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It’s been an incredibly fun year for pop music, and the same can be said about the fashion that’s come along with it. This week, Alyssa sits down with Brittany Spanos, a senior writer at Rolling Stone and pop connoisseur, to discuss how the newest names on the scene are using aesthetics strategically to brand themselves and introduce their personas to the world. The ladies touch on the biggest breakout talents of 2024, particularly Sabrina Carpenter, Addison Rae, Chappell Roan, Tate McRae, and brat-era Charli XCX, and how they all (like the pop stars who came before them) use fashion to build their identities and create their narratives. Tune in for an in-depth discussion on this and much more, including Brittany’s thoughts on the smart ways that Carpenter, Rae, and Olivia Rodrigo are subtly introducing retro pop culture references to a new generation; why Rae’s slightly weird creative direction led by Mel Ottenberg is so genius; who are the best pop star/stylist pairings in the game right now; how we’ve reached Peak Britney Spears reference over the past year and why it’s getting out of hand; why the best pop stars are embracing pastiche at a time when fans are exhausted by repetitive references; what the future might hold for pop acts designing collections with luxury fashion brands, like Harry Styles for Gucci or Dua Lipa for Versace; and what could be the next big avant-garde pop star/fashion designer partnership on the level of Lady Gaga and Alexander McQueen.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.