The nostalgia for recession pop is still hanging around, and one of the aspects of this particular genre was the emphasis on partying. Whether it was because we had genuine hope for the future, or we were just trying to distract ourselves from unemployment rates and rising cost of living, that depends. Either way, some great party songs came out at that time, and here are just a few of them.
“Time Of Our Lives” — Pitbull & Ne-Yo
In 2014, Pitbull and Ne-Yo teamed up once again, determined to deliver another banger after “Give Me Everything” from 2011. “Time Of Our Lives” became a broke Millennial standard, as Pitbull and Ne-Yo urged listeners to embrace their tough financial situations by spending their last dollars having fun at the club. Now, it falls within the nostalgic category of recession pop.
“I knew my rent was gon’ be late about a week ago / I worked my ass off, but I still can’t pay it though” felt like a personal attack then, and it feels even more like that now. I’ve got five dollars in my bank account until payday, but a PBR costs eight nowadays, so where does that leave me, Pitbull? Counting quarters at the bar?
“Down” — Jay Sean Ft. Lil Wayne
Released in 2009, “Down” is steadfastly a recession pop song. It’s not completely about partying when you’re broke, but more about finding love and running away when everything is falling apart. A bit dramatic, but when considering reasons for the resurgence of recession pop, it kind of fits.
“So baby don’t worry / You are my only / You won’t be lonely / Even if the sky is falling down,” sings Jay Sean in the chorus, with a late-2000s sweetness. When Lil Wayne comes in with his verse, though, this song truly shines. Okay, mostly it’s just the line “And honestly I’m down like the economy.” Lil Wayne was so real for that.
“Tik Tok” — Kesha
Kesha is the undeniable queen of recession pop, and no song is more recognizable than “Tik Tok,” her debut single. Her early music was all about partying: dancing, drinking, hooking up with questionable dudes, crawling home at dawn with no shoes and makeup smeared. While it’s almost a disservice to talk about Kesha’s early work without putting it in the context of her abusive personal and professional situation with Dr. Luke, it’s also true that those songs were still formative for a lot of girls of a certain generation. For better or worse, in all honesty.
“Ain’t got a care in the world but got plenty of beer / Ain’t got no money in my pocket but I’m already here,” she sings in the second verse. Lines like that made being broke feel not so bad, because at least there was a party to go to and friends to hang out with.
“Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” — Katy Perry
Katy Perry cemented herself as another recession pop star, but really only dipped her toe into the broke partying scene. She had club hits, but a lot of her songs were more focused on romance and relationships than partying just to party. That being said, in 2010, she released “Last Friday Night,” complete with an elaborate music video, exploring the partying lifestyle.
“Last Friday night, yeah we maxed our credit cards / And got kicked out of the bar / So we hit the boulevard,” she sings in the chorus, narrating a drunken night on the town. In comparison to other recession pop party songs, “Last Friday Night” always felt a little tame. It’s not the authentic messiness of Kesha, or the mysterious glamor of Lady Gaga. But, there’s an earnestness to “Last Friday Night” that still seeps through.
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