In 2023, there are many artists sitting at the top of the charts. Taylor Swift (which the Scroll has talked about plenty in the last few months,) Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus. But the artists I’m going to talk about are the ones who are slowly rising on those same charts etc. They are young and have potential to replace the artists that have been succeeding for as long as I can remember. The music industry is arranged in a way that allows replacement as soon as the first album if it doesn’t do well. But some artists have such popularity that they continue to chart, even after 10 albums. There are a few artists coming up that I believe have that potential.
One of these artists is Olivia Rodrigo. Her album “Sour” debuted when she was 17 years old. It was the longest running debut album on the Billboard Hot 100 in this century, and her song “Driver’s License” went viral everywhere. TikToks of people singing along and, in some instances, crying, were at the peak of the For You page for weeks. The success of it was likely due to the popularity of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” on Disney Plus, which starred Rodrigo as one of the main characters. She also previously starred in “Bizaardvark,” another Disney show.
Despite her original fame coming from acting for Disney, people quickly realized her talent with singing and songwriting. However, this album did cause some drama with Sabrina Carpenter (another artist on this list) and Joshua Bassett. The actual drama isn’t clear, but from what I’ve seen on social media, Bassett and Rodrigo were dating, and then Bassett and Carpenter got together shortly after the breakup. None of this drama was actually confirmed or backed by evidence. It simply traveled across the grapevine and was accepted as truth. This made Rodrigo even more popular, and her album sales rocketed as a result. This success can be nurtured, as her talent and acting roles have given her a boost to continue to climb the charts.
The next artist was also part of that drama: Sabrina Carpenter, a singer/songwriter who was also a child actor. She first debuted as an actress on “Austin and Ally,” and then on “Girl Meets World.” Her most recent acting job was as Maddy in a comedy/thriller show called “Emergency.” She has been creating music since she was a kid, debuting with “Eyes Wide Open” in 2015, followed by three more albums in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Her most recent album, “Emails I Can’t Send,” was a success, looking to be Carpenter’s highest charting album, surpassing “Evolution.” It charted at #23 on the Hits Top 50 chart. There were quite a few hits on this album, one of them being “Nonsense.” This mainly went viral because of the customized lines at the end of the song for each concert show. This album fueled the drama between the three young artists, making fans more sympathetic towards Carpenter. This success will certainly propel Carpenter, because her talent and personality are just as impressive as Rodrigo’s.
The last artist I’m going to talk about is a sort of hated one. This artist is GAYLE. Her most famous song, “ABCDEFU” went viral on TikTok, first positively and then negatively. Despite its original popularity, TikTok quickly turned on her and said she was ‘cringey.’ It charted at number three for a week or so, then continued to plateau. However, GAYLE does have other music out, and it is much less pop than her biggest hit. She has two albums out at the moment, both having the main title “The Study of the Human Experience,” but with the add-ons of volume one and volume two. She is also opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, which will continue to build her popularity. Despite her controversy on TikTok, she has a good voice and good songwriting. Her genuine talent will get her far.
Overall, these artists and their abilities will bring them far into the future, and might even replace the popular artists of today. The drama and hate has only accelerated their fame and prolonged their viral status. To discredit them now would be not only foolish, but also difficult in the first place. I hope that the Internet doesn’t turn their talent into something to glare at and make fun of.