Popular music is far deeper than entertainment: it shapes trends, lifestyles, and culture—shown perfectly through the cultural changes of summer 2024.
Society does more than consume pop music for entertainment; it is tangibly shaped by the art. Dr. Elgasseir, music theory instructor, states that “There is a way the sound is structured that enables it to connect with a more universal population.” This trait of the art connects many individuals to the subject matter, allowing it to exert its influence on culture.
However, music has also shaped past cultures. Dahlia Gray, sophomore and leader of the fashion society, describes how music has shaped trends in the past, describing how the emergence of rock music swayed people to dress “in a lot of denim and leather… dressing in more edgy styles.”
Summer 2024 produced many chart-topping albums that shaped the summer and dripped into the fall. Albums such as Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter, Charli XCX’s Brat, Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine, and Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet have distinct themes and aesthetics that reach beyond music to influence culture.
Summer was defined by distinct trends, many influenced by hit pop albums. Vogue states that, “2024 has been very coquette thus far,” with the trend becoming even more prevalent after the release of Short ‘n Sweet. In her album, Beyonce created an entirely unique genre by combining her classic persona with a distinctly country influence. Following in her footsteps, “[w]estern cowboy has made an official comeback” (Vogue).
Additionally, the legendary brat summer has been gaining steam, transitioning into brat fall. These trends are also reaching into the fall, with Charli XCX perpetuating the brat image through the releases of brat remix albums and collaborations. The dark academia aesthetic is also emerging in the fall, with a mood and style inspired by Swift’s newest album. Similarly, Gray describes how an individual’s music choices can affect what they want to wear.
“I’ve listened to Sabrina Carpenter’s album,” said Gray, “and I’m actually becoming a fan of her music, it’s something very catchy and I enjoy the beach vibe of the music and the music video. And it… has this vintage feel. . .watching things like that, people would want to dress like that.”
The singers themselves also impact makeup and hair trends, with Carpenter’s signature curtain bangs and peachy blush going viral, and messy hair and “brat” eyes (lime green eyeshadow and smudged liner) becoming very prevalent. Describing this, Gray simply said that “People dress how celebrities dress.”
These albums had huge impacts on fashion and trends, but popular music even wove its way into the 2024 election. Celebrity endorsements became distinguished honors, with Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris becoming particularly prominent.
Brat Summer made its way into Kamala Harris’s platform, with her social media platform becoming decorated in Brat green after Charli XCX amusingly declared that “‘Kamala IS brat.” Dr. Elgasseir describes how, regardless of the artist’s original intent, music can evolve and have “associations… [and] can change based on who’s trying to use it.” He also states that “Music can be political in many, many ways.”
Music has a great effect on culture as a whole; Dr. Elgasseir states that this is because “It’s undeniable that it affects people on a very primal level… rhythms and harmony and melody can find its way into a person.”