Sabrina Carpenter topped the 2024 charts with singles like “Espresso,” “Please Please Please” and her most recent album Short n’ Sweet. Chappel Roan has achieved stardom among queer teenagers and young adults, headlining festivals such as Lollapalooza and Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025. “FEIN” by Travis Scott and Playboi Carti became an internet sensation almost overnight. But what do all of these artists have in common?
A large portion of their songs are made up of explicit lyrics and sexual content, and the artists, as well as others like them, represent that content in the way they perform and present themselves on stage. Carpenter and Roan’s respective tours contain dances and innuendos that aren’t what I would call family friendly, and Scott’s songs consistently relate to topics like drugs, alcohol and sex.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with an artist who chooses to express themselves in this way, but the music industry wasn’t always so suggestive. There has been a significant shift in the industry’s content within the last several decades, but when did it happen, and why?
When many people think of pre 20th century music, they think of Mozart or Beethoven. Classical music and opera were some of the most popular forms of music and entertainment at this time, and still attract audiences today.
When the 30s and 40s came around, jazz and “big band” styles were all the rage, with frontmen like Louis Armstrong, Glen Miller and Benny Goodman being among the most popular artists of the time.
The 50s and 60s saw the birth of rock n’ roll, the 70’s introduced disco music. This was also when mainstream pop music began to gain popularity in the U.S., which has carried through to the modern day.
The rise in songs containing explicit or sexual lyrics didn’t start until the 80’s and 90’s, which was also when the hip-hop genre hit its peak popularity. That isn’t to say that there were no songs with this content before this time, but there were far fewer of them and they were far “tamer” than what we commonly see today.
This is largely because American society used to be much stricter and more conservative, in that “improper” language and inappropriate topics were considered much more taboo than they are today, and weren’t commonly discussed in media or daily social interactions.
However, one of the most interesting issues to look at is how American society is still largely divided and prejudiced over which kinds of music are socially acceptable and which are too inappropriate to play in public. Often, it’s only the mainstream list—still containing plenty of innuendos and vulgar language—that is played, albeit censored, in any Walmart, Target or other grocery store you walk into.
This excludes just about every genre that isn’t pop, however because this genre is so large and well-covered many inaccurately feel that all genres receive the same acceptance.
Take the rock and metal genres, for example. These are historically some of the least sexual genres out there, and yet they receive some of the harshest criticisms for their work. These are often aimed at their stage performances or general sound despite the fact that their lyrics are often more thoughtful and emotional than half the songs on the Billboard Hot 100 list.
Many rock and metal songs do use an excess of cursing and R-rated language, however their lyrical content as a whole is significantly less sexual than some of the most popular pop songs today.
Many people dislike artists in these genres because of their “scary” stage makeup and set designs, or their angry sound and supposedly violent nature. However, more people are beginning to understand that what someone presents externally is often different from what the truth inside.
Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash helped to set up a Wildlife Conservation Foundation in 2012, for example. Bands like Slipknot have spoken out against homophobic or discriminatory treatment toward queer youth, and Alice Cooper created a teen center in Phoenix, Arizona, to provide a creative environment and safe space for kids in the area.
This contrasts heavily with some of the actions performed by mainstream pop artists, such as Taylor Swift’s contributions to pollution through the use of her private jet, the child sexual abuse allegations faced by Michael Jackson and Chris Brown’s assault conviction in 2009.
Of course, the actions performed by the few don’t represent the morality of the entire group, and this statement applies to both the metal and pop genres. Some pop artists have done wonderfully influential things, others have done the opposite. Some metal musicians have committed serious crimes and others have changed the lives of others for the better. The point remains that you cannot vilify or exalt a group of people simply because of their outward appearance.
The 70s and 80s saw a rise in fears around “devil music,” with bands like ACDC and Black Sabbath among the many to be accused of “pushing the devil’s agenda” and corrupting children. This fear was also spread in many of the parents of children who played Dungeons and Dragons, a beloved role-play game that involves magic, quests and, of course, dragons.
This prejudice has carried on throughout the following decades and still remains common today. You will rarely see even Metallica, one of the most well-known and well-liked bands in the music scene today, shown in public the way artists like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter are. They have donated countless amounts to charity and their music has created a bond between their fans all across the globe, and yet they still receive less attention and recognition for their efforts than artists who are more mainstream and significantly less influential and positive.
But why did music make the shift from strict to sexual in the first place? Part of the reason is because it’s simply easier to create music. New artists don’t need a record deal or studio access to put their music into the world, and subsequently they aren’t subject to the label’s jurisdiction on censorship and general content.
Another reason is because the radio and television stations like MTV were the only ways to access music, meaning it was up to the laws around media censorship to determine what songs could be played. Nowadays, there are countless video streaming services such as YouTube that aren’t subject to that same rule and can therefore provide access to much more explicit and inappropriate content.
I also believe part of it is simply social evolution. History has shown that no society, especially not the strictest ones, can maintain their way of life forever. People grow, and with them ideas, philosophies and different ways of living. Perhaps it was simply the most natural course of action that these songs would become less shocking over time.
Music is a subjective kind of art, with no two people viewing it or its meaning the same way. Some feel that the freedom of expression it gives to artists and listeners alike is invaluable and shouldn’t be censored. Others feel that limiting inappropriate or explicit content is a must in public spaces. Regardless, this kind of music, at least for the time being, is here to stay. Countless artists have built their platform off it and connected with their fans because of it, and countless listeners will continue to appreciate it. With the variety that’s out there and the ability to access it being easier than ever before, at least there’s no doubt that there’s something for everyone.