What happened to the pop idols?

They’ve dominated the Grammys, taken over our For You Page on TikTok, filled arenas and headlined the main stages of top international festivals (including Primavera Sound in Barcelona). Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan are living their golden age. Alongside them, Billie Eilish has been ranked among the top pop stars of the 21st century (one she was born into), Olivia Rodrigo keeps collecting Grammy nominations, and Lola Young is climbing the charts with her track Messy, now almost a generational anthem. But there’s also Tate McRae, Madison Beer, and Tyla: combined, they boast nearly 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify. And let’s put Taylor Swift aside for a moment, she needs no introduction. Pop is woman, it seems. But what happened to the men?

Justin Bieber and One Direction: A Story of Obsession

I remember clearly the first time I saw Justin Bieber on YouTube: swoopy blonde hair, snapback cap, and the innocent smile of someone who had no idea he was about to top the charts worldwide. It was the One Time era, and I was already smitten. My crush didn’t last long - I’m not one for intense passions . but I can’t say the same for many of my peers. Then came One Direction, possibly the brightest comet of the 21st century, and things got even more serious. Every generation has its idols, before One Direction, there were the Backstreet Boys, but the phenomenon surrounding the boyband crafted by Simon Cowell on X Factor UK was both fascinating and slightly unsettling. Just like Justin Bieber, the five boys were conventionally handsome, never eccentric or too out-there: the classic boy-next-door every teen dreams of dating. As music journalist Michael Gragg noted to Dazed, pop stars of that era were encouraged to appear normal: relatable, aspirational, familiar.

The Rise of Fanbases

That’s how the Beliebers were born (a blend of "believer" and "Bieber") followed by the Directioners, legions of dedicated teenage girls who could track down any detail about their idols’ lives online (back when Facebook and a less-populated Tumblr were the main platforms). Typically aged 10 to 16, these fans knew no limits when it came to devotion, often turning passion into obsession. Some kissed their Justin Bieber posters goodnight, others stood outside hotels for eight hours straight hoping for a picture with a One Direction member, and many traveled hundreds of kilometers just to attend unofficial fan meetups.

Gen Z, Trap, and Reality TV

Today, it’s hard to find that same level of attachment to any one figure. The One Direction era ended with their breakup (and perhaps with their fans entering early adulthood) while Justin Bieber still has a strong fanbase, though less obsessed and generally more mature (except when it comes to the Hailey vs. Selena debate, but that’s another story). Sure, the Swifties remain: Taylor Swift’s die-hard fans retain the near-obsessive traits of early 2010s fanbases. Apart from that, the current pop scene lacks male figures with the same mainstream magnetism. The golden age of the "clean-cut boy next door" is over, and teens today seem to prefer rap over pop, trap artists over singer-songwriters. Meanwhile, at least in Italy, fandom energy has shifted to reality TV — shows like Grande Fratello or talent shows like Amici, where audiences form online factions, with dedicated nicknames on X and airplane banners flying over Cinecittà studios. In general, people seem to crave idols who appear closer and more accessible, as if watching them 24/7 brings us into their lives.

Men in Contemporary Pop

So how are men faring in today’s pop landscape? Not too badly. On one hand, there’s been a shift toward a more queer and fluid aesthetic. Think Harry Styles, who reinvented himself post–One Direction, or Troye Sivan, and more recently Benson Boone, who’s made a Freddie Mercury–inspired jumpsuit his signature look. On the other, there’s the country/folk-leaning scene booming on TikTok with artists like Shaboozey (Grammy-nominated for A Bar Song), Alex Warren (Carry You Home, Ordinary), and Mark Ambor (Good To Be, Belong Together). Sure, maybe no one’s dreaming of marrying them or hanging their posters on the wall. Maybe the era of idols is over, or maybe we’ve just grown up.