2023: The Year Of Fangirl Growth

sarafeigin

2 years ago

This week on Name 3 Songs we are connecting the dots of the biggest pop culture moments of 2023 and what we learned. This year was a big one for fans! Throughout the year, we saw fans thinking critically and having thoughtful discourse around celebrities’ behaviours and narratives in the media.

First off, we saw fans coming to terms with the fact that artists and actors aren’t always who we think they are. From the lawsuits against Lizzo to Drake hating on women, to Beyonce performing in Dubai, fans weren’t shy to express when celebrities let them down.

The biggest moment of the year for us personally was Taylor Swift and Matty Healy’s abrupt and tumultuous relationship. Matty Healy quickly became the villain in the eyes of Swifties, forcing fans to reconsider Taylor’s moral code and their fan contract with the singer.

Then Barbie swept the nation. It’s hard to remember life before Barbie summer, and boy did this film change our daily lives. We saw a shift in culture as girl dinner and girl bossing took over cultural conversations. It seemingly caused a mindset shift that empowered women of all ages to believe in themselves and not take any shit.

We saw this play out with the news of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s divorce in which the Jonas camp attempted to get ahead of the narrative by portraying Sophie to be an unfit mother. In the peak resurgence of the Jonas Brothers, fans saw right through this – running to call out the misogyny-fueled headlines and insider sources.

This fall Britney Spears finally got to tell her story in her memoir. She opened up about personal stories of her breakup with Justin Timberlake and her abortion – opening the door on a topic not many celebrities are willing to discuss.

Lastly, 2023 also saw Taylor Swift named as Time Person of the Year. We discuss the cultural implications of Taylor becoming more famous than ever, while continuing to control her own narrative.

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Check out all the sources for this episode at name3songs.com