Editorial | Abracadabra! There goes economic stability

From the rise of minimalism and clean girl aesthetics to the resurgence of “The Hunger Games” and upcharges on eggs in restaurants, the signs are all around us that something is off.

Lady Gaga is on the radio singing gibberish again. In her February hit “Abracadabra,” she sings “Abracadabra, amor-oo-na-na, Abracadabra, morta-oo-ga-ga, Abracadabra, abra-oo-na-na.” It is catchy, chaotic and borderline nonsensical. It is the perfect anthem for a population teetering on the edge of burnout and economic uncertainty.

Meanwhile, fans have been flocking to Ed Sheeran’s TikTok page as he wins over Gen Z one Vine reference at a time. A commenter says “Ed Sheeran is kinda cool now.” In response, Sheeran comments, “A recession indicator.”

After the market crashed, resulting in over $9.6 trillion in losses since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the current president has put an official pause on his tariff plans, a move many suspect was less about changing his idea and more about damage control. Or perhaps it was just market theater, as many have accused Trump of this past week — a ploy to tank the economy temporarily, manipulate the stock market and let his ultra wealthy friends buy in low before making a killing on the rebound. We’ve seen this film before, and we know who gets left behind when the credits roll.

If the ultra wealthy manipulating the market and making all of our lives harder doesn’t sound familiar, it should. In 2008, Wall Street bankers bet against the economy, profited wildly, and walked away unscathed. Working-class Americans, however, lost their jobs, homes and retirement savings. Sound familiar now?
In the late 2000s, the cultural mood shifted with the economic downturn. Escapist anthems dominated the charts and alcohol consumption rose. History doesn’t always repeat itself, but it does often remix. This time, the remix is to the tune of synth beats and TikTok dances.

As 2025 and the second Trump administration unfold, we’re watching the same story play out again. Recession pop is back, offering an aestheticized form of escapism from job rejections, skyrocketing rent and disappearing benefits. People are pivoting towards higher education — towards things like law school or anything that might provide stability in a collapsing market. Meanwhile, malls are emptying, people aren’t flocking to get their botox touched up and casinos are lowering their table minimums to attract a shrinking middle class.

These are subtle, and not so subtle, signs of recession. So yes, Lady Gaga is singing gibberish again. But maybe we should be listening — not just to the beat but to what the beat is telling us.

The Pitt News editorial is a weekly article written by the opinions editors in collaboration with all other desk editors. It reflects the collective opinion of the current Pitt News editorial staff.