A year of Espresso: Here’re five times pop girls stirred the male gaze and sipped it cold

It was 2024 when Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso dropped and it didn’t just chart, it strutted. The track wasn’t just a song; it was a cultural moment, a pop girl manifesto in a shot-glass-sized beat. With a sultry hook and a wink of sarcasm, the song became the soundtrack for lipstick-on-the-rim confidence. One year later, the song hasn’t cooled down, but brewed itself a legacy.

So, to celebrate a year of Espresso and its gloriously unbothered energy, here are 5 times pop girls stirred the male gaze and sipped it cold --- just like the queen herself.

Taylor has always had a love-hate relationship with the spotlight. But this song with the music video was her unapologetic mic-drop moment. Instead of chasing approval, she danced barefoot in the rain and showed us vulnerability without asking for permission. In a world that wanted her to be either perfect or problematic, she chose neither ---- just real. The male gaze? Irrelevant.

Ariana didn’t just flip the narrative , she set it on fire with lavender flames and divine vocals. God is a Woman was sensual, spiritual, and 100% unapologetic. It wasn’t about seducing for attention; it was about owning power through pleasure, presence, and pastel aesthetics, shaking patriarchy up with her sermon.

Billie stripped it all down; her sound, her visuals, and the illusions around control. In Your Power, she whispered truth in a way that roared. No theatrics, just a haunting reminder that male dominance in relationships isn’t edgy; it’s exploitative. Her soft delivery made the message louder than ever. A slow sip that burned.

Somehow SZA managed to make, “I might kill my ex,” poetic. She took messy emotions and romanticized them, not to please anyone, but to own them. The gaze had no power here. Instead of sanitizing heartbreak, SZA leans into obsession, jealousy, and revenge. It's messy, real, and totally unfiltered — her way of reclaiming vulnerability as strength.

Let’s be honest, Partition was Beyoncé saying: “I can be your fantasy , but on my terms.” She controlled the camera, the choreography, the fantasy itself. It was sexy, sure, but it was also a masterclass in agency. She knows she's being watched and uses it to her advantage, flipping control by directing the fantasy herself.

Right from dreamy slow burns to icy power plays, these pop girls didn’t just challenge the male gaze , but redefined what it means to be desired. One year since Espresso became a viral anthem of self-assured femininity, it has become clear: the girls aren’t waiting to be looked at– they’re too busy looking inward— creating, commanding, and casually sipping their worth without asking for a refill. And the male gaze? It can watch, but it can’t touch.

(Written by Archisha Mazumdar)