in the world, we find comfort in the familiar.
Who do you think are today’s “recession pop” artists?
Obvious returners are Gaga, Ke$ha, and T-Pain, but Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Lorde, and Addison Rae are others that come to mind. I’ll be curious to see what else Lorde releases soon, given people are already saying it’s “Lorde Summer,” but the way artists are dropping songs, I would say it could be anyone’s summer still.
What impact can music have on difficult emotional/mental times (ie. the year we’re in!) How does it impact you?
There’s plenty of research suggesting music can improve mental wellbeing, but beyond that, I think in so many ways music makes us who we are as humans, it’s literally in our DNA (look it up) so it only makes sense that we use it as a way to cope with difficult times. So many of my important life moments are tied to music.
Literally 2 weeks before COVID hit and we all went into quarantine, I came out as gay. I felt so isolated at the time, and TikTok was such a big outlet for me, and also where I first heard and saw a small artist named Chappell Roan, who was teasing her new song, Pink Pony Club. As someone who had moved to LA from the south, this song felt like it mirrored my current life to a tee and became my mantra. It made me feel like I wasn’t doing this alone, especially coming out later in life. In so many ways, it helped me be okay with who I am when I had no community and no way to connect with others because of social distancing.
Any “recession pop” esque song suggestions for readers?
Joyride by Ke$ha is my favorite at the moment! I am patiently awaiting Chappell Roan’s unreleased song “Subway” to drop.
For brands wondering how they can tap into this conversation, it comes down to one word - connection. As concerns and uncertainty grow, consumers don’t want to be told they want to be understood. Music is an emotional medium and people often turn to it when they don’t know how to process what they’re feeling. Brands don’t have the answers right now. But what they do have is the ability to make consumers feel seen through authentic content that resonates with audience truths. Staying truthful in their tone and messaging will help brands win in the moment as it supports consumers in feeling seen and heard.
In the meantime, put your headphones on and turn up the volume, we’re living for tonight.