Did someone say recession pop? As recession indicators take over young people’s lives (and feeds), they’re turning to music—specifically “recession pop”—as a way to escape. It’s not a new concept, either. The term first surfaced during the 2008 financial crisis and describes a wave of upbeat, feel-good anthems that made people want to dance their problems away. Think Kesha’s “TiK ToK” or Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance.” Now in 2025, the genre is back, and Kesha—the “recession pop princess”, according to TikTok—has a new single “Yippee-Ki-Yay” with T-Pain leading the way. With lyrics about Dollar Tree deals and whiskey-fueled nights, the track taps into that same chaotic joy we saw in the late 2000s: everything is falling apart but we’re still dancing. (Daily Dot)
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