When I think of pop culture, admittedly as a Gen Z, I think of everything that goes into society today. That is music, music videos, album covers, tweets, advertisements, and even things like work environments.

In previous years, the idea of cross-genre collaborations in music was a rarity, but lately, it has become very common. We have Lil Nas and Billy Ray Cyrus, Kane Brown and Khalid, Panic at the Disco and Taylor Swift, Post Malone and Ozzy Osborn, and The Chainsmokers and almost every artist from different genres. The music industry is breaking barriers because society wants it.

A perfect example of pop culture reflecting social change is Taylor Swift's "You Need To Calm Down," it's an anthem for letting people be who they want to be, although Taylor Swift was not always so cognizant of the LGBTQ community. In her 2006 self-titled album, in the original version of "Picture To Burn," she states "So go and tell your friends that I'm obsessive and crazy. That's fine! I'll tell mine you're gay!" In 2006, the LGBTQ community was not as nearly accepted as it is now. In 2006, saying "that's gay" or using gay as an insulting description was being largely used by the media and society.

Another example of this is Macklemore's "Same Love" where he states "Have you read the Youtube comments lately? "Man, that's gay" gets dropped on the daily, we've become so numb to what we're sayin'." We have come a long way and pop culture reflects how society has evolved. "Picture To Burn" came out in 2006, "Same Love" came out in 2012, and "You Need To Calm Down" came out in 2019. As you can see, the reflection of the LGBTQ community has gone a long way and is shown through pop culture.

With the rise of technology, becoming famous is easier than ever! Youtube stars are rising and gaining a following. The same thing with Tik Tok- these ways of being a presence on the media is followed by a large mass of viewers. Example of this fast rise to stardom is Meg The Stallion, Audrey Mika, and more. Within a year, Audrey started a youtube channel, gained a large following released two songs, and set dates and locations for her tour. Tik Tok has also given rise to what is called an E-Girl and E-Boy, which is basically Japanese culture mixed with goth and Urban Outfitters clothing. The musician that really emphasized this is Doja Cat.