All my favorite recession pop songs

Why are we making Gaga do this thrice?

Everyone’s talking about recession pop lately. Is recession pop back? Kesha just dropped a very 2010s-Kesha song about partying at the trailer park, so all signs point to yes.

To cope with the impending — current? — recession, I figured I’d celebrate recession pop, a term I wish I’d coined. Recession pop was the aggressively upbeat, escapist, and maximalist music that dominated Top 40 in the late 00s and early 2010s. Its lyrics urged us to live tonight like it’s our last because it probably was, to dance til we die or at least til the sun came up, covered in glitter, forgetting our troubles.

Let’s talk about history, which I may misrepresent because I was a teen who was more focused on what to wear to prom or if my parents would take me to see Fall Out Boy a third time. The Great Recession was from late 2007 to mid-2009, but its impact lasted much longer. Right as we were starting to bounce back, we suddenly had the rapture to worry about.

I was in high school and college during this period, which was the perfect time to experience auto-tuned bangers from Kesha, Gaga, Katy, Beyonce, Flo Rida, Black Eyed Peas, and Nicki. Hearing “We R Who We R” while shopping at Forever 21, getting ready in my dorm on a Thursday night, or drinking Mike’s Hard at a house party? That was funnnn.

Big belts, jeweled collars, and business casual for a night out <3

The second most important ingredient of recession pop apart from the actual recession: Obama. I’m genuinely unsure if this music was so energetic because we needed a distraction from our fate (we’ll never get a job, never pay off our student loans, and live in our parents’ basements forever) or because we felt genuine optimism about our president and the future.

I spent my college years assuming I’d struggle to find post-grad employment, but pushing it to the back of my mind. A problem for future Katelyn. It wasn’t so much crippling anxiety as it was acceptance. But maybe fear was why I worked 50 hours a week between my college newspaper and an internship while taking (but mainly skipping) a full course load.

After five straight years of pop music urging us to put our hands up, Lorde emerged and killed the genre by declaring, “I'm kind of over gettin' told to throw my hands up in the air.” She had help from Lana del Rey, the Weeknd, and Frank Ocean, who, by 2013, told us it's okay to just be sad. Fun while it lasted.

For the purpose of rounding up my favorite recession-era songs, I stuck to ~2008 to 2012. Unfortunately, many of the songs from this time suck and I never want to hear them again. “Give Me Everything” by Pitbull? Played every hour, every day while driving to my shitty telemarketing job. David Guetta hounding us, asking, “where them girls at, girls at?” Leave me alone, Dave!!

My favorite recession pop songs

"Take You There" by Sean Kingston

This came out in 2007, and while everyday Americans might not have known a recession was imminent, it seems like Mr. Kingston had insider info. The song describes a recession-proof courtship. He’s preparing his date for the best of times and the worst of times.

If Lehman Brothers managed to avoid disaster, he could take you to the tropics, sip piña coladas. But in case of a collapse, date night’s going to be at the slums where killers get hung. :/ At least he was upfront about the situation.

I wasn’t in the club in 2007, I was doing this.

“Apologize” by OneRepublic

One more 2007 track. It’s funny, not a lot of people know that this song was actually co-written by George W. Bush as an apology to the American people for recklessly deregulating Wall Street, causing the housing crash, and dragging us into those wars. It was even released on 9/11/07. Look it up.

When Ryan Tedder sings “I loved you with a fire red, now it's turnin' blue,” it represented W’s realization that our country’s best path forward wasn’t following in Daddy’s conservative footsteps but instead a “bluer” populism. I still love this song.

“Love In This Club” by Usher ft. Young Jeezy

Not even an overly lustful Usher wanted to splurge on a hotel room or the gas money to drive home and fuck his date, so they had to make love right there in the club. This song features Young Jeezy, delivering a verse I quite like (SEXUALLY ✔️ MENTALLY ✔️ PHYSICALLY ✔️ EMOTIONALLY ✔️), who only a few months later would release an album literally titled “The Recession.”

This is what I looked like when I “consented” to student loan debt as a minor.

“Shake It” by Metro Station

The recession meant record labels were hard-up too. One Cyrus cash-cow (Miley) wasn’t enough. They had to get her brother Trace Cyrus and his band Metro Station too. I’m grateful they did because it gave us one of the best one-hit wonders of the era. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like this song.

“Don’t Trust Me” by 3oh!3

This song is misogynistic, offensive, rude, and even a little nihilistic. Perfect for 2008! “Don’t trust a ho.” I think they were referring to our financial institutions.

“Whatever You Like” by TI

Realistically, millennials could not have whatever we liked, TI. Still, I was 17 when this song came out, with a boyfriend, my own car (well, it was a brown van but I was grateful for it), a good hair straightener, and was nearing the end of high school. What more could I want? Uggs in every color?

Wearing Jessica McClintock in 2008. Strapless and a size too big but I loved it and TI told me I could have whatever I liked.

“Meet Me Halfway” by Black Eyed Peas

This is a song about filling out your FAFSA, when the government claimed my parents (a nurse and a union pipefitter) should be able to pay most of my $20,000/year tuition out of pocket. Like Fergie, my dad was saying “I can’t go any further than this.” This = maybe $5,000, not $15K+.

All Kesha songs from this period

Kesha is recession pop and"Your Love Is My Drug” is my personal favorite. I saw her at The Fillmore in Detroit in 2011 and I’m pretty sure I was in head-to-toe Forever 21 (RIP).

I remember she caused a real stir when “TiK ToK” came out because critics claimed she was manufactured, lacked substance, and relied too heavily on auto-tune. I always thought she was fun, but we now know that was a dark period for her. Remember years later when she hit that high note on “Praying”? Clearly she can sing.

Somehow we took a limo to the concert. Not very Kesha of us. I wore feather earrings and those tights to make up for it.

“Impossible” by Shontelle

Idk if this fully fits the recession pop vibe, but I used to scream-sing it while driving the brown van to my summer job in 2010. Now, living in the New York City real estate market, it feels like me buying a $1.8M, 1,200-square foot apartment is impossible.

"Good Girls Go Bad" by Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester

Everyone needed a side hustle, even Leighton Meester. Gossip Girl paid all right but it was on the CW. They didn’t have that NBC money. So she turned to part-time pop stardom, teaming up with Cobra Starship on this anthem.

Everything that worked for previous generations had abandoned us: pensions, a college degree ensuring success, home ownership in your 20s. Good girls had no choice but to try going bad.

“I was hanging in the corner with my five best friends” is such a dumb first-draft lyric. Love that they left it in.

With a member of Cobra Starship at 2008 Warped Tour. I look about 12 here but was 16.

"We Found Love" by Rihanna and Calvin Harris

Another little known fact: This song is based on Rihanna encountering romance at Occupy Wall Street. The timelines match up perfectly. They were “standing side by side”… at a protest against income inequality. They found love in a hopeless place. The place being an encampment in lower Manhattan.

I was obsessed with this music video and still love when it plays in American Honey!

“Telephone” by Lady Gaga and Beyonce

Even Gaga, unstoppable at the time, was stressed by the state of our world. She retreated to the club to escape. “I don’t want to think anymore.” She left her head AND her heart on the dance floor. That’s how you know it’s bad.

I know “Just Dance” is one of the quintessential recession pop songs, but it’s not one I throw on. Gaga releasing dance pop is now a recession indicator: She debuted smack dab in 2008, released Chromatica during Covid, and is back with Mayhem for whatever’s going down now.

"Club Can't Handle Me" by Flo Rida ft. David Guetta

I always liked this one even if I can’t relate. For me, it’s more like “the club can’t handle how low-energy I am.” Never been a club person, wish I were.

"Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry

This is the best song on the list. It’s a perfect pop song. “Waking up in Vegas” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” are probably more apropos but “Teenage Dream” still provided a the-world-is-ending, we-might-as-well-enjoy-ourselves escape. “We can dance until we die / you and I will be young forever.”

I saw Katy at 2008 Warped Tour btw.

"Till the World Ends" by Britney Spears

Brit’s label could afford songwriters for the verses of “Till the World Ends” but funds ran out before they perfected a chorus, so it goes:

“Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh”

If anything, it makes me respect the song more. This one’s literally about dancing through the apocalypse.

"Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj

“Got stacks on deck like he savin’ up.” Okay, he’s good with money.

“He might sell coke.” Like I said, everyone needed a side hustle in these times.

“He never flies coach.” Wait, this guy’s financial decisions are all over the place.

“Glad You Came” by The Wanted

One of my favorite mindless tunes. It’s vaguely threatening and predatory (“hand you another drink, drink it if you can”). “The sun goes down, the stars come out / and all that counts is here and now.” Desperation. Time is slipping away!!

"We Are Young" by fun. ft. Janelle Monae

I was young when this came out. If only we didn’t take “so let's set the world on fire” so literally. Climate change! Our planet is burning and elected officials pretend to care about which bathroom everybody uses.

I never wore any makeup besides Blistex and concealer. Didn’t own mascara or foundation until senior year of college!! No blush til my 20s.

“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen

I unapologetically loved “Call Me Maybe” when it came out and I still do! Carly Rae was applying the YOLO mentality to flirting. We had nothing to lose besides our minimum-wage jobs.

"The Show Goes On" by Lupe Fiasco

The worst of the recession was over by late 2010 when this came out, but recovery was slow and unemployment still high. Lupe gave us this resilient bop to keep us grinding. “All night til the morning, we dream so long.”

“Cheers (Drink To That)” by Rihanna

First off, the Avril sample was inspired. Second, it was college. I didn’t know anyone who went to therapy but I knew a lot of people who treated their stress with alcohol. I am positive I partied to this song while I had a UTI, not a care in the world. 🍻

“Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys

A song about the American dream, whether or not that still exists. I spent all of college — my campus was 20 minutes from my parents’ house — dying to move to New York but feeling like it was beyond my control.

Now I’ve lived here over a decade and I’m proud. This played at our boat wedding as we passed the Statue of Liberty. How could we not? It’s a song I never get tired of.

“And since I made it here, I can make it anywhere.”

“Down” by Jay Sean and Lil Wayne

As if I wasn’t going to include “and honestly, I’m down like the economy.”

And now?

When you’re 19, mindless pop songs might be the right way to cope, but I think we need to get angry again. Music is political. What was the last great protest song? Do Millennials or Gen Z have artists like Tracy Chapman, Green Day, or Public Enemy? Doesn’t feel like it, but maybe they're outside the mainstream.

Trump’s president again. The wealth gap continues to widen. Wages are stagnant. Women’s freedoms have regressed. The daily news cycle is exhausting. I’m more likely to listen to something like “I Know the End” by Phoebe Bridgers than “Like a G6.” I don’t want to pretend everything’s okay.

But hey, do whatever keeps your spirits high in spite of massive societal and economic collapse. And please tell me your fave songs from this era.