Pop stars are so tired

Being famous singers worldwide, with a tour underway, album promotion to manage, public appearances, and the social media activities that follow is not easy at all. The music career is demanding, requiring significant physical and mental effort. Being a pop star, in particular, can be even more exhausting. Everyone loves them, sure, but everyone also watches them, wants to see them, listen to them, and discuss them. That’s why more and more artists are stepping back from the tight and demanding schedule of the music industry to choose something better and more bearable for themselves.

Adele and Charli XCX Say Enough

To Billboard, Charli XCX - who is currently experiencing her Brat Summer, which has become a meme beyond social media and even reached the campaign for the next President of the United States - stated: "I saw a tweet that said this wouldn’t be my last album, and I thought it would actually be nice if it were, I'm seriously considering it because I'd like to act. I'm very into Brat right now, but it would be fun." Similarly, Adele, who is currently in the middle of a lengthy Las Vegas residency, told the Hollywood Reporter that she would like to take a long break afterward and "do other creative things for a while."

Stars on Hiatus: From Rihanna to Lady Gaga

Some world-famous pop stars, on the other hand, have chosen to take their time, forcibly pulling themselves out of the tight system of album-promotion-tour and deciding for themselves, on their own terms, when to release music and what else to do in the meantime, with a freedom that comes from their success and therefore also from their power. This group includes, for example, Lady Gaga, who will present the second chapter of Joker at the Venice Film Festival, and, hopefully, also Rihanna, who keeps promising new music but only releases products and children with Asap Rocky. And if all these stars give hints about what they want to do next (often it’s acting, just think of Selena Gomez), some simply disappear from the scene between one album and the next. We’re talking about Lorde, who has a very relaxed and independent approach to music and isn’t afraid of being forgotten. Her gamble works: fans keep waiting for her and celebrate every sign of life from her, including the remix with Charli XCX.

Some Never Stop But Maybe Should (Taylor Swift, We’re Talking About You)

One who refuses any hint of a break or stop is Taylor Swift who, since her comeback with Reputation in 2017 - after a full two-year hiatus - hasn’t stopped, releasing many new albums and also re-recording the old ones while performing around the world. However, this doesn't always work in her favor as one might think. Like in all love stories - and the fan-artist relationship often revives these dynamics - being missed pays off. Some social media users have expressed being overwhelmed by Swift’s strong and dominating presence. Others, and you only need to go on Twitter or TikTok to find them, believe disappearing for a few months could only benefit her public image, which seems on the edge of overexposure.

Do We Need to Adjust Our Expectations?

What is the solution? As often happens, it seems the best way to handle this lies in a momentary balance between two demands. The public forgets quickly but also gets tired quickly, and a pop star’s career is not designed to stay at the top of the world for many years in a row. That’s why the pop stars of the moment decide to take long breaks, diversify their activities, and try a career in acting, cinema, or the beauty industry. And that’s why, on the other hand, we fans should adjust our expectations, create a healthy distance, and appreciate what we receive. Creativity needs time, and if we want something of value - even in pop - we must resign ourselves to waiting.