Chappell Roan's "Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess," Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter." When did it suddenly become cool to be American again?
Think back to the British invasion of 2010s — One Direction, The Wanted, Prince William and Kate Middleton. It wasn't in Vogue to be American, much less from states like Missouri and Iowa.
In the past couple of years, there has been a shift in American pop culture or rather its perception within society; Gen Z has decided Americana is back in, baby. But what led to this shift in pop culture and does it bleed into different areas of life? Is this a reflection of desires among Gen Z or are a select few just louder than others?
The Americana aesthetic in online spaces
Americana encompasses all that can be defined as American culture – Super Bowl Sunday, high school pep rallies, burgers and milkshakes at a diner. It's pretty much what the average European thinks of when envisioning the country; An idealized caricature through the lens of popular culture.
Cristian Esquer, a student at Estrella Mountain Community College, has seen this notable rise in the Americana aesthetic on social media.
He specifically cites its rise in alternative spaces with artists Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain.
Esquer said the aesthetic is embodied through fashion: i.e., cowboy boots, gingham and a romanticized depiction of American regions such as the Deep South and Southwest.
"I do think a lot of it is Gen Z reclaiming that aesthetic," Esquer said. "Because one, it's trendy, and two… the traditional values from that time period, they're not as relevant. So it's kind of cool to use that aesthetic while having more liberal views."
He said the aesthetic is conservative-coded but people in alternative spaces differ because they don't believe in the traditional ideas behind it.
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Writer and content creator Lindsey Bales agrees with the idea of reclamation in terms of Americana. She said in earlier decades, people wanted to be perceived as well-read and well-traveled, and that didn't align with American culture.
She said there has been a "rise of exploring what it means to be an average American, which was such a disillusioned topic because people wanted to disassociate themselves from embracing a possible Midwest background."
Bales does warn against the dangers of this type of content online, though. She said an example of this is "tradwife" content. Its aesthetic is similar to Americana — idealized traditional values with an emphasis on motherhood and marriage.
Bales said not all who consume this type of content necessarily agree with it. Some might just think it's nice to watch, but this type of content can become a gateway to more conservative beliefs.
"When you are consuming a lot of specific types of content, sometimes those values will become reflected within you without even realizing," Bales said.
Is Gen Z really progressive?
Gen Z supposedly has a reputation as a progressive generation as they begin taking their place in society, but stats from the last election show a divide between men and women and an increase toward conservative political and social mindsets.
In an article for The Hill, political scientist Melissa Deckman reported that 58% of men between the ages of 18 to 27 cast their vote for President Donald Trump.
This is a stark comparison to stats from the 2020 presidential election where The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement reported that 56% of young men between the ages of 19 to 29 voted for Former President Joe Biden.
But are these statistics really reflected? Matthew Sandoval, a professor at Barrett, The Honors College, said he has seen a rise in conservatism among Gen Z in the classroom but also in public, unprovoked.
Sandoval said he has seen a rise in "Make America Great Again" merch on ASU campuses, and he thinks it's because people now feel like they can and should profess their politics out loud.
"The Trump presidency has really given people who may have been closet conservatives, the opportunity to be 'out' conservatives and really, really out," Sandoval said.
Sandoval also pointed out that Gen Z is a more self-isolated and less collective generation in comparison to Millennials and Gen X.
"I mean, when I was in college, there was a lot of coalition building: Across class lines, across racial and ethnic lines," Sandoval said. "I see now, at least on campus, little bunches of people segmenting themselves off, as opposed to building coalitions."
Despite growing political divides between men and women, Gen Z as a collective were some of the strongest supporters for Kamala Harris in 2024. 52% of Gen Z voters between the ages of 18-29 showed support for the Democratic candidate, according to CIRCLE.
Where is growing conservatism reflected?
In line with the rise of Americana and "tradwife" content, suburban and country culture has gained popularity in online spaces through mood board posts depicting simple living as luxurious.
People no longer want to live in cities. They do not want to be bothered with fast-paced lives; Instead, they want to live in a country home far from the noise raising their families.
Bales sees this want for suburbia in Gen Z and Millennials and wars against it because cities are known for change.
"The fact of the matter is, you're going to be so far removed. People live in cities because it is easier to organize and it's easier to find community," Bales said "When you are living really in the middle of nowhere, it is a lot harder. It's not impossible, but it is a lot harder."
There is a narrative that small towns are behind, that they are sheltered when it comes to socioeconomic change and growth because they aren't exposed to varied opinions.
"While there is progressiveness and there is radicalness everywhere, when you move to the middle of nowhere when you're living in a really small town in a red state that's generally very conservative, it's going to be a lot harder to find," Bales said.
It is important to note that this rise in rural desires among young adults is not mainstream or fully recognized. Suburban desires have been documented before, but Gen Z and Millennials are still growing generations in society — their history isn't fully formed.
The rise of conservatism in the 1960s-1980s
We have been here before, politics and social values change constantly. Views are ever-evolving but with a quick look at American history, there are observable re-emerging patterns.
Aaron Allen, a professor for the School of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies, said our current political state is very reminiscent of the timeline leading up to Ronald Reagan's presidency and overall conservative mindset of the 1980s.
Allen went all the way back to the Great Depression, highlighting Democratic voters under Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal Coalition, which was composed of southern Democrats, working-class white individuals and voters of color.
Over the decades, despite the 1960s being a time of social change, Allen said, "You see a breaking up of that (Democratic coalition) going on in the 1970s and then leading up to the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s. I feel like there's something similar that happened here."
Allen chronicles this resemblance by citing the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden over the past decade.
Sandoval said he thinks of political history in the U.S. as a pendulum swing from party to party over the years.
"The 60s, of course, is marked by Democratic presidents, right? JFK, followed by LBJ, who had a great, great social plan, social reform as a way to uplift the lower segments of society," Sandoval said. "By the late 1960s, early 1970s, that had completely shifted course, so that it really was a pendulum."
This pendulum swing could be used to describe American politics over the years as we see a rise in one party and then a total turnaround in voters — In recent times, Biden won the popular vote in 2020 and Trump won the popular vote in 2024.
Is Gen Z progressive, conservative, or just scared?
Gen Z can not be defined as strictly conservative or progressive without taking world events into consideration. Yes, on a historical scale, a rise in suburban culture has led to a rise in mainstream conservatism. However, Gen Z's desire for suburban living might just be a reflection of out-of-reach fantasies.
Take the American Dream into account – The promise that if one is hardworking and good, one will reap the benefits of a land committed to freedom and prosperity.
Now fine-tune the narrative and picture the preachings children receive in their youth. The proposed security that a good education will lead to a good-paying job that one can support their family with.
Sandoval thinks that young adults, specifically college-aged kids, don't really believe in this system anymore because of the working world they will enter after graduation.
"The idea of like, 'You go to college, you get a job, you buy a house, you raise a family, you buy a car,' you do all that, just economically speaking, I have a feeling that maybe students might be more pessimistic about that," Sandoval said. "College itself is more unaffordable now than it was 10 years ago, and certainly more unaffordable now than when I was a college student."
Allen agrees with the speculation, wondering if there are flocks of Gen Z actually moving out of cities or if this desire is again a reflection of broken world promises.
"I wonder if part of that aspiration is actually a comment on our current economic conditions," Allen said. "The likelihood and possibilities of younger folks, younger generations, being able to afford a home, let alone a big plot of land, as they would imagine it."
Gen Z aspirations can be found through internet trends and posts, but the real applications can be found in who you know and what you see young members in your community respond to.
Esquer said no one in his close circle of friends is living a more traditional lifestyle and trying to settle down, but he has seen it in some of his peers from high school.
"A lot of people I went to high school with, I know a lot of them are already getting married and having kids," Esquer said. "I know so many people who had kids already or are pregnant right now that are my age and went to high school."
It seems like many other generations, all Gen Z desires is security — the reassurance that a good day's work will equal a full belly, a warm bed and a home free from economic burdens.
The journey toward the common goal of dependability is where members of Gen Z may differ.
Allen points out how America's tumultuous political state might just be the driving force behind Gen Z’s actions as they carve out the lives they wish to live.
"It might actually be those types of economic conditions, of economic possibilities, or economic impossibilities that actually push young people either further to the left or further to the right," Allen said.
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Sophia Ramirez and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at jagon128@asu.edu.
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Jazlyn is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication. This is her second semester with The State Press. She has also worked at Blaze Radio.
