Recent pop music releases have shown a trend. They\u2019ve been somewhat mirroring the 2010\u2019s \u2018recession pop\u2019 hits that have been celebrated on social media in recent months. Since last summer, Charli has given us Brat, Sabrina served us Espresso, and Gaga unleashed Mayhem. There\u2019s no doubt that these hugely popular tracks have been faster, higher energy and generally reflective of pop music from 15 years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joe McGough, a history student, and self proclaimed Little Monster, applauds this trend. He said: \u201cI\u2019ve especially loved Mayhem, and I feel like for some time I\u2019ve wanted some proper dance pop. That\u2019s the thing with Mayhem – it\u2019s exactly like Gaga\u2019s older work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think the whole thing about recession pop is so valid, like yeah, people aren\u2019t doing too well, and I guess just like in the early 2010\u2019s, they want music that lifts their spirits.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s exactly why these new releases resonate – they tap into the same energy that made Firework, Just Dance, and Timber unavoidable earworms.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking to CNBC last July, Dr Joe Bennett, a professor at the Berklee College of Music explains: \u201cIt was all about dancing and having a good time, in contrast to the actual economic circumstances. They were feel-good songs to get us out of a difficult time and they were the medicine we needed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n But why now, when it\u2019s not even clear if we\u2019re in a recession or not? University of Sheffield sociologist Dr Matthias Benzer says: “The industries that sell us culture are extremely knowledgeable about how we react and what we consume. They\u2019re very good at determining what we’re nostalgic for, capturing certain nostalgia and reinforcing it in people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n I suppose that if the labels research what we want and give that to us, then at the end of the day we\u2019re getting what we wanted. The demand is there for a whole host of reasons, be it the nostalgia, the fun social media posts, or just the trend cycle doing its thing of reviving stuff. However, according to Dr Benzer, the actual reason for this genre making a comeback is just market research finding the next profitable thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And while this resurgence of high-energy, early 2010\u2019s-inspired pop might not be a great indicator of the stock market\u2019s performance, nowadays it\u2019s more about escapism. The sound itself offers a getaway, and the throwback elements let us mentally revisit a time that feels simpler, which in this case is the 2008 recession. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/unglossedmag.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2025\/05\/Lady_Gaga_\u2013_The_Fame_album_cover.png\")