While last year birthed an explosion of next-gen pop stars that took over streaming and radio—think Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Tate McRae—2025 is gearing up to still be a massive music summer, albeit with a bit of an indie twist. We’re calling it Alt-Girl Summer.
Over the next few months, we’re set to receive new music from the likes of Lorde, the ladies of HAIM, Addison Rae, Kali Uchis, and more—women who have paved their own way with their distinct sounds. While they all make pop music of some sort and have stealthy fanbases to back them up, they also flirt with other genres and influences that lend undefinable nuance to their sound. Being an alt-girl doesn’t equate to being anti-pop; if anything, the title represents an artist that is willing to redefine what being a pop star can mean and look like today.
These artists are already hitmakers. Lorde, for one, has taken over the Spotify charts with her long-awaited new single “What Was That,” while Colombian star Kali Uchis is consistently one of the top-streamed Latina artists thanks to a number of timeless viral singles like “Telepatía” and “After the Storm,” the latter of which featured Tyler the Creator. We’ve also fully become Addison Rae truthers thanks to an impressive run of dreamy, Madonna-coded singles leading up to her first full length album, Addison, arriving in June. There’s also the Mother of Alt Pop herself, Lana Del Rey, who’s gearing up to release her first full-length country project this summer. Because what could be more alt than stepping away from a genre that you helped create?
Last year was all about entering our respective sexy eras, but, now, it feels as if we’re entering another shift; just look at what our favorite alt girls are all wearing. The overall vibe is less about laced-up corsets and ultra miniskirts and more about sensual ease. Rae wore a bright purple hoodie and jeans for her latest “Headphones On” music video (which took us back to American Apparel’s heyday) and Lorde shimmied across Washington Square Park in just a black bra, a button down, and khakis for a pop-up-concert-turned music video. HAIM’s latest album rollout also feels refreshingly cool and casual; for the single art for their song “Relationships,” the sisters sport breezy tank tops, capris, and ballet flats.
A number of the contenders for last year’s song of the summer superlative centered around the concept of longing—think “Please, Please, Please” by Carpenter and “Good Luck, Babe!” by Roan—but this year’s soundtracks feel a bit more introspective and self-assured. Lorde and HAIM are singing more about the perils of summer love and relationships, while Uchis has shared that her upcoming album, Sincerely, was inspired by navigating the loss of her mother shortly after becoming a mom herself.
Alt-girl energy extends to the rap world, too. Following a lengthy break from music, Rico Nasty is gearing up for the release of her upcoming album, Lethal, which experiments with an electronic leaning sound while still embracing her trap-rap roots. According to the rapper, her latest studio offering is somewhat of a creative rebirth. She recently parted ways with her longtime management and creative teams and is essentially starting her career over from scratch. Doechii, who became the third-ever woman to win Best Rap Album at the Grammys earlier this year, has also led the alt-girl charge by pushing back against the constraints of hip-hop. Her genre-bending freestyle-turned-official single “Anxiety,” which samples Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” (recession indicator, anyone?), brings me back to the angst I felt as a teen. On the track, the Florida emcee raps about battling her inner demons as she faces fame and success. Right now, the world is literally burning around us—has there ever been a better time to ditch the pursuit of perfection and fully embrace your inner creative truth?
In a way, Alt-Girl Summer seems to symbolize an elegant rebellion against bubblegum pop, led by some of our favorite stars. There’s less of a pressure to be prim and proper and a more inherent need to embrace all that comes with our inner creative chaos. When it comes to the women who are leading the way in defining this summer’s official soundtrack, their music is anything but predictable—and maybe that’s just the type of shakeup we need.
