Who Are Gen Z’s New Pop Star Icons (And Why TikTok Is Boosting Their Careers)

The pop star evolve over time, dividing and marking generations. The longest-lived members of Gen Z (like me, who am 26) and the youngest Millennials can boast an adolescence marked by a golden playlist with artists of the caliber of Beyoncé, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Shakira and Avril Lavigne.

Even today, transversally loved even by the youngest, there is the timeless Taylor Swift, the sparkling one Dua Lipa, the eternal maiden Ariana Grande and the one who raised us: Miley Cyrus.

But every era has its new rising stars and the pop future of Gen Z seems to shine brighter than ever. TikTok is certainly an accomplice to this sparkle, which between trends, lipsyncs and dances, pushes songs and transforms them into hits.

This is what happened for example in Sabrina Carpentera 25-year-old born in Pennsylvania, already known for being a Disney face and having released a handful of albums but who, only recently, has received the attention she deserves. From the gossip of a feud with Olivia Rodrigo for the dispute of a boy at the opening of the concerts of Taylor Swiftfrom the spicy rhyming outros that went viral on TikTok to the two singles Expressed And Please Please Please already considered among the most promising summer pieces. The icing on the cake is his controversial relationship with Barry Keoghanthe leading actor of Saltburn. Astute mischief, diva hair and outfits, catchy music that winks at social media and a stage presence enriched by fun interactions with the fandom are the ingredients of her success, as intoxicating as an Espresso!

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Sabrina Carpenter at the 2024 Governors Ball held at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on June 8, 2024 in Queens, New York. (Photo by Nina Westervelt/Billboard via Getty Images)Nina Westervelt/Getty Images

Madison Beeran American singer-songwriter of the same age as Sabrina, was already a it girl for her stratospheric beauty, for her style and her covers on Youtubenoted in unsuspected times by Justin Bieber who had shared them on her very popular social networks. From there, Madison’s success was unstoppable, but it is with her latest singles that the artist has managed to shake off the attention on her appearance and really channel all the public’s attention towards her passion, churning out hits like Reckless And Make You Mine. On TikTok, she boasts more than 20 million followers and here, she often shares excerpts from her performances.

LOS ANGELES CA JUNE 17 Madison Beer is seen at Jimmy Kimmel Live on June 17 2024 in Los Angeles California.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 17: Madison Beer is seen at “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on June 17, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)RB/Bauer Griffin

The Canadian Tate McRae (21 years old) became famous for her dancing skills on the program **So You Think You Can Dance **but global fame came in the midst of the pandemic with the single You Broke Me Firsta self-produced music video and a powerful and touching text that was much appreciated… guess by whom? By TikTok users who promptly made the song viral. The platform also gave a significant boost to two other more lively singles: Greedy And ExesIn both the artist shows off all his talent dancer and singerbringing back into fashion that art of complete performances, typical of pop stars of the early 2000s.

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Tate McRae performs onstage at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at the Dolby Theatre on April 1, 2024 in Los...
Tate McRae performs onstage at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at the Dolby Theatre on April 1, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images)Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Raye (26 years old) after having brought home well 6 statuettes to Brit Awards can only confirm herself as a pop promise. After having written for some of the biggest artists and having remained more in the shadows, she has finally taken the limelight and conquered the general public with the song Escapism in 2022. Its aura is equal to that of a gem found in a wardrobe vintage: something rare in modernity but which, deep down, never goes out of fashion.

BERGEN NORWAY JUNE 14 Raye performs on stage at Bergenfest 2024 on June 14 2024 in Bergen Norway.
BERGEN, NORWAY – JUNE 14: Raye performs on stage at Bergenfest 2024 on June 14, 2024 in Bergen, Norway. (Photo by Per Ole Hagen/Redferns)For Ole Hagen

Renee Rapp (24 years) after his debut at Broadway with a show inspired by the cult Mean Girls and having played the role of a modern Regina George also in the reboot, conquers Gen Z, not only with her music, but also by touching on themes that are very close to their hearts (and hers): Eating Disorders and Queerness. Her somewhat rebellious “Kesha-esque” attitude is much appreciated on TikTok, where she is often ironically called «mother» from his “virtual children”.

MANCHESTER TENNESSEE JUNE 15 Renee Rapp performs during 2024 Bonnaroo Music Arts Festival on June 15 2024 in...
MANCHESTER, TENNESSEE – JUNE 15: Renee Rapp performs during 2024 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 15, 2024 in Manchester, Tennessee. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)Erika Goldring/Getty Images

The South African singer Tyla (22 years old) He refreshed us, literally, with the single Water with accompanying choreography that has become a trend on TikTokwhere millions of users from all over the world have tried to copy her moves. When it seemed impossible to replicate with an equally successful combo (dance + singing), Tyla has amazed us with Jump and finally with the magnetic steps on the song** Pop It Like This** which even gave birth to a dedicated hashtag #tyladance.

THE VOICE Live Finale Part 2 Episode 2422B Pictured Tyla
THE VOICE — “Live Finale Part 2” Episode 2422B — Pictured: Tyla — (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC via Getty Images)NBC/Getty Images

Not to mention when, In the last MET, he stopped time by dressing himself in sand and taking on the appearance of a human hourglass. JLo with the iconic Jungle Dress or Lady Gaga with the meat dress teach that often an outfit out of the ordinary can capture the attention of new potential listeners, Tyla seems to have masterfully taken notes!

Tyla: Social Media, the Boom, the Grammys. And the Sand Dress at the Met Gala 2024

Tyla at the 2024 Met Gala Sleeping Beauties Reawakening Fashion held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2024 in...
Tyla at the 2024 Met Gala: “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)Gilbert Flores/Getty Images

If before radio or MTV played an essential role in the careers of pop stars, now it is clear that there is an unwritten pact between the new artists and TikTok that, for now, seems to be working. Is this an alliance destined to last? Only time will tell, for the moment pop seems in good hands!

Source: Vanity Fair

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