Just be yourself

 I think there is a reason that so many people have a fascination with female pop stars, something that goes beyond the infatuation with celebrity. It might be anecdotal, but dreams of singing fame seem more common in little girls than they do in little boys. Again, anecdotal, but it also seems that the boys who become singers seem insufferable and inauthentic. So many pop women, especially when they first arrive on the scene remind people of themselves or at least someone they know.

2024, if you were to label it as the "Year of" anyone, would obviously be Taylor Swift, as it has been through recent memory, but a good choice for second place would be Sabrina Carpenter, who had multiple top 5 hits throughout the year. Obviously, I (nor probably the readership here, I realize) am not the market for either of their music, but here I am with opinions. I find Carpenter far less interesting, musically, than her counterparts.

Carpenter is tied to Olivia Rodrigo through some drama that you are welcome to research on your own time, but for the purposes of this post, Rodrigo is a good contrast to Carpenter. It is clear that Rodrigo has been jilted in the past, and even at 21, has incorporated whatever pain she has felt into her song writing. It's made for better music. It's helped her make the transition from singer to musician. Swift did it too. The artists who resonate, particularly with me, are the ones who you can really feel in their music. 

It's great to be joyful, but you don't know true joy or growth without a little pain. Carpenter seems so effervescent, too poppy. Either she's never had a bad day, or she isn't putting enough of herself into her music, both of which are a deterrent to being as good as she could be. She falls into the traps that men have. A lack of authenticity, dragging down likability. 

As with all music posts, we all have our own tastes, and nobody is wrong for having things hit your ears the way they do. I like pop music well enough, and this was pretty much written as I tried to figure out why the (second) hottest pop star bothered me. Take it all with a grain of salt, and please, every one -- Have a happy new year