High ponytail, knee-high heeled boots and an oversized hoodie. There’s only one name that comes to mind: pop icon and actress Ariana Grande.
Visual motifs like these contribute greatly to an artist’s popularity. By promoting themselves with unique graphic designs that are easy to recognize, artists can quickly build fanbases simply by being identifiable.
“Having the right brand or catering towards a certain group of people is really important,” said junior Laya Saikumar. “If you don’t market [or] have good advertising for your music, you’re not gonna get the attention you deserve.”
However, artists don’t always follow one specific branding strategy. Many music icons choose to rebrand throughout their career and take on new stage personas, one such example being Taylor Swift.
“[Taylor Swift] used to be a country pop artist, but she became a full-fledged pop artist with ‘1989’ and that rebrand did incredible things for her career and worked really well,” said sophomore Chris Dominguez. “It’s one of my favorite rebrands ever [and] … it completely changed how the public viewed her … ’1989’ sold incredibly well its first week and that’s really a testament to [its success].”
These style evolutions result from a wide variety of causes, whether it be simply growing up, different aesthetic preferences, significant life changes or differences in label management.
Take Zara Larsson and her recent spike in popularity as a pop icon of the summer. A seasoned artist who released her first album in 2014, Larsson rose to global prominence following the resurgence of her old songs “Lush Life” and “Symphony” on social media.
Playing into themes of bright colors and hyperfeminism, Larsson embraced a distinct mermaid-inspired aesthetic, characterized by her Y2K style, vibrant, tropical outfits and upbeat music.
“[Before, Zara Larsson] had lighter makeup and a casual style, [whereas] now, where she’s completely embracing her music persona [with] bright colors and [sparkly] makeup, the embodiment of summer,” Senthilkumar said. “And her brand has made such an impact within different communities … lots of people copy the Zara Larsson makeup look [on social media] … She had been in the industry for a while, but that made her really popular.”
Another notable rebrand is that of Sabrina Carpenter, who initially rose to fame on Disney Channel’s “Girl Meets World.” She first debuted as a pop singer without a clear musical identity.
However, in 2020, she changed labels and had freedom to invent herself musically, evident in her albums “Short n’ Sweet” and “Man’s Best Friend,” which feature her signature flirtatious and witty lyrics that launched her into a mainstream music career. She also adopted an iconic feminine style: glittery bodysuits, platform boots and fluffy, curly blonde hair.
“[Sabrina Carpenter] really came into her soft, somewhat sexual womanhood and really leaned into colors that actually suit her,” Saikumar said. “Her stylists style her for her skin tone and her features and her songs have started becoming more peppy. She [also] really leaned into the country [genre] with [‘Manchild’] and she [even] collaborated with Dolly Parton.”
However, in some cases, rebrands don’t land well with audiences. Notably, global girl group KATSEYE debuted with a fresh, confident, Y2K style, but later changed concepts to a more mature, intense look. Their music identity evolved from lively, clever and catchy lyricism to electronic and bold beats, complete with eccentric lyrics and choreography.
“I’m really confused about [KATESYE’s rebrand],” Senthilkumar said. “The KATSEYE community is completely flabbergasted by the drastic change that happened in such a short time … KATSEYE [debuted] in 2024, but if you were to compare their music then to now … you can’t believe that they’re the same people just two years apart.”
Another rebrand that missed the mark was Katy Perry’s attempt to incorporate politics with her album Witness, where she coined the term ‘purposeful pop’ to encourage using music as a platform for political activism.
“When a rebrand is done well, it can really expand someone’s popularity and skyrocket them, but when it’s done poorly, it can tank their career,” Dominguez said. “Katy Perry wanted to [lean into] ‘purposeful pop’ and make ‘Witness’ political, but she just didn’t follow through. Her failing [that rebrand] really tanked how the public viewed her at that time.”
Rebranding can help music artists refresh their look and draw in new fans, though it’s always a gamble of success. In an industry built upon catchy tracks and visually appealing marketing, a rebrand can catapult artists to newfound fame, or pull them into controversy and contribute to an inevitable decline.
