Recession pop is an informal term used to define a genre ofdance-pop music that emerged during theGreat Recession and remained popular until the early 2010s. Its sound is often described as "feel-good" pop music, characterized by fastBPMs, high-energy production, catchy melodies, and lyrics centered around embracing hedonism, youthfulness, being carefree, and constant partying in the midst of an economic recession.
The rise of recession pop is argued to be the response of the musical industry to the decreased state of generalconsumer spending wrought by the Great Recession. Record labels translated parallelly to cable networks in this era, with music channels such asMTV branding this new sound directly to consumers inflicted by economic hardship. This hence gave rise to a new generation of performers typified with high energy compositions and showmanship. Through this phenomenon, prominent artists during this era grew to stardom through chart-topping anthems considered as major contributors to recession pop such asLady Gaga,Kesha, andKaty Perry[1]
Withunemployment andinflation surging globally during the Great Recession, recession pop provided a sense ofoptimism andescapism to the regular working class in the United States, the population afflicted the most from the recession's repercussions, and in most Western countries.[2][3] Notable examples of recession pop songs include "Just Dance" byLady Gaga, "I Gotta Feeling" by theBlack Eyed Peas and "Teenage Dream" byKaty Perry.[4]
The first recorded mention of the term "recession pop" seems to have appeared in a 2009Irish Independent article featuring an interview withLady Gaga.[5] However, the term only gained widespread recognition in 2024 after going viral onTikTok, a usual product of retrospective nostalgia. In July 2024, interest in "recession pop" peaked, with Google searches reaching an all-time high.[2]
The term recession pop is sometimes used to describe modern music influenced by the style of its original era. Artists such asChappell Roan,Sabrina Carpenter, andCharli XCX have been associated with this revival.[6][7]