Who would have thought a Disney starlet (Olivia Rodrigo) would release a break-up album (SOUR) that would not only unironically take over the Internet, but be a crucial part of making pop-punk popular again? It certainly wasn’t on our 2021 bingo card. But there’s something else bubbling alongside the return of the genre (particularly on channels where Rodrigo’s album was especially dominant, like TikTok and Twitter) – earnest discussions among young people about the ills of capitalism and burning down ‘the system’. Gen Z are having conversations that feel decidedly more punk, less pop.
Does the re-emergence of pop-punk means that a full-on 2021 punk resurgence is still to come? Read on for our an analysis of pop-punk 2.0
The Emergence of the OG Punk Movement
Punk began not as a music movement, but as an ideological subculture in an attempt to dismantle the dominant ‘parent’ culture. Throughout the1970s, significant events around the world created the space for punk to rise: the UK’s Equal Pay Act, signed in 1970; the global oil crisis of 1973, sparking inflation and economic hardship; Australia’s 1974 abolition of the White Australia Policy; and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, just to name a few.
In the early 1970s punk was as a way to confront the lived reality of the working class youth. According to influential cultural theorist Dick Hebdige, punk specifically functioned as a “temporary blockage in the system of representation” – basically, it embraces everything that went against the norm. Whether that be discussing taboo topics, using offensive language or DIY fashion, the punk movement was a way for youth to rebel and protest against the dominant discourse of the time.
70s Punk Music
Music was intrinsic to the punk movement of the 70s. You probably know of The Sex Pistols, one of the OG punk bands whose outlandish behaviour quickly established them as figureheads of the movement. Throughout the 70s they managed to swear on live TV (and were subsequently banned from playing live in the UK), get sacked from two record companies, and released their infamous anthem God Save The Queen during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.
As the world changed, so did punk music. It began to evolve into many hybrids of itself including punk rock and pop-punk. Bands that followed the original movement include: The Ramones, Green Day, Blink-182 and Bikini Kill (who because the symbols of the Riot Grrrl punk rock feminism movement, yet another sub-division within the overarching genre).
@faganmusic1 Now this is real attitude ##indie ##indieband ##musician ##punk ##LiftLockPop ##fyp ##foryou
♬ original sound – Fagan
So, Is Punk Music Back?
Yes, and no. Some would argue that the original punk movement was a reflection of its time, and as society has moved on it’s no longer relevant to the current cultural zeitgeist. However, you can’t ignore recent instances of pop-punk coming back to the charts – and ranking highly. It’s worth exploring why that might be happening, while still acknowledging why it’s not quite True Punk 2.0.
On top of Rodrigo’s SOUR, Tickets to My Downfall by Machine Gun Kelly and Plastic Hearts by Miley Cyrus are also examples of punk-influenced albums climbing the music charts. As a category, 21st Century pop-punk has its own specific sound – so well defined that the controversial similarities between Rodrigo’s good 4 u and Paramore’s Misery Business (from 2007) have sparked copycat-vs-inspiration discussions and some absolutely banging mashups on TikTok.
So yes, there are distinct differences between OG punk and the glossier 21st century pop-punk. And while there are some similarities in sound – both carry similar hard-edged melodies – the spirit of the music provides a stronger connection.
Because what has returned (at least in in some capacity) from the OG punk movement the desire to provide a rebellious chorus of resistance. Whilst not all pop-punk has so far struck the same kind of rebellion as the politically-driven 70s, the music still carries a general vibe of trying to resist…something. Whether the lyrics push back against mainstream media discourse (Green Day), rejecting the pressures of youth (Machine Gun Kelly), or continuations of the fight against expectations of women (The Linda Lindas, Meet Me @ The Altar and heaps more) newer iterations of punk are clearly still resonating with young people.
Gen Z & Punk Beliefs
Why are Gen Z so attracted to punk-y music? Themes of resistance and dismantling political systems are as appealing (and relevant) today as it was in the 70s. Punk is anti-authoritarian, anti-government and anti-corporation – protesting against racism of migrant communities in 1970s UK ,and campaigning against sexual harassment and gender inequality in the 90s. These issues haven’t gone away, so the purpose of punk has come full circle.
In 2021 alone, Australia has seen protests about Indigenous deaths in custody, climate change and protests on gender equality and sexual violence against women. Even if not all of Gen Z are embracing pop-punk music, they are definitely embracing the message and underlying ambitions of the movement. The youth of today can definitely relate to foundations of punk as a vehicle to tackle hard-hitting issues that continue to plague our society.
@babibunnigal ##leftist##anticapitalist##anticapitalism##communism##anarchy##anarchist##communist##leftism##technoblade##karlmarx
♬ original sound – SOUNDS
The Future of Punk?
Some elements of punk are never going to die. Scream-worthy lyrics and heavy melodies laden with angst and disdain will always appeal to sections of the youth of the day. And frustratingly, despite the decades that have passed, Gen Z are still protesting what the youth of the 70s and 80s were protesting against.
But like all trends, punk is cyclical. Variations on its style and the subjects of its contempt will evolve depending on what makes up the dominant culture. Fighting against the mainstream and systems of power is the very essence of punk; it exists to be oppositional.
So while it might look and feel different at various stages of it’s evolution, the youth of the future will always have punk in some form to help them battle against the establishment. As Green Day punk guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong said, “Punk is not just the sound, the music. Punk is a lifestyle”.
