In her new column, Julia Friese explains which unsettling effects dominate pop.
1. the calming effect of fake institutionalization
If you want to sell something, but can’t find a specific name for your business, but at the same time you want to give the impression of a certain expertise, and above all, you want to give the impression of a certain advance institutionalization of your business, then the present kindly offers you the following shell: “House of XY”. Or, a little more conservative: “House of XY”.
When Lady Gaga named her creative team “Haus of Gaga” in 2009 – inspired in name by the “Bauhaus” movement, inspired in content by Warhol’s Factory – it was an even more peculiar name. According to Google Trends, the increase in “House of” names began around 2022. That is, after the hit series “House Of Cards,” which aired from 2013-18. As if on demand, the franchise kebab chain “Haus des Döners” emerged at the end of 2019, which has since been found from Konstanz to Lübeck with its tasteful red, white and black design.
The “Game Of Thrones” prequel “House Of The Dragon” came out in 2022. Inspired by all of this, the “House of Co” must have opened in Berlin: a co-working space. The “House of Fade” opened in Frankfurt, a barber where you can have the trend hairstyle of 2024 shaved into your hair: the taper fade. Now there is also the one-woman podcast “House Of Houmsi” by journalist Salwa Houmsi. And since December 2025, the ZDF series called “House Of Bellevue” about a fictional, queer ballroom scene in Berlin.
2. the three insignia of hype: color, landmark, message
On the press trip for the Dylan biopic “Like A Complete Unknown” (2024), the long-standing A-list actor Timothée Chalamet complained in a podcast on YouTube that people were increasingly consuming YouTube pointlessly and no longer very high-quality films. He, or rather the factory surrounding the Josh Safdie film “Marty Supreme” (2026), has now tried to apply elements of music or hype marketing to the film.
This includes:
- one color as the brand core (orange), compare: BRAT green (2024) and Barbie pink (2023).
- a branded landmark visible in the cityscape (orange “Marty Supreme” zeppelin that flew over LA), compare: green BRAT wall in Brooklyn and pink London Eye at the Barbie premiere.
- a message offering participation (Dream Big!), compare: BRAT Summer = imperfect brat hedonism and “Barbie is probably a feminist! So you too can be a good consumer AND feminist. JUST TREAT YOURSELF!” (Mattel)
3. the rather disturbing effect of a real institution
This is how Ikkimel sings in “IDGAF”: “I used to be straight / but no one can stand that / If I fuck a guy / hit me in the mouth”. These lyrics correspond to a zeitgeist that “Vogue” recently summed up in an essay: The current, left-liberal woman is ashamed of the boring normality of a heterosexual relationship. While in the post-feminist years marriage was still considered the main prize in the dating game, today it is back to what it is: a conservative institution. House of Dependence.
Color: White
Landmark: Ring
Message: Cook and beer!
At the same time, the current left-liberal woman on TikTok also enjoys the song “Where Is My Husband!” by the British multiple one-hit wonder Raye: “I would like a diamond ring on my wedding finger (woohoo)”.
The sixties R’n’B girl group sound is now specifically sold here as retro pop. A retro opening panel in the music video makes this abundantly clear.
Not mentioned is the hand-gesture-precise mimicry of Beyoncé’s engagement request for “Single Ladies” (2008), which at the time was identical to the zeitgeist and “Sex And The City”-coded. Today, Raye’s wish for a ring on his finger can only be sold as a conscious anachronism…
This column first appeared in Musikexpress issue 2/2026.