How do you build a Gen Z pop star? Ask Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan
An investigation into the sharp rise of the ‘overnight’ pop princesses, who’ve actually been years in the making
An investigation into the sharp rise of the ‘overnight’ pop princesses, who’ve actually been years in the making
When was the last time you mumbled, “that’s that me, espresso”? If you’ve been online, walked into a cafe or spoken to a bop-loving friend recently, then surely not too long ago. Haters will call it hyperbolic, but looking at a shot of espresso without thinking of Sabrina Carpenter – and her latest viral hit – is as cardinal a sin as looking at a tennis racket without thinking of Zendaya.
… or looking at a pink cowboy hat without thinking of Chappell Roan, says Tatum Van Dam, social media manager at the label Young. “It takes a certain degree of pop-stardom to be associated with something; especially a colour or an object. In their own unique ways, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan have the “it” factor — the vocals, the aesthetics, the songwriting ability, the stage presence, the looks — they’re Gen Z pop perfection.”
Van Dam is hardly alone in thinking this. Over the last month, we have witnessed the stratospheric rise of two distinctive pop stars in Carpenter and Roan, sealed and solidified by both of their TikTok-viral Coachella performances. Despite being in the industry for over a decade, both found mainstream success much later.
This world building has done leaps and bounds in shaping the “overnight success” of the two pop princesses. The ‘espresso’ singer’s brand has a relatable, airy, pop flavour and her social media reflects it. From indulging in fan-origin transition videos to having a Leo DiCaprio meme on her 25th birthday cake, Carpenter wants you to believe she’s just another girl’s girl. The singer even writes about the silliness of liking boys and how easily they’re obsessed with her, leading to sleepless nights and an all-around mood of nonsense brain. Having faced internet hate so early on — including being branded a “homewrecker and a slut” — Carpenter rode this controversy to assist her rise.
At her performances, Roan has brought out drag performers to open her shows and hand-picked fruity LGBTQ-friendly bars where her fans could chill together pre and post gig. The pop star is aware that today’s celebrity doesn’t live far, far away but instead has fun with her fans through relatable references, themed events and online trends. “Roan grew up listening to the pop artists that shaped the 2000s and 2010s and it’s evident in her sound,” Van Dam says. “I think her music feels simultaneously nostalgic and new for those of us in Gen Z. Also, her songwriting (situationships, fugly jeans, femininomenons) is very on par with our coming of age experience.”
While Roan’s aesthetic is drag, DIY and camp, and Carpenter embodies a saccharine, doll-like girly girl, both musicians have crafted unique brand worlds for their respective fandoms. This hyper-interactive, immersed version of a pop star doesn’t just sing and write songs, she creates communities that go shopping for pink cowboy hats and sip espressos. Be warned – and more pressingly, be prepared – for the rise of the pop girly who not only breaks the fourth wall, but steps out of the screen and into your wardrobe.
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