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Remember that viral tweet claiming that Beyoncé and Drake releasing house music-inspired albums is proof we’re headed for the next global recession? They kind of have a point. Economic conditions are deeply connected to trends in trends in fashion, music, film and TV, books and more. After all, tough times inspire what and how artists create, and force consumers (that’s us) to be more selective about what they choose to spend precious pennies on. If we’ll soon be spiralling into a serious downturn, accompanied by a soundtrack of dance bangers, what other pop culture trends might also be revived?
Let’s ignore the bleakness of the current economic outlook for just a minute to speculate on something a bit more fun! We’re examining the culture shifts that came with previous recessions to figure out what the trends will look like this time around – across music, fashion, books, movies and TV.
JUMP TO: Music, Fashion, Film & TV, Books
Music: Just Shake Your Ass
Music of the Recessions Past: Escapism plays an important role in music. During the Great Recession in 2009, the airwaves were saturated with serotonin-boosting, club bangers from the likes of David Guetta, Flo Rida, the Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga. Times were tough, but in the club you could pretend like they weren’t.
A similar trend happened during the Great Depression almost 100 years ago. Swing music emerged alongside the depression in the late 1920s to become a popular, exciting musical movement by 1935. Just like the electronic music of ’09, upbeat performances by big bands would pack dancefloors – swing dancing goes hand-in-hand with the music of this era.
You might even recognise some of the hits of the 1930s. “Pennies From Heaven” (originally performed by Billie Holiday, with an even more upbeat cover by Louis Prima) regularly trends on TikTok even now. It is perkily disconnected from the economic realities of both 1936 and 2022. It may seem at odds with the times, but music provided a much-needed escape.
What Music To Expect Next: Given the shaky economic ground we’re on in this not-quite-post-pandemic world, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing the resurgences of upbeat music and early 2000s house vibes. While Beyoncé always gets people moving no matter the genre, Drake releasing a surprise house album is a clear sign that we will now be dancing our pain away.
Locally, music producer George Inglis explains there are even stronger callbacks to the Great Depression. “We do seem to be slowly exiting the psych-rock phase of popular Australian music, with more hints of jazz and soul being a common interest. I just recently went to a terrific Moor Music festival event at New Guernica, never thought I’d see a club packed with people grooving to full on jazz!”
Late 90s, early 00s pop-house and 1930s swing jazz are a helluva combination – but we’ll make it work!
Fashion: Dupes & Logomania
Fashion of the Recessions Past: There have been many theories put forward about fashion and recessions. The easiest to grasp is the infamous Hemline Index; the theory that skirts become shorter when economic markets are on the rise, and get longer during the downturns. The examples cited are usually the appearance of knee-length flapper skirts (which was short for the time) during the economic exuberance of the 1920s, and the emergence of the mini skirt amid the strong financial conditions of the 1960s.
On the flip side, the maxi skirt mania circa 2007 and the current Matilda Djerf supremacy, could serve as evidence of style becoming more conservative when a crash is imminent.
What Fashion Trends to Expect Next: Writer and fashion commentator Ana Escalante explains we’re about to see similar styles returning from the last recession, 2007 to 2010. “Social media has accelerated the trend cycle enormously. People are latching onto things that feel somewhat fresh, but are in our same style lexicon. A teenager won’t jump to the 1930s for style inspiration, but she will go on Pinterest and see Kate Moss in 2008 and think ‘Oh, that’s cute, I’m gonna try to recreate it’.”
The escapist themes during economic downturn seems to penetrate all aspects of the cultural zeitgeist, including fashion. Expect to see the return of logo mania – which has already begun with the Fendi x Skims collab – as overt signals of opulence and luxury. “In times of economic downturn, people want to latch onto that more than ever,” Escalante says. Although it may seem superficial to indulge in high fashion when your budget is tight, it does provide a coping method. “If it feels like your financial world is crumbling around you, some people will be like, ‘Okay, what’s the one thing I can control?’ and that’s going to be your appearance.”
But there is a difference this time around: young people experiencing their first recession as adults are more likely to turn to thrifting and fast fashion replicas, rather than saving to invest in ‘real’ luxury. “I wonder, if [Gen Z] buying power is significantly reduced because of the recession, will we still invest into luxury goods, or consume fashion at the same rate?” Only time will tell.
@nycnichole She fake but still my new favorite bag 💕 #fendi #secondhandclothes #thriftfind #thriftstorefinds ♬ ribs 2 – 𝐥 𝐨 𝐯 𝐞 𝐲 𝐨 𝐮
Film & TV: Cheap Content
Film & TV of the Recessions Past: Throughout the Great Depression, the Hollywood movie industry didn’t seem to take a hit. According to NPR, during that period around 80 million people filled movie theatre seats at least once a week. The entertainment industry is often resilient in the face of financial bleakness, even though it’s not always perceived as a ‘vital’ budget item. In 2009, U.S. box office revenue reached new all-time highs as more people used movie theaters as psychological shelters from the economic downturn.
But the infamous screenwriters strike from late 2007 to early 2008 was a sign that the future of the entertainment industry (and how it responds to economics) was about to change forever. Screenwriters went on strike for 100 days to fight for a better pay deal for the digital licensing of the entertainment (especially TV shows) that they make possible. In 2022, the impact of streaming platforms will entirely dictate the types of movies and series we’ll get during downturn.
What Film & TV Series To Expect Next: Online streaming was simply not a factor during the last recession. Now, there are almost too many options – Netflix, Stan, Paramount Plus, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Binge, Hayu… the list goes on. Entertainment journalist Jenna Guillaume explains: “With more platforms and less money to go around, already fatigued viewers will be choosy about what services they keep on and this will inevitably have an impact on the amount and quality of content the streamers can put out.”
That financial squeeze on streamers will result in four distinct content trends. First, we’re already seeing some of the major streaming platforms moving towards cheaper “reality” TV productions – think Too Hot To Handle and Is It Cake? It also explains why your favourite shows seem to be prematurely cancelled. R.I.P. The Society.
Second, expect to see rom-coms make a big comeback. While not as cheap as reality TV, rom-coms provide a sugary sweet escape for our blue and broke souls. The recession period of 2007 to 2010 was a treasure trove for romantic comedies, giving us 27 Dresses, The Proposal and He’s Just Not That Into You. They provided love and laughter in a time of chaos. The escapist nature of romcoms applies to scripted reality formats that allow viewers to “vicariously experience opulent lifestyles” (Selling Sunset, we’re looking at you.)
Third, Guillaume says audiences are often drawn to movies and shows with darker themes during dark times. “It makes sense because art helps us to make sense of the world around us, and so grittier TV and movies can help us process a depressing reality.”
The most likely place for those gritty storylines to pop up is in the fourth trend: the ‘Marvelisation‘ of entertainment, which gives us endless versions of the same. “The recession will further exacerbate existing problems and make the industry even more risk-averse and reliant on IP,” Guillaume says. It makes the most economic sense for streaming platforms and production companies to mine the intellectual property they already own, which is cheaper than paying to acquire something new. So, don’t expect superhero films to slow down any time soon, despite this being “to the detriment of a thriving and diverse creative landscape.”
Matt Damon explains why they don’t make movies like they used to. pic.twitter.com/BhWypzcsgQ
— SPENCE, TODD (@Todd_Spence) August 21, 2022
Books: Renaissance
Books of the Recessions Past: Hard times definitely make for good writing. War, riots, terrorism, famine, and anything that involves death has inspired the stories of countless authors and writers. Historical recessions have been the focus of some of the most iconic and widely-read pieces of literature: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck examine what came right before and after the Great Depression. Dystopian, young adult classic The Hunger Games was first published in 2008 and remained on the New York Times best seller list for 100 consecutive weeks – serving both as a fantastical escape and an all-too-relevant critique of capitalism.
Books have always and will always be an escape for readers. Again, some of the most iconic titles were published during the last recession – Twilight. Need we say more?
What Books To Expect Next: Because this economic downturn was triggered by the pandemic, there is likely to be a resurgence of recession-lit that incorporates what we’ve all just been through. Hanya Yanagihara’s book To Paradise is considered to be the first attempted ‘pandemic novel’ – there are sure to be many more that will tackle similar themes.
And as we grasp for opulence, joy and escapism by any means necessary, books that deliver on romance or take us to another world (historical fiction, fantasy, even dystopia) will continue to boom. We’ll get more titles in the style of The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, the devastating The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and anything by Colleen Hoover.
It’s almost a return to the idea of renaissance – romanticising and reimagining life through a chaotic time of social and economic change. Rafqa Touma, Guardian Australia reporter and book blogger has noticed this theme playing out quite literally on book covers: “Bold colours, large font and graphic all seem to be design elements romanticising chaotic experiences. With faces covered, readers can see the anonymity in their own chaos, exhaustion and reflection of life, coming out of a pandemic and going into a year of great economic pressure for many.”
If you wanted to write a novel by end of pandemic well you’ve got rest of yr life
— Gabe Hudson (@gabehudson) August 23, 2022
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