Illustration by Elma Ademovic

Summer: a time of freedom from the never-ending pile of schoolwork, of scorching St. Louis heat and humidity, and of mosquito bites, beach days, sunburns, and ice cream. But summer wouldn’t be summer without a playlist. And this summer’s chart-toppers has, undeniably, been dominated by a new generation of pop girls.

This summer began with a bang: on April 11, Sabrina Carpenter dropped her newest single, “Espresso.” With a catchy hook, an off-the-cuff delivery, and Carpenter’s unserious lyrics, “Espresso” was the perfect launch to both the summer and Carpenter’s recent virality. Her sixth album, “Short ‘n Sweet,” debuted on Aug. 23, appropriately bookending the summer. Though the album is, as the name suggests, short, it is a no-skip powerhouse. The two standouts are “Bed Chem” and “Juno.” With a funky guitar line and groovy production, “Bed Chem” features some of Carpenter’s signature sexy — and oftentimes out-of-pocket — lyrics. “Where art thou? Why not uponeth me?” she quips. Lyrics such as these continue in “Juno,” a reference to the 2007 movie of the same name which centers around a teenage pregnancy. Carpenter declares, “One of me is cute, but two though? / Give it to me, baby / You make me wanna make you fall in love.”

Next came Billie Eilish’s third album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” The long-anticipated album is experimental, moody, and genre-bending. It features Eilish’s trademark soft-yet-powerful vocals and her brother Finneas’ mind-boggling production. The song that captured the cultural consciousness is the track “LUNCH.” Through her explicitly-queer anthem, Eilish remarks that she wants to “eat that girl for lunch,” and her vocals are backed by sexy, smooth, and upbeat drum, guitar, and bass lines. Another viral song from the album is “BIRDS OF A FEATHER.” In the first lines of this love song, Eilish croons, “I want you to stay / ‘Till I’m in the grave.” Despite the somewhat dark lyrics, Finneas’ bright production prevents the song from becoming too melancholic. Instead, he creates a more longing and wistful sound through marching drums and synth-bell ostinatos.

Of course we can’t forget “brat girl summer,” an idea produced by Charli XCX’s sixth album, “Brat.” Charli’s album cover consisting of simple black typography (spelling out the word “brat”) pasted onto a chartreuse background has become iconic. The idea of “brat” has also gone viral. In a TikTok, Charli explained what exactly “brat” is: “You’re just, like, that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but maybe also has a breakdown … but it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.” The dance-pop album is full of clubbing hits, from the always-catchy “360” to the more introspective “Apple.”

Though Chappell Roan’s debut album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” was released in fall of 2023, it had its moment this summer. From stunning vocals to epic drag performances, Roan is making tsunamis in the music (and cultural) sphere. The album itself is mostly full of upbeat pop hits. “Femininomenon” opens with a gorgeous string section that transitions into a danceable beat, where Roan announces, “Ladies, you know what I mean / And you know what you need and so does he / But does it happen? (No) /  But does it happen? (No) / Well, what we really need is a femininomenon.” “Pink Pony Club” is centered around queer joy, with Roan crooning, “Oh mama, I’m just having fun / On the stage in my heels / It’s where I belong.” “HOT TO GO!” is an absolute blast of a song, with dance instructions engraved in the lyrics. What more could you want in an album?

One thing that these four artists have in common, other than an indisputable star quality, is their willingness to present themselves in a way that appears authentic. Whether it be Sabrina Carpenter’s risque lyrics, Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan’s open queerness, or Charli XCX’s British party-girl aesthetic, these artists offer something that feels so true to who they are. Despite being wildly different musicians, they have been able to find a niche that skyrocketed them into stardom status — something so difficult to achieve in the already-overcrowded music scene. This summer’s music has truly been one for the books.