2021 saw a notable increase in rock-influenced Hot 100 Top 10 hits, up from 15% in 2020 to a quarter in 2021. Among them are diverse songs including Kanye’s Jail, Glass Animals’ Heat Waves, The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s Stay and BTS and Coldplay’s My Universe.

While the majority of these rock-influenced hits are performed by male artists, two of the most recent and most punk rock of them all were performed by female teen sensations: Olivia Rodrigo’s Good 4 U and, as of this week (1/22/22), GAYLE’s abcdefu.

So what helped this next generation of female-led rock songs stand out and connect with audiences around the world?

For starters, both Rodrigo and GAYLE used their age to their advantage and targeted their music to their own demographic – teenagers. In turn, they used marketing tactics that appealed to this target audience and took to TikTok, a platform that helped both songs achieve major success. Specifically, both teens focused on appearing relatable, personable and “just like other girls” on the app, posting at-home videos of themselves writing songs and working on music in a casual setting.

But the connection value of these songs goes far deeper than marketing. Taking it one step further are the breakup-themed lyrics; not only are their unique, scathing lyrics primed for TikTok trends, but they’re also something that many teens can relate to. This is supercharged by their angsty overtones and use of profanity, which hit home for many teens going through first love heartbreak. And to boot, Olivia Rodrigo herself went through a very public breakup right before Good 4 U’s release, which inspired the song and in turn made it that much more authentic.

Supporting both songs’ scathing breakup lyrics are the artists’ vocal deliveries. As the saying goes – sing it like you mean it! And Olivia and GAYLE certainly do, working punk-rock angst into their performances that harken back to female pop-punk artists of the millennial era like Avril Lavigne and Paramore, along with amped up background vocal choruses, vocal distortion and more. Underneath the vocals, both songs have complementing instrumental arrangements including drums, bass, claps, distorted electric guitar and synths in the mix, which together create an attitude-filled rock vibe that is also in tune with the sounds of today. Good 4 U achieved this by using “classic” rock elements like acoustic drums, flange effects and electric bass, while abcdefu made use of more contemporary instruments like electronic drums and synth bass.

And then of course there are the super-catchy choruses, infectious hooks (such as abcdefu’s unique song title hook, Good 4 U’s bass hook and both songs’ nonsense hooks), methodical structures and strong prosody between the lyrics, vocals and music that create a unified vibe and heighten each songs’ emotional impact.

As with any hit song, a host of factors went into the success of Good 4 U and abcdefu. The artists and teams behind them considered every angle – marketing, relatability and composition – and the results speak for themselves.

Could the worldwide success of these songs be leading into a new era of edgy pop-punk in mainstream music? Stay tuned!

To learn more about where female punk rock originated from, check out our recent Penn’s Picks: Female Punk Trailblazers Vo. 1


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