obama pop

Pop music from the early 2010s to 2016 that had a sound that was undoubtedly optimistic and excessive. After moving away from the Great Recession, Housing Bubble, and other economic problems in the late 2000s, the Obama era resulted in an effort to shift away from the problems of the Bush administration, with pop music demonstrating this newfound feeling of hope. However, this music was also very weightless, avoiding the issues of the current times and focused more as a form of escape rather than art that mimicks life. Many Obama’s pop songs ironically have a fascination with the skies despite the stability of the ground beneath America during the Obama administration. Examples include ‘Like a G6’, ‘Starships’, ‘Firework’, ‘Diamonds’ (in the sky), ‘Locked Out of Heaven’, etc. This type of music is very unsettling from 2017-present, as Obama pop feels out of place. With songs like ‘Bad and Boujee’, ‘Humble’, ‘Black Beatles’, ‘This is America’, etc., the new songs take a stab into the problematic, tense floor, leaving little time for optimism.