The modern musical feeds fandom culture, virality, and emotional immediacy better than almost any genre. Despite the exhaustion Gen Z feels from cringe and cancel culture, musicals create moments that allow audiences to replay, repost, and mutually obsess over.

#365PartyGirl #BumpingThat #BratSummer’ were the zeitgeist of the internet when it was announced that Charli XCX (the creator of these trends, and the album BRAT that it originates from) would single-handedly produce the soundtrack for the 2026 Wuthering Heights. To say the least, the internet was confused.