What is recession pop? Why Kesha's new single heralds return of late-2000s jams

USA Today

01-04-2025

What is recession pop? Why Kesha's new single heralds return of late-2000s jams
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Kesha and Reneé Rapp blast Diddy on 'Tik Tok' cover
Kesha used her time on stage at Coachella with Reneé Rapp to put Diddy on blast.
Bang Showbiz
All-night-long parties, bonfires and whiskey, belting karaoke: In their new single, Kesha and T-Pain may have single-handedly heralded the return of recession pop.
'Yippee-Ki-Yay," released March 27, is a twangy, high-energy and country-infused hit that sees Kesha and T-Pain lighting a bonfire at a trailer park and singing "yippee-ki-yay, yippee-ki-ya-ya."
It's the first drop from Kesha's upcoming album, "Period," set to drop July 4 as her first project under a brand-new label, Kesha Records, and following 2023's "Gag Order."
"There's a two-for-one at the Dollar Tree / Double cupping straight gasoline," the pop sensation and rapper sing in their new track. "Look around, the only ten I see / Is this barefoot baddie from Tennessee."
The new song, produced by Nova Wav and co-written by Pink Slip, has gotten social media users talking. They're saying that the feel-good, upbeat pop track marks the return of a 2000s musical movement.
The tune does have some indicators of becoming a recession pop bop, but it's a little more complicated than that.
What exactly is recession pop? We're here to explain.
What is recession pop?
Recession pop is a subgenre of pop music, encompassing the feel-good, escapism-focused music released during the Great Recession, which occurred from 2007 to 2009.
As the market declined and the world experienced its most significant financial recession since the Great Depression, pop artists were keeping the morale high through quick-paced dance-pop tracks that continued into the 2010s.
Think of Lady Gaga's track "Just Dance," the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" and Taio Cruz's "Dynamite."
Tracks including LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" and Kesha's hit "Tik Tok" — as well as the rest of her 2010 record "Animal" — were all seen as recession pop anthems.
And the one thing all of the recession pop tracks have in common? They're catchy, optimistic, party-focused and centered on living in the moment.
"Just dance, gonna be OK" and "I gotta feelin' that tonight's gonna be a good night" were the messages the world needed to hear at the time — and they led these songs to the top of the charts for that very reason.
The term "recession pop" went viral on TikTok in 2024, though it appeared in an article with Lady Gaga in the Irish Independent back in 2009.
Last year, searches for the term skyrocketed on Google, and it has since become a widely discussed category of music.
One TikTok user wrote, "New Hunger Games Book, Kesha and T-Pain hit, Recession."
Another key cultural element of the Great Recession was "The Hunger Games" book series by Suzanne Collins, released in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Coincidentally, Collins released another book, "Sunrise on the Reaping," earlier this month.
Other social media users are noticing the cultural congruencies in past recession times, too.
"Happy 2009 everyone!" another TikTok user wrote. "America is collapsing, everyone is obsessing over a new Hunger Games novel, Gaga is about to go on a world tour, new Final Destination on the way and Kesha is dropping club anthems featuring T-Pain."
Is a recession coming in 2025?
America is not technically in a recession right now, but some economists fear that one is around the corner.
On Sunday, Goldman Sachs warned clients that it sees a 35% chance of recession in the next year — a warning that increased from the previous 20% prediction, CNN reported.
A March CNBC Fed Survey said the probability of recession was at 36%, which is up from 23% in January.
Earlier this month, J.P. Morgan's chief economist said there's a 40% chance of a U.S. recession occurring in 2025.
A recession may be coming. It's not too late to prepare.
The economy was able to recover from a brief recession after COVID-19 three years ago, and while some experts were worried the economy would take another plummet after Russia invaded Ukraine and inflation spiked, America managed to avoid a serious recession.
Now fears are back.
Consumer spending is down, President Donald Trump's current policies include tariffs on certain imported goods and the GDP (gross domestic product) forecasts are down.
When asked about the possibility of a recession on March 9, President Trump told Fox News he "hate(s) to predict things like that."
"There is a period of transition, because what we're doing is very big," he said. "We're bringing wealth back to America. That's a big thing. And there are always periods of, it takes a little time. It takes a little time, but I think it should be great for us."
Who will be our 2025 recession pop icons?
If we are headed into a recession, at least there's plenty of glamorous pop music to keep us all company.
But who will join Kesha as potential recession pop icons?
All signs point to "Pink Pony Club" singer Chappell Roan, whose country song "The Giver" is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Gaga and fellow pop princesses Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande could also make waves.
Meanwhile, K-pop stars Jennie, Rosé and Lisa of Blackpink — who continue to gain momentum in their solo careers — also have the potential to keep producing the carefree bops that keep us going if the economy takes a turn.