I loved this book for its nostalgia but also its witty insights into how popular culture shaped American attitudes of the early 21st century. Using Britney Spears as an insight into the changing century was captivating; and provides a distinctive way of thinking about American life other than larger changes that are less significant to ordinary average citizens like foreign policy and politics of the day.
Each chapter focuses on a person or trend. To understand our popular culture today, this book provides some key history. Princiotti make ssa good case for the rising influence of Taylor Swift on cyberculture and fandom and the importance of Beyonce in the early 2000s before she became a major solo artist and mother than she is seen as today. The last couple of chapters are also engaging, as she makes the case that by the 2010s, culture was changing away from these dominant females to other celebrities, as well as how we interact and follow them as fans.
This book is great for anyone who wants to understand how the early 2000s music scene fits into the larger trend of American pop culture history, and wants to think a little more deeply about the celebrities they followed closely in their younger years.

A solid 4.5 stars rounded up. Requested this right away when I saw it on NetGalley as I am fan of Nora Princiotti’s work and often listen to her talk about music, pop culture and football. Hit Girls takes a look at how the female pop stars of the 2000s changed the game in music and their lasting cultural impact. In many ways, they paved the way for the pop renaissance of Chapelle, Olivia, Sabrina, etc. we’re currently living in. A perfect combo for my pop culture sociology loving brain.

This book spans the time from the explosion of Britney in my early teen years to Gaga at which point I was a grad student so I feel like I’m in the target demographic. And while I was just as hooked on Burlington’s rock station 99.9 the buzz and emo as a teen, pop music was undeniable during this time. To paraphrase Nora early on in her book, rock’s dominance faded away during the early 2000s in part because pop was flexible with genre in ways rock was not, altering what genre in all together. In a series of essays Nora explores the way the culture at the time embraced the music of each artist and how that artist then impacted the musical and cultural landscape moving forward. While it would be weird to write a book without Britney, Beyoncé and Taylor and I liked those essays, the ones that were most interesting to me were subjects I have spent less time reading about. I really enjoyed the chapters on Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and the “Bimbo Summit”.

To wrap it up, this book was tightly edited(!) which is always appreciated. Nora writes like she talks—thoughtful, intelligent and a little goofy—which makes this accessible, yet personal anecdotes never went on so long I felt like it was losing the point. Overall, I appreciated this book as a chance to reflect on my own relationship to pop music as well as its larger place in culture. I even learned a few things along the way (Zapoleon, 1996 Telecommunications Act, etc.). Recommend to anyone who likes reading about music and pop culture.

Posted on Goodreads and Fable

I loved this book! It's well-researched and approachable, and as someone who is of the same generation as the author I experienced a really enjoyable kind of recognition. I knew a lot of the things she talked about really well (like particular songs and singers) but didn't know a lot about the larger cultural and societal factors shaping these things. The discussions of Avril Lavigne, and Rihanna were especially gripping, to me, but I enjoyed all the chapters.

The introduction to this book is quite possibly the most relatable thing I have ever read. I could have written it myself, honestly. I requested this book because I am obsessed with all things Taylor Swift, but ended up learning more about pop music than I ever imagined. I really enjoy Princiotti's writing style and tone. I greatly enjoyed this novel.

The cover got me. As someone who grew up in the late 90s early 2000 it brought me back reading about all the girls in this time. Light hearted, easy read that overall I enjoyed. Thanks to NetGalley for an early arc for a honest review.

The cover got me and I knew I needed to read this book. I was having the time of my life in the early 2000s and this exploration of women in music and pop culture at that time was super enjoyable. The author has done a ton of research and laid this book out in an easy to follow manner. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I've never been a big celebrity person. Couldn't even name every member of my favorite bands or all the actors in my favorite movie (except maybe The Mummy, but that's just a requirement for all bisexuals). That being said, there's always been a certain fascination for me about how celebrities and their work fit into the wider culture. Namely, what the popular celebrities say about what was going on during a certain place and time. So when I saw "Hit Girls," by Nora Princiotti on NetGalley, I was intrigued.

"Hit Girls" follows a variety of female popstars through the cultural 2000s. I say "cultural" 2000s, because (as the book points out) the culture we think of when we think of that decade didn't begin in 2000 or end in 2009. The book suggests it started in 1998 (when Britney Spears made her debut) and had it's last gasping breaths in 2012 (when Lorde's "Royals" became a hit). It discusses different pop stars and what they represented both in the industry and the wider culture. How the individual women changed popular culture together.

There was a bit of a stumbling block right out of the gate for me with the talk of the Y2K bug. It was the classic "lol, remember that thing that was all a fuss about nothing?" When, in fact, a lot of computer programmers worked diligently to prevent the issues that could have arisen around the turn of the millennium. It's easy to misconstrue a problem that was prevented with a "fuss over nothing", but it's still frustrating to see from a nonfiction book.

Still, I liked the book's general flow. Each chapter is set around a specific artists or moment, with an expansion on how it contributed to the shifts in the culture. I was also happy at the deeper topics the book was willing to discuss. It went into the internalized misogyny around the marketing of Avril Lavigne as the "anti-Britney" and the racism that kept Black artists out of traditional celebrity spaces (magazine covers, for example) even as they were consistently topping the charts.

I will say that the chapter on Taylor Swift and the concept of fandom was a bit rose-colored. It talked about how the artist began growing her fanbase early in her career and how useful it was in getting her career jump-started in a traditionally male-dominated genre. But the author only talked about fans/stans and their love for the artists in positive terms and ignored the darker sides. As someone that knows just enough about Taylor Swift to know "Gaylor" is a thing, it felt pretty glaring to omit the issues with such extreme parasocial relationships. At least the author admits her bias as a hardcore Swiftie.

Overall, the book isn't terribly long or in depth, but it is a nice turn through a decade gone by. At least, all the millennial girls, gays, and theys will get a fun walk down memory lane. (This book reminded me that I'd forgotten to put Aly & AJ's "Insomniatic" on my nostalgia playlist and I thank it for that.) Overall, a fun pop history read for those that want to watch an author take potshots at Justin Timberlake.

As a girl of the generation raised by these "hit girls" I loved reading this book which felt like an homage to these queens. I couldn't get enough. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Hit Girls by Nora Princiotti is such a fun and nostalgic read for anyone who grew up with 2000s pop stars—or just loves pop culture history. Even though I’m not American, I knew every single artist in this book (okay, maybe Taylor Swift a little less), which just goes to show how massive their impact was. These women weren’t just pop stars; they were cultural icons, and so many of them are still shaping music today.

Reading this took me right back to my childhood. I remember being at an activity center/day camp when someone pulled out a CD, and we all gathered around to listen. Flipping through the little booklet, reading the lyrics, staring at the pictures—it was almost like a sacred ritual. Britney Spears, in particular, has been one of my favorite artists for as long as I can remember, so revisiting her story (alongside so many other legends) was a real treat.

Princiotti structures the book as a collection of essays, breaking down each artist’s career with just the right mix of insight and appreciation. It’s fun, informative, and packed with great cultural context. If you love 2000s pop or just want to relive the magic of that era, this book is definitely worth a read!

This is a fun, mostly light-hearted, analysis of women in pop music from the years 2000 through 2010 (give or take). I am older than the author so was more of the college/young adult age during this time, so my connection to the music is different, however I still enjoyed reading it. I received a digital arc of this book via NetGalley.

My very first reaction to this book was- “Has anyone told Nora Princiotti that she writes like she talks?” My second reaction was- “Damn the audiobook version would have been AMAZING!” but in my stupidity I didn’t realize this is an essay collection (I thought it would involve lots of pictures for no reason at all. It was picture-esque though.

This is a series of essays about women pop stars in the past 20ish years. It starts with the author placing herself in this pop culture landscape as a child (born into a family of concert hall capital M musicians) at a book fair buying a _Mateamorphosis_ CD. It immediately got me hooked (as a child who brought a CD of Gujarati songs at a book fair because I couldn’t find what I really wanted- a Hannah Montana CD). It ends with the author telling us how amazing it s to have newer pop stars reflecting the same cycle (musically not topically, thank god), how Good 4 U is very similar to Misery Business but only sonically and thankfully without the slut shaming.

Honestly this book doesn’t really tell you anything groundbreakingly new about the world, but it synthesizes so much information about the world in such a fun package that it’s absolutely a blast to read through.

Really interesting to see the threads running through the popularity of female music artists

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

Hit Girls is a nostalgic, insightful, and thoroughly entertaining look at the women who defined pop music in the early 2000s. Nora Princiotti does a fantastic job weaving together music history, cultural shifts, and personal anecdotes to show how artists like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Rihanna reshaped not only pop but the entire music industry.

The book shines in its analysis of how technology, media, and changing attitudes toward female artists fueled the evolution of the genre. Princiotti's writing is engaging and accessible, balancing deep research with a conversational tone that makes the book feel like an extended discussion with a fellow pop music enthusiast. The exploration of fandom culture, particularly Taylor Swift’s empire, is especially compelling.

That said, at times the book feels like it could go deeper—certain artists and trends are covered in broad strokes, leaving some stories feeling a bit rushed. A bit more critical analysis of industry pressures and the darker sides of fame would have added even more depth.

Overall, Hit Girls is a must-read for pop lovers, especially those who grew up in the era of TRL, MySpace, and early viral stardom. It’s a fun and thoughtful tribute to the women who shaped a decade of music and continue to influence today’s biggest stars.

As a millennial pop girlie, this was the book for me. Such a fun read! I'm a HUGE fan of Nora Princiotti from her podcast Every Single Album that she co-hosts with Nathan Hubbard, and I was ecstatic to be among the first to read this. Princiotti revisits the mega female pop stars of the 2000s, devoting a chapter to each (including Britney Spears, early Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, Lady Gaga, early Taylor Swift — of course! - and more). While the pop stars and the big hits weren't new to me, this was a terrific exercise in nostalgia. I also loved learning more about the cultural context of these artists and songs. At the time, I wasn't thinking about cultural or historical context, of course; my childhood and adolescent self was just enjoying the pops. Princiotti finds a great balance between well-researched, thoughtful commentary and infusing her deep connection to the music. Her unique voice so clearly comes through, and because of the pod, I could literally "hear" her voice in my head as I read some of this,

Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it. Thank you for this advance reading copy!