The three pop songs below from the 2020s weren’t taken seriously at first. Despite being mocked a bit, they proved to be successful. Whether these songs are your favorite or not, you can’t deny that these songs are some of the most popular of this decade.
[RELATED: 3 Novelty Songs From the 1970s You Won’t Forget No Matter When You Hear Them]
Videos by American Songwriter
“Yummy” — Justin Bieber
When it was first released, Justin Bieber’s “Yummy” was, understandably, mocked. The lines “Yeah, you got that yummy-yum” aren’t among Bieber’s most vulnerable or impressive. But now that a few years have passed since this 2020 release, we have to give it props. It’s certainly a testament to the pop icon’s ability to deliver an incomparably catchy song.
The virality of this song was undeniable. Even if you find this modern Bieber staple annoying, you can’t deny it’s got some major star power and earned him plenty of success.
“ABCDEFU” — Gayle
Gayle made her name on the TikTok-fueled “ABCDEFU”. It might’ve been a tad heavy-handed in its lyricism, but it was plenty successful. “Fu** you and your mom and your sister and your job / And your broke-a** car and that sh** you call art,” are lyrics that have endless amounts of catharsis. It’s impossible to completely deny the appeal of this song, even if you don’t want to readily admit it.
“I was into you, but I’m over it now / And I was tryin’ to be nice / But nothing’s getting through, so let me spell it out,” the lyrics read later on in the song. These lines have been screamed out by many pop fans online. The online love made it a chart-topper and one of the most splashy songs of the 2020s.
“I’m Good (Blue)” — David Guetta & Bebe Rexha
“I’m Good (Blue)” was mocked when it was first released, with the sample from “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” considered a little cheesy. But, even so, this song became a modern dance classic.
“I’m good, yeah, I’m feelin’ alright / Baby, I’ma have the best f***in’ night of my life,” the lyrics to this redux floor filler read. With so many samples flying around in pop music these days, it can feel a bit overdone to basically replicate a song to make a new hit, but there is no denying that David Guetta and Bebe Rexha got enough fame off this song to quiet any naysayers.
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella)