How Today’s Music Reflects a Generation Searching for Truth
There are many ways to get a handle on cultural currents. You can look at what books people are reading, survey the most visited websites, check out the top-grossing movies, or find out the most searched topics or names on Google.
You can also listen to the music.
The significance and power of the interplay between music and culture was masterfully relayed by the recently released video, “Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music,” co-directed by Oz Rodriguez and Questlove.
The 67th Grammy Awards was recently held at the Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena last week. Hosted by Trevor Noah, it featured performances by Sabrina Carpenter, Chappel Roan, the Weeknd, Shakira and Charli XCX.
It was a big night for Kendrick Lamar, who won song of the year and record of the year, and Beyoncé, who won album of the year.
Wait...
You don’t know who Sabrina Carpenter is? Or Chappel Roan?
Better get to know them. They represent the new Gen Z wave taking over the airwaves. Or more accurately, the downloads. Here’s how NPR described the sea change:
Far more adept onstage than most rookies, most of these new champions spent their youth training for this opportunity, and attained stardom as complete packages, with well-honed musical approaches and personae. They have tons of attitude and the skill to back it up. Moreover, they radiate a sense of purpose: They're here to usher in a new era of pop stardom, characterized by a kind of audacious self-possession and designed for a time when performance comes as naturally as hitting the camera button on your phone.
And like most members of Generation Z, they want to make a difference.
The leader of the Gen Z pack is, without question, 26-year-old Chappell Roan, who won the Grammy for best new artist. Born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, Roan is known for her camp and drag-queen-influenced look. Her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, received wide critical acclaim.
The oldest of four children, she describes her upbringing as “conservative” and “Christian.” During her childhood, she attended church three times a week and would often spend summers at Christian camps. She has stated that she was raised on Christian rock during her childhood but never identified with it. She now says she does not identify with the Christian faith and says her relationship with religion is “evolving.”
Roan is a lesbian and is considered a “queer pop icon.” She is credited with leading a “lesbian pop renaissance” on the music charts and within the cultural zeitgeist. Her music is seen to have brought the idea of “compulsory heterosexuality” (the idea that heterosexuality is assumed and enforced by a patriarchal, heteronormative society) into the vanguard of mainstream pop music.
As NPR notes, Roan’s songs operate on multiple levels: There’s the sheer fun of singing (and dancing) along, but also a political message of solidarity with queer people and other outsiders, and even a spiritual one grounded in the belief in self-expression as a practice that makes a person whole. Back to the Grammys:
Accepting her award, Roan gave a rousing speech (as always, she read from her bound notebook as her trophy rested on the ground nearby) demanding that record labels consider musicians as workers who deserve support, including a living wage and healthcare. Her call for humane treatment — not only for herself, but for the generation that will one day arise behind her — recalled the bold activism of Gen Z teens fighting for climate awareness or gun control, speaking back to their elders with conviction and no apologies.
So yes, continue to pay attention to the work of Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Post Malone.
But keep your cultural ear to the ground by listening to the music.
The times just might be a changing.
James Emery White
Sources
Ann Powers, “Gen Z Conquers the Grammys,” NPR, February 3, 2025, read online.
Jevon Phillips & Nate Jackson, “Here’s the Complete List of 2025 Grammy Winners,” Los Angeles Times, February 2, 2025, read online.
“Chappell Roan,” Wikipedia, read online.
SNL Fanatic, “Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music,” YouTube, January 25, 2025, watch online.
Photo Courtesy: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/insta_photos
Published Date: February 13, 2025
James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook, and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.
Originally published February 13, 2025.
