Hit Girls

Britney, Taylor, Beyoncé, and the Women Who Built Pop's Shiniest Decade

By: Nora Princiotti

Narrated by: Nora Princiotti

An entertaining and deeply nostalgic dive into how female pop stars broke through the music industry in the 2000s and altered the cultural landscape forever, from the Ringer writer and Every Single Album podcast cohost

“Hit Girls bridges our butterfly-clipped, bedazzled past with today’s music world, revealing how the pop songs we belted in our bedrooms shaped everything we’re streaming now.”—Kate Kennedy, New York Times bestselling author of One in a Millennial

Low-rise jeans, butterfly clips, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, and Paris Hilton’s nights out. The early 2000s were a time of major moments in fashion, media, celebrity culture, and especially music. The aughts were a particularly fruitful era for female artists—still the only decade in the history of recorded music when women made up more than half the list of highest-grossing performers—and especially pop stars. Artists such as Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Beyoncé were leading the charge—their success not only leading to a new respect for female artists, but for pop stardom itself.

In Hit Girls, Nora Princiotti examines how these artists redefined the role of the pop star within the music industry and culture more broadly, and fundamentally set the stage for the women who top the charts today. Princiotti unpacks the shifts in genre, technology, and celebrity culture that sparked this evolution through the stories of the biggest names in aughties pop. Like how Britney opened the bubblegum floodgates at the start of the decade, inspiring both copycats like Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson and mall punk antagonists like Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson. Or how innovations in technology led to the rise of EDM as Rihanna experimented with sound while Ke$ha and Katy Perry embraced the “party anthem.”

Along the way, Princiotti explores how celebrity evolved alongside the changes in media from the tabloid days à la Lindsay Lohan to MySpace, Instagram and how Taylor created one of the largest, most dedicated fandoms the world has ever seen.

The ultimate love letter to pop music, Hit Girls celebrates the women who revolutionized the genre, inspired the next generation, and—in some cases—are burning brighter than ever.

©2025 Nora Princiotti (P)2025 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Throughout Hit Girls, Nora Princiotti writes with the deep knowledge of a modern pop expert, the passion of a superfan who you dream of sitting next to at an arena show, and the personal touch of a writer unafraid to reveal pieces of herself within a cultural exploration. This book combines thoughtful analysis with a sharp ear and an open heart. Pop fans who grew up in the 2000s, rejoice—we’ve got a defining text.”—Jason Lipshutz, executive director of music at Billboard and author of It Starts with One

“Princiotti’s writing is celebratory and incisive, blending the enthusiasm of a superfan with the precision of a critic. A must-read for pop music lovers.”—Booklist, starred review

“Princiotti’s voice is akin to gabbing with an erudite friend who doles out insight and humor with equal aplomb . . . It’s a boisterous celebration of how women moved pop forward in the early 21st century.”—Publishers Weekly

“Princiotti’s argument is that these stars never got the respect they deserved . . . and she argues it very well, drawing on cultural history and journalism to prove that the singers were sui generis and not just retreads of earlier entertainers. As she convincingly asserts, the musical era was richer and deeper than some give it credit for. A smart and funny look at pop music from a writer who’s crazy in love with the genre.”—Kirkus Reviews

Love Nora!!

Loved this book!! If you're a fan of every single album podcast or just pop music in general this is for you!