Billie Eilish might be responsible for crystalizing what you could call "sad girl" pop in this day and age ... an argument that's got fans of Fiona Apple, and others, up in arms.
Here's the deal ... a fan account that chronicles Billie music news tweeted Saturday that the Recording Academy -- which, of course, is responsible for the Grammys -- credited BE with creating the above-mentioned genre ... also employed by Olivia Rodrigo, Tate McRae, etc.
The @RecordingAcad have credited @BillieEilish for creating the ‘Sad Girl Pop’ genre in 2016, that is used by a lot of musicians today in the industry including @OliviaRodrigo and @TateMcRae! pic.twitter.com/1seH0kau8j
— Billie Eilish Charts (@eilishchart) July 16, 2022
They're referencing an article from the Recording Academy that was written a few days ago, titled ... "The Psychology Of "Sad Girl" Pop: Why Music By Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo & More Is Resonating So Widely."
While the Billie fan account isn't quite accurate in characterizing what the article actually says -- namely, that Billie has more or less popularized "sad girl" pop into its own subgenre, especially for a new generation -- it does sorta capture the spirit ... which seems to be giving artists like Billie and all the other Gen-Zers a bit more credit than they perhaps deserve.
While "sad girl" pop isn't exactly new (most music trends are cyclical, of course), the way that people are clinging to it is. 🎶 https://t.co/bobVExJhev
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) July 16, 2022
That's where Fiona fans are coming out in force against this narrative ... dive into the "Fiona Apple" trend on Twitter right now and you'll see what we mean. They're sour over this.
A lot of them are pointing out that musicians like Fiona and Alanis Morissette are the actual trailblazers that the Recording Academy thinks Billie, Olivia and other young'ns are -- and there are other names getting thrown in the mix too as pioneers.
There's Lana Del Rey ... who's been in this lane for years. Others who've been mentioned as stalwarts of "sad girl" pop -- Michelle Branch, Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne, Marina Diamandis, Lorde, Hope Sandoval ... and even older acts like Kate Bush and Joni Mitchell.
While the article in question DOES actually shout out a lot of these ladies, they also seem to kinda downplay their impact a bit. Of course, the other argument is ... maybe Billie and co. actually did help turn all this sad girl stuff mainstream??? The debate rages, no doubt.