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The Powerpuff Girls of Pop: Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charlie XCX

Music & Podcasts

December 31, 2024

"Sugar, spice, and everything nice were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girl. But Professor Utonium accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction—Chemical X! Thus, the Powerpop girls were born!"

Er… wait… the power... pop girls?

2024 was truly a celebration of everything pop music. We saw the rise of new artists and the revival of old. Pop music established itself as a respectable music genre, once again. In true fashion of the frantically iconic year of 2024, we'll discuss the impact of the crowned princesses of pop, the Powerpop girlsSabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charlie XCX.

There's a reason why the internet has chosen these three specifically as the Powerpop Girls - a reference to the classic Powerpuff Girls - and it goes beyond the corresponding hair colors. Sabrina represents the effervescence of Bubbles - the adorable pigtail-wearing superhero. Chappell depicts the fierceness of the redhead, Blossom, the leader, and Charlie, of course, is edgy and fun-going like Buttercup.

With many hit singles under their belts, a couple of Grammy nominations, and numerous sold-out shows later, the pop girls have solidified their position at the top with their unique sonic sounds and performance styles. I think that everyone, regardless of their music taste (sniff...I smell a Sabrina reference), can agree that pop music has had at least some influence on them this year.

So to wrap it up, let's take a look at how Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charlie XCX have changed pop history, musically, aesthetically and culturally.

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Sabrina Carpenter

A talented actress, songwriter, and performer, Sabrina Carpenter had her first break in a Disney show called Girl Meets World. She also found success in her early music and had a loyal fanbase.

In July 2022, Sabrina released her 5th studio album, Emails I Can't Send, and it was an instant hit. Her success rocketed, particularly with songs like Nonsense, All Because I Liked a Boy, and Feather on the deluxe version of the album. The album showcased a drastic switch in her vocals, lyrics, and most importantly, her visuals.

In 2024, Sabrina dropped Espresso, and the world went into a frenzy. It was the song of the summer. You couldn't scroll through social media without coming across the song (we aren't complaining).

She then released her single Please, Please, Please, another smashing hit. Miss Carpenter released her sixth studio album, Short and Sweet, officially breaking the internet. Some notable songs include Juno, Taste, Bed Chem, and Good Graces. It is one of the best if not THE best album she's produced so far in her career, showcasing neo-disco pop and country-tinged vocals.

Image Credit: Justin Higuchi from Wikimedia

Sabrina's change in her style is what truly rejuvenated her career. She embodies a bubbly confidence and has become a trendsetter with her tour fits (one word: SPARKLY), her lavish gold locks, and her over-the-top blush makeup look. Her retro looks, glittery body suits and massive boots have cemented Sabrina as the Polly-pocket princess of 2024. She has a look that hypnotizes you.

Out of all the pop stars we've had this year, it's fitting that Sabrina holds the title for Bubbles. With her adorable personality and her coy humor, she truly is 2024's blonde superstar. Bubbles is cuteness overload, and Sabrina is nothing short of that. Her voice and star-quality make her the perfect contender for her counterpart.

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Chappell Roan

To some, it seems that Chappell's fame burgeoned overnight, but that's not true at all. She released her first EP, Die Young in 2024 on YouTube following a strenuous, decade-long journey. It was a difficult road for Chappell, filled with bumps and hardships, but she persisted.

After a long battle, she finally saw success. Songs like Pink Pony Club, Naked In Manhattan, and Hot To Go, set the internet ablaze, as well as her background vocals on a couple of Olivia Rodrigo's songs.

Her meteoric rise to superstardom came when she dropped her single, Good Luck Babe. Then, quite literally, she was everywhere. Starring on television shows, breaking records, winning MTV awards and putting up the most spectacular live performances, this woman was redefining the definition of the term ‘megastar’.

Image Credit: Justin Higuchi from Wikimedia

Chappell Roan is a prominent icon in the LGBTQ+ community, loud in her opinions and fighting for the people. She dedicated her MTV win to “the queer and trans people who fuel pop” and has devoted all her work to the people of her community and her family. The feisty redhead not only dominated the charts with her powerful vocals but also with her ‘camp’ and ‘quirky’ looks. Chappell has many replicable outfits including her Statue Of Liberty stage fit (can we talk about that for a second?), her rhinestone bedazzled dresses, flashy tiaras, gigantic wigs, white face paint, chunky boots, and dramatic silhouettes.

She embodies everything Blossom is and much more. She is a strong, independent, dynamic artist who stands for what she believes in using her music. She gives voice to those who lack one and isn't one to back down, especially from judging eyes. She proudly wears her heart on her sleeve and doesn't hesitate to attribute her inspiration for her vibrant, maximalist style to the drag and queer community.

Charlie XCX

Charlie XCX came into the industry guns blazing, ready to rock the industry with her rave-inspired beats and electro-pop sound. Despite many hits like I Love It, Fancy, and Boom Clap, she didn't immediately establish herself in mainstream media. She had considerable success with her feature on the Barbie movie soundtrack, Speed Drive in 2023. What really drove Charlie into the sunset of success was her high-energy, electric album, Brat - an album that explicitly revolutionized the music industry.

The album explores partying, the complexities of womanhood, and living life to the fullest. With its minimalistic, in-your-face green album cover, some of Brat's best songs include Apple, 360, Von Dutch, and Mean Girls. Charlie also has features with artists like Lorde, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande and others on songs like Girl, So Confusing, Guess, and Sympathy is a Knife. The album perfectly personifies Charlie and in turn Buttercup - wild, unabashedly unique, and untamed.

Image Credit: Man Alive! from Wikimedia

Her wild persona and exhilarating music gave rise to an…anti-aesthetic to end all other aesthetics. It's supposed to be unintentional and liberating, an ugly chic almost. Some of the trending looks included dark smokey makeup, white tank tops, the ‘brat’ green boots, baby doll tops, dark shades and Charlie's loose black hair. The visuals truly embrace the rave and clubbing culture, the rising Y2K aesthetic and the fun DIY aspect of fashion.

Charlie is the perfect choice for Buttercup, both personality and look-wise. She managed to create the sensation of the summer, the brat summer. She is an icon for everything unconventionally unique and rebellious. Charlie and her team took the acid green colour and turned it into something beyond a brand - she created culture.

Image Credit: Xamqpx from Wikimedia

The Powerpuff Girls have been a symbol of sisterhood, resilience and feminism for the past 26 years. Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Charlie XCX not only paved the path for themselves but also for artists to come. They've proved their star-power to the world by breaking boundaries time and again, by doing things that aren't always politically acceptable, showing little girls different forms of feminity and how they should never back away from being themselves.

Before their blast into superstardom, the three had to struggle for at least 10 years to embellish their names in the industry. Their relentless perseverance through hardships is admirable. They really are deserving of their fame and success.

Image Credit: Wendy Wei from Pexels

There is much anticipation in the air, with the public awaiting what's coming up in 2025 pop-music wise. This year was the year of the Powerpuff Girls of pop, and surely there's more to come. Pop music is back, and here to stay. To finish, it's only fair to quote a few lines from Pop Muzik, a song written in 1979 by artist M:

'I wanna dedicate it,

(Pop, pop, shoo dop) everybody made it,

(Shoobie, doobie, do dop) infiltrate it,

(Pop, pop, shoo dop) activate it,

New York, London, Paris, Munich,

Everybody talk about pop music!'

Shayeri Dutta
1,000+ pageviews

Writer since Nov, 2024 · 5 published articles

Shayeri Dutta is an aspiring writer and artist currently in high school. She enjoys pop culture and has a keen interest in fashion, history and the fine arts. When she isn't writing, she's filling her sketchbook, listening to music or watching video essays on the most bizarre topics.

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