Recession Pop: The Sound of Economic Turmoil

Several months ago Lady Gaga’s seventh studio album Mayhem was announced, provoking pandemonium amongst the long-dormant community of ‘Little Monsters’ far and wide. The fanbase arose from over a decade of inactivity to embrace the not-so-new ‘recession pop’ sound of the singles, proclaiming that pop, is indeed, back.  

An unlikely term intertwining the somewhat discordant topics of music and economics, Recession Pop can be defined as pop music which serves as escapism in times of economic hardship and uncertainty. First used in 2009 by the Irish independent, the hooky hits of recession pop utilise feel-good lyrics and high BPMs to allow listeners to lose themselves in the trashy and unabashed fun. Following the 2007-8 financial crisis, recession pop directed anxieties about economic collapse to partying, enjoying being young, embracing your most carefree self.  

Themes of financial struggle can also be more explicit within these pop songs. The 2012 hit Thrift Shop depicts how someone can only have ‘20 dollars’ and still feel empowered. Pitbull’s Time of Our Lives acknowledges how despite financial struggles, you can still enjoy life and the limited, precious time you have on this earth. Jessie J’s Price Tag affirms to us that it’s not about the money, money, money- if only the world could realise this, stop worrying and dance!  

It is sinister when you realise that the songs of your childhood are inherently linked with suffering, far from the cheesy, happy-go-lucky songs you thought them to be. Getting older often means that very little can be separated from real-world anxieties and struggles. Vapid lyrics and fun beats are often a sign of a carefully crafted and catchy distraction.  

The renaissance of recession pop has not been all bad. While house prices soar, and the cost of your food shop seems to creep up every week, music has been bestowed upon us from the recession-pop greats, from Gaga to Charli XCX and Katy Perry, with artists such as Addison Rae booming in popularity due to her obvious recession pop influence. With the US’ trade war posing a huge threat to the world economy and increasing the likelihood of a recession, it is clear why these trends are coming back around.  

While music provides temporary solace from the onslaught of monetary problems faced by the average individual, the irony of being instructed to enjoy your life by multi-millionaires does taint each inspirational lyric with bitterness. However patronising and out of touch, the genre is nothing if not a fun diversion. So stream Mayhem on your walk back from the supermarket, aghast at how your basket of five items could have possibly come to thirty pounds. Discard your worries, and lose yourself in these meaningless lyrics.  

Words by Daisy Morrow

Cover Image Credit: Jenty via GoodFon