The landscape of mainstream pop music witnessed a subtle but significant generational shift in 2025. A new wave of Generation Z female artists, led by Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, and Addison Rae, rose to prominence, openly citing Britney Spears as a foundational influence. This marks the arrival of the 'post-post-Britney' pop star—artists who admire Spears' legacy but have no firsthand memory of her explosive late-90s and early-2000s rise to fame.
The Dawn of the Post-Post-Britney Era
While millennial powerhouses like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga continue their dominant runs, a fresh class of Gen Z performers is solidifying its place. These artists share a defining demographic: none were born when Britney Spears' debut single '… Baby One More Time' was released in 1998. Sabrina Carpenter, aged 26, was born just weeks after Spears' controversial 1999 Rolling Stone cover. Tate McRae, 22, was born the same year Spears released 'Toxic' (2003), and Addison Rae, 25, arrived the year of 'Oops!… I Did It Again' (2000).
Their common ground extends beyond age. All three grew up with the social internet as a given, resulting in thoroughly archived digital pasts. Childhood performances, early songwriting attempts, and adolescent moments remain easily accessible online, creating a permanent public record of their evolution from a young age.
Channeling a Legacy: Homage and Reinvention
For these stars, Britney Spears is not a cautionary tale but a trailblazing icon and aesthetic blueprint. This represents a notable shift from an era when being compared to Spears was often a critique. The Gen Z embrace is one of admiration for her artistry and performance prowess.
Sabrina Carpenter's career arc mirrors Spears' early path, starting as a preteen on Disney's 'Girl Meets World'. Her performance of 'Tears' at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, featuring rain and a gem-encrusted bra, was widely seen as a direct homage to Spears' iconic 2001 Dream Within a Dream Tour. Carpenter has also publicly pushed back against critiques of her artistic evolution, stating, "It's not my fault that I got a job when I was 12 and you won't let me evolve."
Addison Rae, a bubbly blonde from Louisiana like Spears, has made her fandom explicit. She was photographed reading Spears' memoir 'The Woman in Me' and wears merchandise defending the singer. Her debut album 'Addison' sonically channels the electro-pop of Spears' 'Blackout' era and the breathy sensuality of her early-aughts hits. Rae has cited 'I'm a Slave 4 U' as a key touchstone.
Tate McRae, a trained dancer, found her artistic identity by deciding to become a 'dancing pop star.' Her hit 'Sports Car' echoes the slithery beats of 'I'm a Slave 4 U,' and its music video features a silver chair dance reminiscent of Spears' 'Stronger' video. McRae has called the comparisons "flattering and scary."
Awareness, Agency, and Complicated Nostalgia
This new cohort operates with a shrewd awareness of the scrutiny faced by young women in pop. Having lived through the recent cultural reevaluation of how Spears and her peers were mistreated, they project hard-fought agency over their images.
McRae addresses objectification head-on in her song 'Purple Lace Bra,' singing, "You only listen when I'm undressed." Carpenter similarly challenges critics obsessed with the sexual themes in her music. Their stance suggests they have learned from Spears' story that public backlash often says more about societal biases than the artists themselves.
This nostalgic revival, however, exists alongside Spears' complex present. Despite being freed from her conservatorship in 2021, she remains distant from the music industry, stating she is "traumatized for life" and likely won't perform again. The Gen Z celebration focuses on an idealized version of Spears at her peak, even as her current life complicates the fairy-tale narrative.
The rise of Carpenter, McRae, and Rae signals that Britney Spears' influence is now firmly enshrined as classic pop heritage. For a generation that didn't witness her initial conquest, she is a legendary figure to be studied, referenced, and rebuilt in their own image—a glittering blueprint for a new era of pop stardom.
