How The Mamma Mia TikTok Trend Inspired A New Generation Of Popstars

Behind the scenes, a new generation of pop stars was watching and adjusting to the trends, later working their findings into their music.

The 2020s have been the decade of the return of the pop star, as a new generation of pop music has hit the airwaves–or streaming waves. Last year was a massive year for stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Charli XCX. However, I was most fascinated by Carpenter’s rise. Like Charli XCX, she’d already been in the industry for a decade before her big breakthrough. A series of both fortunate and unfortunate events led up to her mainstream rise, but I had always seen her potential since the “Can’t Blame A Girl For Trying” days. What really catapulted her was her rebrand that took inspiration from Marilyn Monroe, Dolly Parton, and, to me, most prominently, ABBA.

While mainly a pop artist, Carpenter has experimented with various sounds like R&B, EDM, and folk-pop. There are even a few country-inspired songs in her catalog. However, the most prominent songs take inspiration from 70s disco and 80s synth pop–the latter is mostly thanks to producer Jack Antonoff. Carpenter is no stranger to covering ABBA’s songs at her shows, as she’s performed “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Lay All Your Love On Me” at various concerts. She even recently met up with ABBA founding member Björn Ulvaeus while visiting Stockholm, Sweden, on her Short n’ Sweet Tour.