For a significant portion of the late 2000s and early 2010s, the commercial charts were dominated by a unique strain of modern pop music retroactively coined “recession pop.” Characterized by uptempo dance beats and catchy hooks, recession pop songs such as “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO and “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga were momentary yet much-needed reprieves from the 2008 financial crisis, not unlike jazz during the Great Depression. For example, “Time of Our Lives” by Ne-Yo and Pitbull alludes to the era’s economic hardship with the line “I knew my rent was gon’ be late about a week ago,” before resolving to “​​Have me a good time, before my time is up.”

“I feel that the message that recession pop conveyed was the desire to be wasteful,” senior Elliot Yang said. “During times of recession, you don’t lean into general luxuries as much because you have a tighter budget.”

Recession pop seems to be making a comeback today, with hits from both older projects like “The Fame” by Lady Gaga and newer projects like “Brat” by Charli Xcx seeing great mainstream popularity. For example, the “Brat” album embodies a carefree, party-forward attitude with songs like the aptly named “Club classics,” which contains the lyrics “I’m gonna dance all night, that’s right / All night, never gonna stop till the morning light.”

This new wave of recession pop comes as fresh fears around the U.S. economy swirl. Although inflation continues to subside and the job market continues to grow, experts warn of an increasing risk of recession. This time around, recession pop can be attributed to an overwhelmingly recession-esque mood — recently referred to as a “vibecession” — rather than all the concrete hallmarks of actual recession.

“A very fundamental theme that exists within recession pop now is the mix of old 2008 recession pop, with its feelings of happiness and euphoria, and moments of vulnerability,” Yang said. “I feel like it’s making a resurgence because people need a distraction from the realities of the world that they live in.”