Last summer, many lesser-known (at least to me) pop stars shot to fame with their songs playing frequently on the radio. Sitting in the car, I rarely went on one car ride without listening to “run for the hills” by Tate McRae or “I Love You, I’m Sorry” by Gracie Abrams on my shared playlist with my sister. Apart from her, all my friends seemed to hop onto the female musician bandwagon, so of course, I had to try and listen as well. Despite the undeniable talent of all these singers, I simply couldn’t get myself to listen on repeat like my friends did. Chappell Roan and Olivia Rodrigo didn’t hit me the same way other artists do, but with everyone listening to them, how could I sit there not knowing any of the lyrics? I realized, however, that I didn’t have to force myself to listen to an artist just because my friends were listening to them. Music is very personal—not everything someone sings about will click with you, and that’s okay! While I still scream the lyrics to Sabrina Carpenter, I am also satisfied with settling into my familiar artists.
