90s grunge remains a pretty specific genre, usually centering on a specific place (Seattle) and a specific cluster of bands (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, etc). But at the same time that it’s possible to actually trace grunge back to Tina Bell of Bam Bam, it’s also possible to name several pop stars that carry a smidge of grunge along for the ride. Grunge is about playing guitars in Seattle, and it’s also about being a weird girl in pop music. Both things can exist, and here’s how.
Caroline Polachek
Hailed as the second coming of Kate Bush (by me just now), Caroline Polachek embodies what I’m calling art grunge pop. She’s often favored by pop girlies who want a little weirdness but don’t want to stray too far into the unknown. Just avant garde enough to make you go “hm,” but familiar enough to be comforting. I believe her grunge edge comes from her vocals, which contain spectacular range already. But she uses her voice almost like a weird medieval instrument, warbling and trembling, sinking low before scraping the ceiling of Heaven. Pop sensibilities and arthouse flavor with grunge execution.
Marina
My big hipster moment is that I was on the ground floor of Marina’s rise to fame in 2010, when she was still called Marina and the Diamonds, but that’s neither here nor there. Marina flirts with an edge of grunge on her debut album, The Family Jewels. She’s gone through several style shifts in the ensuing years. There’s the bubblegum-pop femme fatale record Electra Heart and the Euro-pop inspired Froot. But The Family Jewels started out with a strange grit that has since receded slightly. However, it never eroded completely from Marina’s work. The beats became more slick and stylized, but the heart of Marina’s music remains. That is, her willingness to write songs that are a little off-putting sometimes. And that’s a compliment.
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo, also known as pop-punk’s cool little sister. She broke through in 2020 with the single “Drivers License,” which broke several streaming records within a week of its release. While still a teenager, Rodrigo possessed an impressive taste in music, which influenced her 2021 debut album Sour. That edge of grunge and pop-punk definitely showed in songs like “Good 4 U,” which was often compared with Paramore’s “Misery Business.” Her visuals are delightfully youthful and carefree, even as she sings about heartbreak and young adult insecurities. The music icons that have shaped her personal influences come through loud and clear. Sure, she takes her pop inspiration from Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, and Lorde. But other varied influences include Jack White, St. Vincent, Babes In Toyland, Rage Against The Machine, The Cure, and Fiona Apple.
Photo by Matt Keeble/Dave Benett/Getty Images
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