Music analysis: A look at how divorce curates career-defining albums

Women have always had a foothold in the music industry, their creativity transcending the glass ceilings that have otherwise subjugated them in other fields, writes Music News Blitz’s Isaac James.

Their contributions to the ecosystem of pop music have not only laid the foundation for the genre to exist, but for other blooming artists to rise in future. 

But there is a shift underway, a change in the women who are dominating the charts and exactly what their music describes and details. 

What exactly underpins this zeitgeist that is sweeping its way through fanbases in recent years? 

In the words of the great Adele – divorce, babe. Divorce.

The illusion of pop princesses

The 2010’s had a much more finite number of women at the forefront of pop music with stars like Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift all solidifying themselves as potent vocalists and pop princesses. 

They were young and were riding the coattails of the streaming renaissance; whereas previous generations were marked with much fewer “icons” as music was generally less accessible. 

The 2010s onwards made it increasingly easier for artists to be sought out. 

The concept of monolithic fanbases was fragmenting, superstars like Madonna and Brtiney Spears were harder to replicate because, whereas those artists had essentially crowned themselves as MTV royalty, MTV would lose its relevancy as music became accessible through alternative avenues.

As their fanbases grew and they continued to churn out EP’s, singles and albums, we would see a very male-centric trend in the themes and concepts presented in their work. 

Some were positive – anyone who was alive at the time can probably recall the chokehold that “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen had on the planet for years – others were more geared towards the longing for an ideal man that otherwise seemed non-existent like Meghan Trainor’s “Dear Future Husband”.

Lack of diversity

But what was interesting was the lack of diversity of people singing these pop anthems. 

The 2010’s had a fascination with youth, and we saw an erasure of older women in particular vocalising their struggles and experiences with love that had so often been romanticised by the music charts. 

Everybody ages, however, and the cultural opinions of marriage, singleness and dating changed dramatically over the following years as women began to write about the less palatable experiences that unhealthy marriage can entail.

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30 by Adele

In 2021, Adele released “30”, and in my opinion, catalysed the trend of artists picking up their microphones after their careers had somewhat plateaued, but specifically also prompted celebrities to vocalise the volatile nature of marriage and the difficulty of navigating life after a divorce. 

The album is deeply contemplative and reflective as she begins to describe her growth from a state of self-destruction to self-improvement. 

Even more sensitive topics like the guilt she felt for her children are unpacked in “My Little Love” really set the precedent for women who were growing out of the playful and docile caricatures that limelight often encourages them to embody. 

I think that Adele’s ability to be vulnerable has always set her aside from other musicians, and the sincerity with which she handles her messaging has always been an asset to her work. 

People have grown up with Adele, they have become wives and mothers alongside her which gives her an advantage when it comes to empathising with her fans. 

That level of understanding is simply not accessible to younger popstars who have not experienced the same tribulations.

Flowers

Two years following the release of “30”, Miley Cyrus would make waves as she released her song “Flowers” on the “Endless Summer Vacation” album. 

Whilst the album as a whole would unpack the same themes of self-love and independence as “Flowers” encapsulates as the first track in Cyrus’ eighth studio album, I think that the song alone had enough presence in the charts, social media and radio broadcasting alone that we can analyse its social impacts. 

The single claimed the number one spot for best-selling single from 2023 as it established records on Spotify for accumulating over 100 million streams in a short amount of time. 

The success of “Flowers” was astronomical and revitalised Cyrus’ presence in mainstream pop. 

In time prior to the album’s release, Cyrus has been experimenting with other genres and was more playful with her brand and sound, delving especially into the rock genre with projects like her cover of “Heart of Glass”.

Her choice to return to her original sound boosted her career, setting her up for future opportunities such as the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special”. 

It was clear that there was an audience out there who resonated with these women who, in a world that glamourised and sensationalised relationships, craved a dose of reality and a testament to the harder conversations that otherwise go unnoticed. 

“Flowers” proved that representation is important and sought after, and that the listener base for divorcees wanting to feel seen was absolutely there, it had just gone unrecognised for far too long.

Lasting effects

The impact that these two albums had on the topic of divorce in pop music has been long-lasting and imperative to paving the way for women to have an outlet when it comes to discussing their dejection from past relationships. 

Whilst the industry would otherwise have discarded them after the marketability of being a young woman wore off, female artists have really taken to self-liberation as they refuse to downplay or hide the issues they take with aspects of marriage, to a degree that male artists simply have not begun to replicate. 

Music has always been a tool to share experiences, knowledge and feelings and it was only natural for this sub-genre of pop to arise in some capacity or another. 

With recent releases like Lily Allen’s “West End Girl”, I think that it is safe to say that women’s post-divorce songwriting is here to stay.

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