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• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

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The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
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• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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How to write a thesis statement + examples

What is a thesis statement?

Is a thesis statement a question, how do you write a good thesis statement, how do i know if my thesis statement is good, examples of thesis statements, helpful resources on how to write a thesis statement, frequently asked questions about writing a thesis statement, related articles.

A thesis statement is the main argument of your paper or thesis.

The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any piece of academic writing . It is a brief statement of your paper’s main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about.

You can see your thesis statement as an answer to a question. While it also contains the question, it should really give an answer to the question with new information and not just restate or reiterate it.

Your thesis statement is part of your introduction. Learn more about how to write a good thesis introduction in our introduction guide .

A thesis statement is not a question. A statement must be arguable and provable through evidence and analysis. While your thesis might stem from a research question, it should be in the form of a statement.

Tip: A thesis statement is typically 1-2 sentences. For a longer project like a thesis, the statement may be several sentences or a paragraph.

A good thesis statement needs to do the following:

• Condense the main idea of your thesis into one or two sentences.
• Answer your project’s main research question.
• Clearly state your position in relation to the topic .
• Make an argument that requires support or evidence.

Once you have written down a thesis statement, check if it fulfills the following criteria:

• Your statement needs to be provable by evidence. As an argument, a thesis statement needs to be debatable.
• Your statement needs to be precise. Do not give away too much information in the thesis statement and do not load it with unnecessary information.
• Your statement cannot say that one solution is simply right or simply wrong as a matter of fact. You should draw upon verified facts to persuade the reader of your solution, but you cannot just declare something as right or wrong.

As previously mentioned, your thesis statement should answer a question.

If the question is:

What do you think the City of New York should do to reduce traffic congestion?

A good thesis statement restates the question and answers it:

In this paper, I will argue that the City of New York should focus on providing exclusive lanes for public transport and adaptive traffic signals to reduce traffic congestion by the year 2035.

Here is another example. If the question is:

How can we end poverty?

A good thesis statement should give more than one solution to the problem in question:

In this paper, I will argue that introducing universal basic income can help reduce poverty and positively impact the way we work.

• The Writing Center of the University of North Carolina has a list of questions to ask to see if your thesis is strong .

A thesis statement is part of the introduction of your paper. It is usually found in the first or second paragraph to let the reader know your research purpose from the beginning.

In general, a thesis statement should have one or two sentences. But the length really depends on the overall length of your project. Take a look at our guide about the length of thesis statements for more insight on this topic.

Here is a list of Thesis Statement Examples that will help you understand better how to write them.

Every good essay should include a thesis statement as part of its introduction, no matter the academic level. Of course, if you are a high school student you are not expected to have the same type of thesis as a PhD student.

Here is a great YouTube tutorial showing How To Write An Essay: Thesis Statements .

Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to write a thesis statement, what is a thesis statement.

Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement.

Why Should Your Essay Contain a Thesis Statement?

• to test your ideas by distilling them into a sentence or two
• to better organize and develop your argument
• to provide your reader with a “guide” to your argument

In general, your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis as the answer to the question your paper explores.

How Can You Write a Good Thesis Statement?

Here are some helpful hints to get you started. You can either scroll down or select a link to a specific topic.

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is Assigned

Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question. For example, if your assignment is, “Write a report to the local school board explaining the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class,” turn the request into a question like, “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” After you’ve chosen the question your essay will answer, compose one or two complete sentences answering that question.

Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” A: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are . . .”

A: “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve . . .”

The answer to the question is the thesis statement for the essay.

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How to Generate a Thesis Statement if the Topic is not Assigned

Even if your assignment doesn’t ask a specific question, your thesis statement still needs to answer a question about the issue you’d like to explore. In this situation, your job is to figure out what question you’d like to write about.

A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes:

• take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree
• deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment
• express one main idea
• assert your conclusions about a subject

Let’s see how to generate a thesis statement for a social policy paper.

Brainstorm the topic . Let’s say that your class focuses upon the problems posed by changes in the dietary habits of Americans. You find that you are interested in the amount of sugar Americans consume.

You start out with a thesis statement like this:

Sugar consumption.

This fragment isn’t a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a general subject. Furthermore, your reader doesn’t know what you want to say about sugar consumption.

Narrow the topic . Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that elementary school children are consuming far more sugar than is healthy.

You change your thesis to look like this:

Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children.

This fragment not only announces your subject, but it focuses on one segment of the population: elementary school children. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree, because while most people might agree that children consume more sugar than they used to, not everyone would agree on what should be done or who should do it. You should note that this fragment is not a thesis statement because your reader doesn’t know your conclusions on the topic.

Take a position on the topic. After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide that what you really want to say about this topic is that something should be done to reduce the amount of sugar these children consume.

You revise your thesis statement to look like this:

More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children.

This statement asserts your position, but the terms more attention and food and beverage choices are vague.

Use specific language . You decide to explain what you mean about food and beverage choices , so you write:

Experts estimate that half of elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar.

This statement is specific, but it isn’t a thesis. It merely reports a statistic instead of making an assertion.

Make an assertion based on clearly stated support. You finally revise your thesis statement one more time to look like this:

Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

Notice how the thesis answers the question, “What should be done to reduce sugar consumption by children, and who should do it?” When you started thinking about the paper, you may not have had a specific question in mind, but as you became more involved in the topic, your ideas became more specific. Your thesis changed to reflect your new insights.

How to Tell a Strong Thesis Statement from a Weak One

1. a strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand..

Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. For example, if you are writing a paper for a class on fitness, you might be asked to choose a popular weight-loss product to evaluate. Here are two thesis statements:

There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

This is a weak thesis statement. First, it fails to take a stand. Second, the phrase negative and positive aspects is vague.

Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

This is a strong thesis because it takes a stand, and because it's specific.

2. A strong thesis statement justifies discussion.

Your thesis should indicate the point of the discussion. If your assignment is to write a paper on kinship systems, using your own family as an example, you might come up with either of these two thesis statements:

My family is an extended family.

This is a weak thesis because it merely states an observation. Your reader won’t be able to tell the point of the statement, and will probably stop reading.

While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.

This is a strong thesis because it shows how your experience contradicts a widely-accepted view. A good strategy for creating a strong thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the essay to see how you support your point.

3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea.

Readers need to be able to see that your paper has one main point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, then you might confuse your readers about the subject of your paper. For example:

Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.

This is a weak thesis statement because the reader can’t decide whether the paper is about marketing on the Internet or Web pages. To revise the thesis, the relationship between the two ideas needs to become more clear. One way to revise the thesis would be to write:

Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related. Hint: a great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like because , since , so , although , unless , and however .

4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic. For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten page paper on hunger, you might say:

World hunger has many causes and effects.

This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. First, world hunger can’t be discussed thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, many causes and effects is vague. You should be able to identify specific causes and effects. A revised thesis might look like this:

Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

This is a strong thesis statement because it narrows the subject to a more specific and manageable topic, and it also identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger.

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Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

Writing Process and Structure

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Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

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Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

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How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples

What’s Covered:

What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.

When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.

You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus. 

Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.

Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point. 

The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.

Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.

Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing

When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:

• Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
• Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
• Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:

• What impact did reality TV have on American society?
• How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
• Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?

If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that. 

If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:

“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”

Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point

Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:

“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”

Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves. 

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing

Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.

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How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement

The important sentence expresses your central assertion or argument

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A thesis statement provides the foundation for your entire research paper or essay. This statement is the central assertion that you want to express in your essay. A successful thesis statement is one that is made up of one or two sentences clearly laying out your central idea and expressing an informed, reasoned answer to your research question.

Usually, the thesis statement will appear at the end of the first paragraph of your paper. There are a few different types, and the content of your thesis statement will depend upon the type of paper you’re writing.

Key Takeaways: Writing a Thesis Statement

• A thesis statement gives your reader a preview of your paper's content by laying out your central idea and expressing an informed, reasoned answer to your research question.
• Thesis statements will vary depending on the type of paper you are writing, such as an expository essay, argument paper, or analytical essay.
• Before creating a thesis statement, determine whether you are defending a stance, giving an overview of an event, object, or process, or analyzing your subject

Expository Essay Thesis Statement Examples

An expository essay "exposes" the reader to a new topic; it informs the reader with details, descriptions, or explanations of a subject. If you are writing an expository essay , your thesis statement should explain to the reader what she will learn in your essay. For example:

• The United States spends more money on its military budget than all the industrialized nations combined.
• Gun-related homicides and suicides are increasing after years of decline.
• Hate crimes have increased three years in a row, according to the FBI.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increases the risk of stroke and arterial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).

These statements provide a statement of fact about the topic (not just opinion) but leave the door open for you to elaborate with plenty of details. In an expository essay, you don't need to develop an argument or prove anything; you only need to understand your topic and present it in a logical manner. A good thesis statement in an expository essay always leaves the reader wanting more details.

Types of Thesis Statements

Before creating a thesis statement, it's important to ask a few basic questions, which will help you determine the kind of essay or paper you plan to create:

• Are you defending a stance in a controversial essay ?
• Are you simply giving an overview or describing an event, object, or process?
• Are you conducting an analysis of an event, object, or process?

In every thesis statement , you will give the reader a preview of your paper's content, but the message will differ a little depending on the essay type .

Argument Thesis Statement Examples

If you have been instructed to take a stance on one side of a controversial issue, you will need to write an argument essay . Your thesis statement should express the stance you are taking and may give the reader a preview or a hint of your evidence. The thesis of an argument essay could look something like the following:

• Self-driving cars are too dangerous and should be banned from the roadways.
• The exploration of outer space is a waste of money; instead, funds should go toward solving issues on Earth, such as poverty, hunger, global warming, and traffic congestion.
• The U.S. must crack down on illegal immigration.
• Street cameras and street-view maps have led to a total loss of privacy in the United States and elsewhere.

These thesis statements are effective because they offer opinions that can be supported by evidence. If you are writing an argument essay, you can craft your own thesis around the structure of the statements above.

Analytical Essay Thesis Statement Examples

In an analytical essay assignment, you will be expected to break down a topic, process, or object in order to observe and analyze your subject piece by piece. Examples of a thesis statement for an analytical essay include:

• The criminal justice reform bill passed by the U.S. Senate in late 2018 (" The First Step Act ") aims to reduce prison sentences that disproportionately fall on nonwhite criminal defendants.
• The rise in populism and nationalism in the U.S. and European democracies has coincided with the decline of moderate and centrist parties that have dominated since WWII.
• Later-start school days increase student success for a variety of reasons.

Because the role of the thesis statement is to state the central message of your entire paper, it is important to revisit (and maybe rewrite) your thesis statement after the paper is written. In fact, it is quite normal for your message to change as you construct your paper.

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Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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How To Write a Thesis Statement (with Useful Steps and Tips)

How To Write A Thesis Statement? Writing a thesis statement is one of the most important parts of crafting an essay. Without it, the audience is not informed as to what the purpose of the essay is or your take on it. In this article, we are going to be looking at how to write an effective and hard-hitting thesis statement that will enable you to write an excellent essay .

How To Write A Thesis Statement

What Is A Thesis Statement?

Before we begin looking at how to write a thesis statement , it is important to fully understand what one is. In short, a thesis statement is a short statement which offers the reader information on what the essay is about, stating its main point or argument. A thesis statement should appear in both the introduction paragraph as well as the conclusion paragraph of the essay .

Now that we are fully aware as to what a thesis statement is and what it is used for, we can begin to look at how to write one.

For Assigned Subjects

If you have been asked to write an essay on a specific subject or topic, you can model your thesis statement around this. For example, if you have been given the essay question of ‘How does unemployment affect homelessness?’ you could write a thesis statement in direct reply to this, it might look something like the following…

Unemployment affects homelessness in two ways, it causes a rise in how many homeless people there are which in turn has an effect on how much money is being spent on charities such as food banks and homeless shelters.

This statement neatly sums up the main point of the essay and gives a brief look into what is going to be discussed in more depth throughout the piece of writing.

For Non-Assigned Subjects

If you have free reign over the essay topic, you must first select what you are going to write about. Once you have decided on this, you can begin crafting your thesis statement. You should remember to ensure that the thesis statement takes care of the following points:

• Show one main argument or idea
• Gives space for people to disagree.
• Shows your personal conclusion on the topic.

Now let’s presume that you have chosen the topic of whether homework is conducive to learning, you need to take into consideration the following points:

• What is the main point of the essay?
• What are your views on the topic?
• Can you find any research to back your opinion or even change it?

When you have answered these questions, you are then more easily able to come up with a good thesis statement. As with the assigned essay, it is important to answer a question with your thesis statement. So, considering we are writing an essay on the subject of homework, you could then turn that subject into a question ‘Is homework conducive to learning?’ Your thesis statement might look something like this:

More and more parents are refusing to allow their children to do homework, saying that it eats into their free time and provides no benefit to learning. It has been shown that this is not true, in a study conducted in Germany, 90% of children who completed homework passed their exams with a higher grade.

The above thesis statement is strong because it:

• Shows the author’s stance on the topic.
• Provides a clear insight to the essay purpose.
• Uses clear and concise language and does not waffle .
• Expresses one main argument.

When writing your thesis statement it is important to ensure that it actively meets the above criteria in order for it to be strong and effective.

Creating a Strong Thesis Statement

Identifying the main idea.

A key step in crafting a strong thesis statement is identifying the main idea of your essay. The main idea reflects the primary subject or topic you will be discussing. To begin, make sure to have a clear understanding of the assignment and the specific requirements. If you are having trouble pinpointing the main idea, start by asking yourself what problem or question your essay aims to solve or answer. Once you have identified the main idea, use it as the focal point for your thesis statement.

Narrowing the Focus

Another crucial element in creating a solid thesis statement is narrowing the focus. Instead of attempting to address a broad topic, focus on a smaller, more specific aspect of the subject. This will help you create a strong and concise thesis statement that effectively addresses the primary question or issue.

Consider the following steps to narrow your focus:

• Break down the main idea into smaller, related components
• Determine which aspect of the topic is most relevant to your essay
• Evaluate the scope of your research and analysis

By narrowing the focus, you provide a clear and specific direction for your essay, making it easier for both you and your reader to understand the central argument.

Taking a Stand

A strong thesis statement should not only present the main idea but also take a stand. It is important to make a clear, decisive assertion that demonstrates your perspective on the subject. This means avoiding vague or weak statements, and instead, confidently presenting a well-informed and well-reasoned argument.

To create a thesis statement that takes a strong stand, ensure that it:

• Clearly articulates your position on the topic
• Is debatable, meaning that it can be supported by evidence and allows for differing opinions
• Presents a specific and strong point of view

By incorporating these elements, you demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about the subject and have formed an educated opinion based on your research and analysis.

In summary, to craft a strong thesis statement, start by identifying the main idea, narrow the focus of your essay, and take a clear stand on the subject. These steps will help ensure that your paper is well-organized, compelling, and effectively communicates your central argument.

Testing and Refining Your Thesis Statement

Evaluating your working thesis.

It is crucial to evaluate your working thesis throughout the writing process. This allows you to determine if your thesis is focused, clear, and relevant to your research. Keep these questions in mind when evaluating your thesis:

• Does it answer the research question or address the main issue?
• Is it specific and concise?
• Does it serve as a guide for your ideas and analysis?

Revise your thesis if it does not fulfill these criteria or needs improvement.

Considering Counterarguments

A powerful thesis statement should take into account potential counterarguments. By considering negative perspectives and possible objections to your argument, you can refine your thesis and ensure its strength. Examine your thesis to see if it can withstand opposing views:

• Can you think of any counterarguments?
• Do your research and analysis support the thesis statement in light of these counterarguments?
• Can you provide plausible evidence to refute the counterarguments?

If your thesis can stand up to scrutiny and maintain its focus in spite of potential objections, it is on the right track.

Revising for Clarity and Strength

Once you have evaluated your working thesis and accounted for counterarguments, it is time to revise your thesis statement for clarity and strength. To do this, follow these steps:

• Remove any vague phrases and make your thesis statement as specific as possible.
• Ensure that your thesis does not try to cover too many ideas or provide unrelated information.
• Test your thesis against new research and perspectives that emerge throughout your writing process.

By revising your thesis statement and ensuring that it is clear, concise, and backed by relevant research and analysis, you will create a strong foundation for your paper.

Supporting Your Thesis Statement

Gathering evidence.

When working on a thesis statement, it is essential to gather relevant evidence to support your position. Evidence can include statistics, research findings, primary sources, or expert opinions. Start by reviewing available material, assessing its credibility and reliability, and choosing the most reliable and valuable sources. Organize the evidence in a logical manner to make it easy for the reader to understand and follow your argument.

Understanding Topic Sentences

A well-structured paper begins with clear and concise topic sentences. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that identifies the main idea of the paragraph, and it should link back to the thesis statement. This helps maintain focus and coherence throughout the paper. For example:

• In a paper about the benefits of renewable energy, a topic sentence could be: “Solar energy is a reliable and cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels.”

Analyzing Sources and Facts

Thoroughly analyze your sources to determine their relevance, credibility, and accuracy. An effective way to do this is through the following steps:

• Check the author’s background and expertise.
• Evaluate the source’s publication date and ensure it is up-to-date.
• Determine if the source is peer-reviewed or published by a reputable organization.
• Check for biased language or exaggerated claims.

When presenting facts, remain neutral and unbiased, accurately representing the information you’ve gathered. Lastly, provide proper citations to give credit to the authors and avoid plagiarism.

Organizing Your Material

Effectively organizing your material is crucial for a well-structured and coherent paper. Make sure to:

• Create an outline to map out the flow of your argument.
• Group related pieces of evidence together, using bullet points or tables when necessary for clarity.
• Transition smoothly between paragraphs to maintain the reader’s interest and understanding.

By following these steps, your paper will effectively support your thesis statement, convincingly presenting your argument and contributing to the field of education.

Additional Tips For A Good Thesis Statement

We are now going to look at some final hints to ensure that you write the best thesis statement possible.

• Ensure that your thesis statement appears in your introduction and conclusion and does not get burying deep within the body of the essay.
• Make sure that the thesis statement does not exceed two sentences.
• Avoid making obvious statements such as ‘this is an essay about….’ or ‘the point of this paper is….’ The thesis statement should be able to convey this without using such up-front language.
• Write clearly and articulately.

In conclusion, a thesis statement is a critical element in the process of writing a research paper, essay, or dissertation. It serves to provide focus, direction, and convey the main argument of the work. The following paragraphs will explore some examples, tips, and guidelines on effective thesis statement writing.

When crafting a thesis statement, it is essential to ensure it is clear, concise, and focused. One way to create a strong thesis is to consider the scope of your research and align your statement with the overall themes and objectives of the project. Using specific, well-defined language helps to articulate your argument and demonstrate a solid understanding of the topic. Consider the following example:

Example:  “Through a comparative analysis of European and American film noir, this paper will reveal the influence of post-WWII societal anxieties on the genre’s distinctive narrative and stylistic elements.”

In this example, the thesis statement clearly states the research question, the subject matter, and the intended scope of the analysis.

Additionally, it is important to be consistent with the type of paper you are writing. For instance, if you are writing an analytical paper, your thesis statement should break down the issue and present an evaluation. However, if your paper is argumentative, your thesis should make a claim and justify your stance. Here are few examples for each type:

Analytical paper:  “Through an examination of campaign strategies, this study will explore the effectiveness of social media in modern political discourse.”

Argumentative paper:  “Despite the widespread use of social media in political discourse, it is argued that traditional media continues to be pivotal in shaping public opinion.”

Finally, to aid in the comprehension and readability of your work, consider employing formatting elements such as tables and bullet points when presenting complex information. This will help ensure your thesis statement and research paper is understandable and effective in conveying your main argument.

How To Write A Thesis Statement Infographic

Writing a good thesis statement can have a big impact on your essay. A thesis statement should include the point of view of the author , the main point of the writing and be clear and easy to understand.

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How to Write a Research Paper: Thesis Statement

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What is a Thesis Statement?

What is a Thesis Statement?  

A thesis statement is a concise statement of an academic work's main point. The thesis statement should identify both what the paper is about (the topic) and what you are saying about it. Your thesis statement should be as specific as possible. For a short essay, the length of your thesis statement should be one or two sentences. If you are writing a dissertation or book, your thesis statement should be about a paragraph in length. A thesis should avoid saying "This paper is about..." Your thesis statement should be as specific as possible. 

A basic pattern to follow is "An analysis of (insert topic here) will show that (point one), (point two), and (point three)." Keep in mind this is only an example, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. 

Who Needs a Thesis Statement?

All academic writing, from a short essay to a dissertation or a monograph, should have an identifiable thesis statement somewhere in it. The longer or more complicated an academic work is, the easier is becomes to get bogged down in details and lose sight of the overall argument, and the more important it is to clearly state the central point. 

Where Should I Put My Thesis Statement? 

Thesis statements are most commonly located near the beginning of the academic work, usually towards the end of the introduction. This strategic placement allows the reader to quickly understand specifically what the essay is about and be able to follow the arguments as they are presented. 

Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements: Purdue Owl 

This resource from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides tips for creating a thesis statement and examples of different types of thesis statements. 

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How to write a thesis statement (with examples)

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What exactly is a thesis statement?

What if I told you that one sentence in your essay or thesis could be the difference between a First and a Fail?

It may sound absurd – perhaps even unfair – but it’s true. I refer, of course, to the thesis statement. A thesis statement is your entire essay if it were condensed into a single sentence. If your essay title is a question, then your thesis statement is the one-sentence answer.

It tends to arrive near the end of the first paragraph of a thesis.

Let’s take a look at an example from a Master of Education degree thesis:

Thesis title What constitutes ‘good writing’ for GCSE students of English?

Thesis statement The examination rubric by which GCSE English writing performance is assessed, influenced by a long history of variable ‘tastes’, may now be said to describe ‘good writing’ as that which is grammatically accurate, sophisticated, and suited to purpose, genre and audience.

(The thesis statement would be located in paragraph 1, after a brief overview of the subject).

Why is a thesis statement important?

As I mentioned, the way your thesis statement is written can be the difference between a First and a Fail. But how?

To answer that, let’s think about what ‘thesis’ means. From the Greek thésis, meaning ‘proposition’, your thesis is your main argument.

It is the position you have to support and defend for the remainder of your essay. Without something clear to defend, the fortress you build will crumble and the army you deploy will run about like headless chickens.

In essence: without a clear thesis statement, you don’t have an essay.

“Establishing a clear thesis at the start of your essay is crucial for both you and your examiner. For your examiner, it’s evidence that you have answered the question. For you, it can function as an essay plan.”

For both of you, it’s a litmus test for the quality of the argument: if you can’t fit your essay’s arguments into a sentence, they are too diffuse; and if you can’t stick to your thesis statement’s focus throughout your essay, you are not focused.

A precisely focused and well-grounded essay is more worthy of a First Class grade than one with a scattergun approach.

What should a thesis statement include?

What your thesis statement includes is determined by three things:

1. The subject and topic of the essay. 2. The purpose of the essay. 3. The length of the essay.

Let’s examine each of those in more detail to see how they can help us refine our thesis statement.

The subject and topic of the essay

Look at this real-life title from an undergraduate Sports Science essay:

What are the key differences between training recommendations for maximising muscular strength and maximising muscular hypertrophy?

The first task is, of course, to determine the subject of the essay.

In this example, that would be ‘training recommendations for maximising muscular strength and training recommendations for maximising muscular hypertrophy’.

Knowing that means that I know I will need to deploy my knowledge about those two similar but distinct areas. It also means that I should be using the specialist terminology relevant to the field, such as load, isotonic and volume.

Next, I need to determine the topic.

Here it would be ‘the key differences’ between training recommendations for those two goals. That phrase ‘key differences’ is likely to be at the heart of my thesis statement, to show that I’m on track.

With that in mind, my thesis statement might look like this:

Whilst both training outcomes require resistance training centred upon isotonic contractions, it is likely that the absolute load requirements may need to be higher for strength purposes, whilst the total training volume may need to be higher for hypertrophy purposes.

It is by no means a complete essay, but it states clearly what the ‘short answer’ to the question is, whilst paving the way for the ‘long answer’ to follow.

But what if the essay isn’t just looking for the facts organised into a specific order? What if the essay is asking for analysis? Or an argument?

The purpose of the essay

Different essay purposes require different thesis statements. Fortunately, there are only three main essay purposes, and they’re pretty easy to recognise:

1. The expository essay: This is an essay type that asks for the key facts on a subject to be laid out, with explanations. The Sports Science question above is an example of this. It asks for the WHAT and HOW of something.

2. The analytical essay: This essay type asks you not only to lay out the facts, but also to analyse and deconstruct them to better understand them. It is typical in subjects such as English Literature and Fine Art. It asks for the WHY of something.

3. The argumentative essay: This type of essay asks you to use the facts available, to analyse them for value, and then to provide a point of view about the subject. It moves more quickly through the WHAT, HOW and WHY of a topic through to: WHY DOES IT MATTER?

All of the above essay types need a thesis statement that includes a proposition (a statement which answers the question or addresses the title).

Beyond that, these three essay types all require different additions.

For the expository essay , you need to add an overview of the details of the conclusion. Let’s look at an example:

Expository essay title: What are the key differences between training recommendations for maximising muscular strength and maximising muscular hypertrophy? (BSc in Sports Science)

Expository thesis statement: Whilst both training outcomes require resistance training centred upon isotonic contractions, it is likely that the absolute load requirements may need to be higher for strength purposes, whilst the total training volume may need to be higher for hypertrophy purposes. (The basic conclusion is that both approaches need isotonic resistance training; the details are teased out in bold.)

For the analytical essay , you need to add an overview of the analysis performed. Here’s an example:

Analytical essay title: Why did England and Wales vote to leave the European Union? (BA in Politics)

Analytical thesis statement: A close consideration of the voter demographics, the populist nature of political messages leading up to the referendum, and the history of Britain’s status in the EU, will demonstrate that Brexit was primarily motivated by the machinations of the Right.

(The basic conclusion is that Brexit was influenced by politicians; the analytical approach is in bold.)

For the argumentative essay , you need to add an overview of your reasoning. Another example:

Argumentative essay title: To what extent do you consider the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays to be in question? (BA in English Literature)

Argumentative thesis statement: Shakespeare’s authorship of his plays is beyond question, given both the entirely unconvincing nature of any counter-theories and the relatively unstable conception of the playwright’s identity as it stands. (The basic conclusion is that Shakespeare did write his plays; the reasoning is in bold.)

As you can see from these examples, the purpose of the essay gives a very clear demand for something beyond a simple answer.

But, there’s more!

The length of the essay

The prescribed length of the essay also defines what you need to do with your thesis statement.

Your thesis statement is a microcosm : a miniature, compressed version of your whole essay.

So, it makes sense that the length of the actual essay is going to impact upon the content of the thesis statement.

If, for example, your essay is expected to be 800 words long and on the subject of Eve in the Bible, then it would be overly ambitious for your thesis statement to say: ‘through comprehensive study of the Bible and extant criticism’. For an 800 essay, more precision will be necessary. It would be better for your thesis statement to say: ‘with due awareness of the complexity of the issue, focusing on feminist readings of Genesis .’

“Matching the scope given in your thesis statement to the depth you provide in your essay is a very effective way to ensure precision.”

Contrastingly, if your essay is expected to be 80,000 words long (a PhD thesis, for example), on the subject of stop-motion animation, it would be rather unambitious to suggest that the essay will ‘provide a visual analysis of Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers’, only. For a PhD, we would expect more content to be covered, and multiple approaches to analysis to be considered.

Indeed, matching the scope given in your thesis statement to the depth you provide in your essay is a very effective way to ensure precision.

So, to summarise, how do I write a thesis statement?

It’s a simple, three-part process:

1. Identify the question in the title (or make a question from the statement). 2. Answer that question in as few words as possible. 3. Complete the sentence by providing an overview of the foundation behind your answer.

Easy, right? It can be!

That said, there are plenty of traps that essayists can fall into with this part of the essay. Let’s look at some of these pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Pitalls to Avoid

Pitfall #1: amateurish style.

This is common throughout academic essays written by beginners. It’s not just the thesis statement that falls foul of sounding amateurish. There are plenty of ways this happens, which are beyond the scope of this argument, but the following example is a prime example: In this essay, I will explore the various pieces of evidence before concluding.

This is amateurish for a few reasons. Firstly, it doesn’t actually say anything. You could otherwise word it, ‘I will write an essay which answers the question’ – a rather wasted sentence. The next, and more forgivable issue is the use of the first-person. We want to get a sense that an individual wrote this essay, but we never want to hear them mentioned! Make sense? No? Sorry.

This should instead read more like:

This essay considers evidence from X in light of Y which ultimately reveals Z at the heart of the issue.

(It focuses on the specifics, X, Y, and Z, and is devoid of any mention of its author.)

Pitfall #2: empty phrasing

This is similar to amateurish style. However, empty phrasing is not just amateur-sounding; it’s manipulative-sounding.

Using phrases such as “in order to” instead of, simply, “to” – or “due to the fact that” instead of just “as” – look like attempts to fill up the word count with waffle rather than content. The same goes for phrases that can be substituted for one word: ‘it is evident that’ can (and should) become ‘evidently’.

Watch this thesis statement from a GCSE essay on Music go from hideous to tolerable:

Beethoven was unable to hear his work, due to the fact that he was deaf, so it is evident that he musically conceptualised the notes in order to compose. (Wordy!)

Beethoven was unable to hear his work, as he was deaf, so it is evident that he musically conceptualised the notes to compose. (Slightly less wordy.)

Beethoven’s deafness made him unable to hear his work, so evidently he musically conceptualised the notes to compose. (About as concise as such a complex sentence will get…)

Do not mistake wordiness for sophistication. Your ideas should be sophisticated; your writing should be clear.

Pitfall #3: non-standard grammar

For an examiner, the English language is not just a vehicle for your ideas. It should be, but the academic process always involves the assessment of your expression.

So, to satisfy our examiners’ prescriptive tastes, we need to adhere to the basic tenets of Standard English.

Take a look at the following thesis statement example from an A Level Sociology essay: Considering the status of BAME in Internet culture, the demonstrably racist treatment at the hands of the police, and the energy behind the BLM protests, concluding that there is hope for the future.

This sentence has no finite main verb, so it is technically not a sentence. To become a grammatical sentence, we would need to make ‘concluding’ finite: ‘it can be concluded’, or ‘we conclude’.

The writer got lost in this example because the sentence was so long!

Long sentences can also lead to a failure to make subject and verb agree, like in the next thesis statement example from a school Geography essay:

The most populous municipalities of Spain, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Zaragoza, does not rank in the top ten most dense populations of the country, with the exception of Barcelona.

Because the subject ‘municipalities’ is separated from the verb ‘does’ by eight words, it is easy to forget that they do not agree. It should, of course, be ‘do, not ‘does’.

Final words

The thesis statement, as I said at the start, can be the difference between a First and a Fail. So, take your time with it.

Write it carefully.

Then redraft and refine it several times, until it’s as good as you can make it.

The payoff is a slick, coherent thesis statement that paves the way to a great essay that really impresses your examiner.

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Research Paper: A step-by-step guide: 3. Thesis Statement & Outline

• 1. Getting Started
• 2. Topic Ideas
• 3. Thesis Statement & Outline
• 4. Appropriate Sources
• 5. Search Techniques
• 6. Taking Notes & Documenting Sources
• 7. Evaluating Sources
• 8. Citations & Plagiarism
• 9. Writing Your Research Paper

About Thesis Statements

Qualities of a thesis statement.

Thesis statements:

• state the subject matter and main ideas of a paper.
• appear in the first paragraph and announces what you will discuss in your paper.
• define the scope and focus of your essay, and tells your reader what to expect.  
• are not a simple factual statement.  It is an assertion that states your claims and that you can prove with evidence.
• should be the product of research and your own critical thinking.
• can be very helpful in constructing an outline for your essay; for each point you make, ask yourself whether it is relevant to the thesis.

Steps you can use to create a thesis statement

1. Start out with the main topic and focus of your essay.

youth gangs + prevention and intervention programs

2. Make a claim or argument in one sentence.  It can be helpful to start with a question which you then turn into an argument

Can prevention and intervention programs stop youth gang activities?  How?  ►►►  "Prevention and intervention programs can stop youth gang activities by giving teens something else to do."

3. Revise the sentence by using specific terms.

"Early prevention programs in schools are the most effective way to prevent youth gang involvement by giving teens good activities that offer a path to success."

4. Further revise the sentence to cover the scope of your essay and make a strong statement.

"Among various prevention and intervention efforts that have been made to deal with the rapid growth of youth gangs, early school-based prevention programs are the most effective way to prevent youth gang involvement, which they do by giving teens meaningful activities that offer pathways to achievement and success."

5. Keep your thesis statement flexible and revise it as needed. In the process of researching and writing, you may find new information or refine your understanding of the topic.

You can view this short video for more tips on how to write a clear thesis statement.

An outline is the skeleton of your essay, in which you list the arguments and subtopics in a logical order. A good outline is an important element in writing a good paper. An outline helps to target your research areas, keep you within the scope without going off-track, and it can also help to keep your argument in good order when writing the essay.  Once your outline is in good shape, it is much easier to write your paper; you've already done most of the thinking, so you just need to fill in the outline with a paragraph for each point.

To write an outline: The most common way to write an outline is the list format.  List all the major topics and subtopics with the key points that support them. Put similar topics and points together and arrange them in a logical order.    Include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. 

A list outline should arrange the main points or arguments in a hierarchical structure indicated by Roman numerals for main ideas (I, II, III...), capital letters for subtopics (A, B, C...), Arabic numerals for details (1,2,3...), and lower-case letters for fine details if needed (a,b,c...). This helps keep things organized.  

Here is a shortened example of an outline:

Introduction: background and thesis statement

I. First topic

1. Supporting evidence 2. Supporting evidence

II. Second Topic

III. Third Topic

I. Summarize the main points of your paper II. Restate your thesis in different words III. Make a strong final statement

You can see examples of a few different kinds of outlines and get more help at the Purdue OWL .

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Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is a sentence (sometimes more than one sentence) in the introduction that tells the reader the following information:

• What the topic of the paper is
• How the writer intends to discuss that topic
•  It gives a blueprint for how the essay will be structured
•  How the writer intends to prove or demonstrate his or her main points.

Think of your paper as a human body, and your thesis statement as the spinal cord. Without it, there is no structure.

For you as the writer, the thesis statement:

Develops through the interrelationship of thinking, reading, and writing;

Limits your research by providing you with one controlling main idea that intrigues you;

Narrows your writing to one specific claim that you can develop or prove;

Organizes your ideas so you know the important points you want to make in your paper; and

Clarifies your writing by keeping you on target to fulfill your proposed purpose.

For your readers, the thesis statement:

 Identifies the main point and sub-points of your essay clearly and quickly;

Functions as a road map so your readers can easily follow your ideas; and

Gives satisfaction at the conclusion of the paper when your readers discover you have fulfilled your promise by proving or developing your main point.

Characteristics of Effective Thesis Statements

An effective thesis statement must be  factual and narrow.

An effective thesis statement prepares readers for facts and details, but it cannot itself be a fact. It must always be an inference that demands proof or further development. These proofs come from the literature. 

UNT Dallas campus has two buildings.

Not factual enough: The UNT Dallas campus is the perfect size.

Just Right:  While some might see small universities as a disadvantage, the small campus of UNT Dallas holds many advantages for students, including a close-knit campus community, smaller class sizes, and better support from professors.

2. Narrow Topic

A good thesis should be narrow, and not too broad or too vague. If the topic is too broad, you won’t be able to cover the entire topic in your paper.  If it’s too narrow, you might not be able to find research, and your paper probably won’t be long enough. 

Too Broad: College students have a lot of responsibilities.

Too Narrow: Student workers in the Learning Commons at UNT Dallas have many responsibilities in their course work and tutoring. 

Just Right: College students who are financially independent have many responsibilities as they must maintain good grades, pay living expenses, and balance work and school.

Remember, a thesis statement is not: 

• Instead , you should argue, based on facts and literature, why or why not NASA should receive more funding.  
• Ask yourself--can I find anything in literature to prove this point, or is this MY opinion? 
• Instead, you should argue why or why not people like chocolate OR why or why not chocolate is healthy for you based on facts and literature findings. 
• Similar to the subjective opinion, ask yourself is this statement is based on facts and literature findings or if this is YOUR opinion. Although it is ok to have your own opinion, professors usually do not like to read articles about beliefs (students have been writing about these for years and years). 
• Instead, you could discuss theories about politics or religions and use literature to prove or disprove those theories.
• This is too factual (the Himalayas WERE formed from a collision of tectonic plates), and there is nothing to discuss because this IS a fact in itself. 
• Instead, you could compare and contrast the tectonic plate formation of different mountains. 

Examples of Thesis Statements

A thesis statement f or a 5 paragraph essay conta ins three parts:.

1. A Topic: the main idea of the essay

2. The Controlling Idea: what you want to say about the topic

3. The subtopics: usually 3 examples/reasons you will discuss in your paper

Here is an example  of a thesis statement.

Ex: Regularly visiting the Writing Center at UNT Dallas will help you become the best writer on the planet because it offers superhero tutors, current technology, and fantastic handouts.

The main topic explores the idea that regularly vsiting the writing center will help you become the best writer on the planet, and the subtopics further expand this opinion with three distinct examples: 1) tutors, 2) technology, and 3) the handouts.

Outline Example

The paper should be organized around the subtopics.  For example, for the thesis written above, the writer would write one body paragraph about the tutors, one about technology, and one about the handouts. 

Here is a sample essay outline based on this thesis:

• Introduce the topic of tutoring
• Thesis (last sentence of intro): Regularly visiting the Writing Center at UNT Dallas will help you become the best writer on the planet because it offers superhero tutors, current technology, and fantastic handouts.
• topic sentence
• Restate thesis
• Concluding remarks

For further assistance with the structure, see our handouts on Introductions and Conclusions and Topic Sentences.

A thesis statement for a LONG ESSAY contains two parts: A Topic: the main idea of the essay The Controlling Idea: what you want to say about the topic 

Throughout the paper, your thesis promises your readers that you will prove specific facts or develop certain ideas ; therefore, every paragraph, sentence, and word in your paper must relate to this controlling idea.

Here are some examples of thesis statements.

• Baseball, once a national pastime and even an addiction, has lost its popularity because of the new interest in more violent sports.
• Since the space program has yet to provide the American people with any substantial, practical returns, it is a waste of money and should be dissolved.
• To stop the alarming rise in the number of violent crimes committed every year, our courts must hand out tougher sentences.
• Detective stories appeal to the basic human desire for thrills.
• Hemingway's war stories helped to create a new prose style.
• Bronte utilizes light and fire to symbolize the emotional expressions of the characters.

Here is a suggested outline for a long essay and how that would look in terms of your thesis statement, topic, and controlling ideas:

• Introduce the novel Jane Eyre and the topic of symbolism
• Thesis (last sentence of intro): Bronte utilizes light and fire to symbolize the emotional expressions of the characters.
• textual examples and elaboration

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Developing Strong Thesis Statements

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The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

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25 Thesis Statement Examples That Will Make Writing a Breeze

Understanding what makes a good thesis statement is one of the major keys to writing a great research paper or argumentative essay. The thesis statement is where you make a claim that will guide you through your entire paper. If you find yourself struggling to make sense of your paper or your topic, then it's likely due to a weak thesis statement.

Let's take a minute to first understand what makes a solid thesis statement, and what key components you need to write one of your own.

A thesis statement always goes at the beginning of the paper. It will typically be in the first couple of paragraphs of the paper so that it can introduce the body paragraphs, which are the supporting evidence for your thesis statement.

Your thesis statement should clearly identify an argument. You need to have a statement that is not only easy to understand, but one that is debatable. What that means is that you can't just put any statement of fact and have it be your thesis. For example, everyone knows that puppies are cute . An ineffective thesis statement would be, "Puppies are adorable and everyone knows it." This isn't really something that's a debatable topic.

Something that would be more debatable would be, "A puppy's cuteness is derived from its floppy ears, small body, and playfulness." These are three things that can be debated on. Some people might think that the cutest thing about puppies is the fact that they follow you around or that they're really soft and fuzzy.

All cuteness aside, you want to make sure that your thesis statement is not only debatable, but that it also actually thoroughly answers the research question that was posed. You always want to make sure that your evidence is supporting a claim that you made (and not the other way around). This is why it's crucial to read and research about a topic first and come to a conclusion later. If you try to get your research to fit your thesis statement, then it may not work out as neatly as you think. As you learn more, you discover more (and the outcome may not be what you originally thought).

Additionally, your thesis statement shouldn't be too big or too grand. It'll be hard to cover everything in a thesis statement like, "The federal government should act now on climate change." The topic is just too large to actually say something new and meaningful. Instead, a more effective thesis statement might be, "Local governments can combat climate change by providing citizens with larger recycling bins and offering local classes about composting and conservation." This is easier to work with because it's a smaller idea, but you can also discuss the overall topic that you might be interested in, which is climate change.

So, now that we know what makes a good, solid thesis statement, you can start to write your own. If you find that you're getting stuck or you are the type of person who needs to look at examples before you start something, then check out our list of thesis statement examples below.

Thesis statement examples

A quick note that these thesis statements have not been fully researched. These are merely examples to show you what a thesis statement might look like and how you can implement your own ideas into one that you think of independently. As such, you should not use these thesis statements for your own research paper purposes. They are meant to be used as examples only.

• Vaccinations Because many children are unable to vaccinate due to illness, we must require that all healthy and able children be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity.
• Educational Resources for Low-Income Students Schools should provide educational resources for low-income students during the summers so that they don't forget what they've learned throughout the school year.
• School Uniforms School uniforms may be an upfront cost for families, but they eradicate the visual differences in income between students and provide a more egalitarian atmosphere at school.
• Populism The rise in populism on the 2016 political stage was in reaction to increasing globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the Syrian refugee crisis.
• Public Libraries Libraries are essential resources for communities and should be funded more heavily by local municipalities.
• Cyber Bullying With more and more teens using smartphones and social media, cyber bullying is on the rise. Cyber bullying puts a lot of stress on many teens, and can cause depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Parents should limit the usage of smart phones, monitor their children's online activity, and report any cyber bullying to school officials in order to combat this problem.
• Medical Marijuana for Veterans Studies have shown that the use of medicinal marijuana has been helpful to veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Medicinal marijuana prescriptions should be legal in all states and provided to these veterans. Additional medical or therapy services should also be researched and implemented in order to help them re-integrate back into civilian life.
• Work-Life Balance Corporations should provide more work from home opportunities and six-hour workdays so that office workers have a better work-life balance and are more likely to be productive when they are in the office.
• Teaching Youths about Consensual Sex Although sex education that includes a discussion of consensual sex would likely lead to less sexual assault, parents need to teach their children the meaning of consent from a young age with age appropriate lessons.
• Whether or Not to Attend University A degree from a university provides invaluable lessons on life and a future career, but not every high school student should be encouraged to attend a university directly after graduation. Some students may benefit from a trade school or a "gap year" where they can think more intensely about what it is they want to do for a career and how they can accomplish this.
• Studying Abroad Studying abroad is one of the most culturally valuable experiences you can have in college. It is the only way to get completely immersed in another language and learn how other cultures and countries are different from your own.
• Women's Body Image Magazines have done a lot in the last five years to include a more diverse group of models, but there is still a long way to go to promote a healthy woman's body image collectively as a culture.
• Cigarette Tax Heavily taxing and increasing the price of cigarettes is essentially a tax on the poorest Americans, and it doesn't deter them from purchasing. Instead, the state and federal governments should target those economically disenfranchised with early education about the dangers of smoking.
• Veganism A vegan diet, while a healthy and ethical way to consume food, indicates a position of privilege. It also limits you to other cultural food experiences if you travel around the world.
• University Athletes Should be Compensated University athletes should be compensated for their service to the university, as it is difficult for these students to procure and hold a job with busy academic and athletic schedules. Many student athletes on scholarship also come from low-income neighborhoods and it is a struggle to make ends meet when they are participating in athletics.
• Women in the Workforce Sheryl Sandberg makes a lot of interesting points in her best-selling book, Lean In , but she only addressed the very privileged working woman and failed to speak to those in lower-skilled, lower-wage jobs.
• Assisted Suicide Assisted suicide should be legal and doctors should have the ability to make sure their patients have the end-of-life care that they want to receive.
• Celebrity and Political Activism Although Taylor Swift's lyrics are indicative of a feminist perspective, she should be more politically active and vocal to use her position of power for the betterment of society.
• The Civil War The insistence from many Southerners that the South seceded from the Union for states' rights versus the fact that they seceded for the purposes of continuing slavery is a harmful myth that still affects race relations today.
• Blue Collar Workers Coal miners and other blue-collar workers whose jobs are slowly disappearing from the workforce should be re-trained in jobs in the technology sector or in renewable energy. A program to re-train these workers would not only improve local economies where jobs have been displaced, but would also lead to lower unemployment nationally.
• Diversity in the Workforce Having a diverse group of people in an office setting leads to richer ideas, more cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or backgrounds.
• Re-Imagining the Nuclear Family The nuclear family was traditionally defined as one mother, one father, and 2.5 children. This outdated depiction of family life doesn't quite fit with modern society. The definition of normal family life shouldn't be limited to two-parent households.
• Digital Literacy Skills With more information readily available than ever before, it's crucial that students are prepared to examine the material they're reading and determine whether or not it's a good source or if it has misleading information. Teaching students digital literacy and helping them to understand the difference between opinion or propaganda from legitimate, real information is integral.
• Beauty Pageants Beauty pageants are presented with the angle that they empower women. However, putting women in a swimsuit on a stage while simultaneously judging them on how well they answer an impossible question in a short period of time is cruel and purely for the amusement of men. Therefore, we should stop televising beauty pageants.
• Supporting More Women to Run for a Political Position In order to get more women into political positions, more women must run for office. There must be a grassroots effort to educate women on how to run for office, who among them should run, and support for a future candidate for getting started on a political career.

Still stuck? Need some help with your thesis statement?

If you are still uncertain about how to write a thesis statement or what a good thesis statement is, be sure to consult with your teacher or professor to make sure you're on the right track. It's always a good idea to check in and make sure that your thesis statement is making a solid argument and that it can be supported by your research.

After you're done writing, it's important to have someone take a second look at your paper so that you can ensure there are no mistakes or errors. It's difficult to spot your own mistakes, which is why it's always recommended to have someone help you with the revision process, whether that's a teacher, the writing center at school, or a professional editor such as one from ServiceScape .

‘White Fragility’ Author Accused of Plagiarizing Doctoral Thesis

Robin DiAngelo, the author of the 2018 best-seller White Fragility , is facing allegations that she plagiarized her 2004 doctoral thesis, including copying from minority scholars.

The Washington Free Beacon first reported the allegations , which were made in an anonymous complaint filed with the University of Washington . The school is where the dissertation was submitted, and DiAngelo is employed as an affiliate associate professor of education.

Though anonymous, the complaint matches similar complaints against other high-profile academics connected with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). This includes former Havard President Claudine Gay , the DEI head at Columbia University , and the head of a DEI program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) .

That said, the complaint against DiAngelo is unique for two reasons. This is the first time the campaign has targeted a white academic and one who is not a university official. That said, her work focuses on racial discourse, making her an obvious target. This is especially true as her book, White Fragility , is a best seller.

The other allegations in this campaign have been mixed. Though some have highlighted real issues, others have attempted to make mountains out of molehills.

So, which is this? To answer that, we need to examine the allegations and determine how serious they are.

Examining the Allegations

The 20-page complaint makes 20 separate allegations against DiAngelo. The allegations are not in page order and skip around the dissertation.

Most of the 20 allegations are either not examples of plagiarism or are, at best, very weak. For example, the first allegation deals with just 13 words. Though DiAngelo doesn’t cite the alleged source in that passage, she does elsewhere. Both sources describe a third paper and are likely pulling language from that.

Similarly, in the second allegation, DiAngelo does cite the alleged source. Though some text does overlap, it is only 14 words. While this is poor paraphrasing, it doesn’t sustain the argument that DiAngelo is trying to steal the work of other academics.

To be clear, these aren’t good. In an ideal world, you would not have passages like these. But they are not the greatest of academic sins either.

That’s not to say that there aren’t any problematic allegations. The twelfth one is probably the most troubling for me. It features a roughly 200-word passage clearly copied and pasted from an earlier source. DiAngelo does cite the source, but the citation is above the section in question, and there’s no indication that she is quoting the passage.

All in all, if someone handed me this document, I would recommend corrections and updates. However, given that many of the allegations are dubious and, even in total, only cover a small percentage of the dissertation, stronger action seems unwarranted.

The Wrinkle in the Story

At this point, the story follows the format of others we’ve seen. Though it highlights some legitimate issues, the complaint exaggerates the severity of the plagiarism, and the reporting around it has left off much of the nuance.

However, DiAngelo is unlike the other academics the campaign has targeted. She is a public figure, first and foremost. Her accountability statement says she will seek to “Always cite and give credit to the work of BIPOC people who have informed your thinking. When you use a phrase or idea you got from a BIPOC person, credit them.”

That did not happen here, at least not entirely.

While I don’t believe the evidence points to a malicious intent to steal others’ work, there was a lack of care and due diligence in places. In this case, I would argue that she did not live up to her accountability statement.

To be clear, I understand this pressure. As the author of a site named Plagiarism Today, I work hard to ensure my citations are as clean as possible. Often, I deliberately overcite out of an abundance of caution. However, I’m sure I’ve made mistakes over the past 18 years. But I acknowledge that my field and my presentation make those mistakes more problematic.

Still, it’s important to put this complaint into perspective. This complaint is not a good-faith attempt to improve academic or research integrity. It’s a targeted attack on a political or ideological opponent. But even if we take the whole complaint as truth, it represents approximately 2,000 words in a 72,000-word thesis. That equals roughly 3% of the completed dissertation.

While I agree that some corrective action is needed, that’s not what the complaint filers want. There’s no room for nuance or discussion when the goal is to discredit an ideology rather than address the actual issues in the work.

Bottom Line

In the past, I’ve criticized this particular campaign on two grounds. First, as I said above, it’s a bad-faith effort to discredit political opponents, not an attempt to improve academic integrity. Here, plagiarism is simply a tool for political gain, not an issue to be addressed.

Second, the complaints have routinely tried to exaggerate the amount of plagiarism. In my reading of the complaint, 5-7 allegations warranted some response. However, 20 allegations look more impressive, even if most don’t hold up. It’s easier to get headlines with bigger numbers.

During the height of the original scandals, I talked about the weaponization of plagiarism and how it is used to target political and ideological opponents. As someone whose focus is plagiarism, that is deeply worrying to me.

Plagiarism, citation and attribution are important issues in and of themselves. However, discussing plagiarism requires a degree of nuance and care that isn’t possible when wielding it as a weapon.

That, in turn, is how weaponizing plagiarism cheapens it. It becomes a tool to be used rather than a problem to be solved.

That is very true in this case. Dubious claims have buried genuine issues, and a rush to condemn has replaced a nuanced conversation. This story should worry you regardless of how you feel about DiAngelo and her work.

Robin DiAngelo Headshot: JasonPToews , CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

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How Sabrina Carpenter Became A Pop Queen: Tracing Her Journey To 'Short N' Sweet'

More than a decade in the making, Sabrina Carpenter is living out her superstar dreams. As she releases her new album, 'Short n' Sweet,' look back on the chart-topping star's journey and how every venture helped her evolve into a pop phenom.

Sabrina Carpenter is the first to admit that it's taken her a bit of time to find her way to the top of the music industry. She even likens herself to the tortoise in the fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" — even if she didn't want to believe the metaphor growing up.

"Something that my mom always said to me as a little girl that really annoyed me was that I am the tortoise… throughout my life, [I was] being told, 'Sabrina, you're the tortoise, just chill,'" Carpenter recalled while accepting the Variety Hitmakers Rising Artist Award in December 2023. "In moments of frustration and confusion it can feel like a letdown, but it turns out it's actually a very good thing."

It's been a very good thing for Carpenter, indeed. A decade since the release of her debut single, the singer/songwriter isn't just breaking through — she's one of pop's new reigning queens. Over the last year, Carpenter has nabbed her first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, made a stellar debut at Coachella, and performed on "Saturday Night Live," all the while racking up billions of streams on her music new and old. It's all built excitement for one of the most anticipated pop albums of the summer: Short n' Sweet .

As Carpenter unveils her new album, take a deep dive into her decade-long journey to pop stardom.

Getting Started: Disney Breakthrough

Growing up, Carpenter filled the sounds of her family home in Pennsylvania with covers of songs like Adele 's "Set Fire To The Rain" and "Picture to Burn" by future Eras Tour companion Taylor Swift (more on that later). After submitting videos for a singing contest spearheaded by Miley Cyrus , Carpenter would get her first taste of success. Placing third, she caught the eye of Hollywood Records, who signed her following the competition.

Simultaneously, Carpenter also began pursuing acting, landing guest spots on series like "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" in 2011 and joining "The Goodwin Games" in 2012. In 2014, she landed a lead role in the Disney Channel series "Girl Meets World," a spin-off of the beloved '90s series "Boy Meets World," which served as a breakthrough moment for the burgeoning star — and a catalyst for her music career.

Just before the show debuted, Carpenter released her debut single, "Can't Blame A Girl for Trying," the title track to her debut EP that arrived a month later. While the four-track EP was the typical output of a teenage Disney star — bubblegum pop sounds with digestible, family-friendly lyricism — it showed off her youthful timbre and offered themes that would become prevalent later in Carpenter's songwriting: love, heartache, and navigating life.

A year later, she released her debut album, Eyes Wide Open . A mix of pop with folk and country influences — a soundscape that remains on Short n' Sweet — Carpenter's debut showed maturity and growth following Can't Blame A Girl For Trying ; songs like "Eyes Wide Open" and "We'll Be the Stars" showed a more introspective side, reflecting on the pressures of being in the spotlight and the journey of finding her identity. Eyes Wide Open also hinted that Carpenter was beginning to hone her songwriting skills, penning four of the 12 tracks.

It would be on her 2016 sophomore album, EVOLution, where Carpenter would find confidence as a songwriter, co-writing all but one song on the 10-track project. In turn, the lyrics reflected her growing sense of self and a new perspective on past themes, like embracing non-romantic forms of love in "All We Have is Love," being there for a struggling friend in "Shadows," and learning to assert boundaries in "Space."

EVOLution transitioned Carpenter out of the teen pop aesthetic into a more sophisticated sound, experimenting with dance-pop and techno sonics. Genre versatility would become a throughline of sorts for Carpenter, and EVOLution foreshadowed the multifaceted musicality that was to come.

Shedding Disney: From Child Actor To Pop Star

After "Girl Meets World" came to an end at the beginning of 2017, Carpenter was ready for reinvention. Much like Britney Spears ' Britney and Cyrus' Can't Be Tamed before her, as Carpenter grew into an adult, she felt like she needed to shed the Disney-fied image that has become a rite of passage for teen stars. Thus began the Singular era.

Released in 2018 and 2019, respectively, Singular: Act I and Singular: Act II featured songs that were more risqué and mature in nature. A far cry from her tamer work of the past, the R&B track "Hold Tight" is equal parts sultry and evocative with Carpenter singing, "Wanna keep you in, wanna keep you in right/ Wanna feel your skin, wanna feel it on mine."

As she noted in an interview with Billboard , Singular: Act I   was a natural progression for a girl now in her late teens — even if it was against the squeaky-clean image of her beginnings.

"I was known as a fictional character on television with lines that were written for her with an attitude that was portrayed in a way by other people. So for a lot of people, their first impression of me was as a 13-year-old girl [singing] the kinds of songs that she should be singing," she said. "Then, flash forward to 19, and people are asking why I am not singing about the same things that I did when I was 13, as if that's normal."

One of the more notable Singular tracks is from Act I , "Sue Me." Sneakily disguised as a story about a romantic relationship, the song is Carpenter's response to being sued by her ex music managers: "That's my shape, I made the shadow/ That's my name, don't wear it out though/ Feelin' myself can't be illegal." Its tongue-in-cheek and snarky nature would inevitably embolden Carpenter to continue writing more confessional songs with attitude, whether she's responding to media scrutiny in "because i liked a boy" from 2022's emails i can't send , or warning a suitor to be careful in Short n' Sweet 's "Please, Please, Please."

Singular: Act I and Act II further helped demonstrate different facets of Carpenter's musicality, with the former leaning into pop tendencies and the latter embracing an R&B flair. And as her final albums with Hollywood Records, she used Singular: Act I and Act II to indicate that she wasn't going to let any sort of previous perceptions hold her back. Their coming-of-age themes showcased Carpenter as an artist coming into her own — regardless of whether listeners wanted to keep her in the Disney box or not.

Reintroducing Herself: Artistic Authenticity & The "Nonsense" Effect

While the world was going through a period of change amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so was Carpenter. She signed with Universal Music Group's Island Records in 2021, and soon she would be able to fully introduce the world to who Sabrina Carpenter is as an artist.

As she noted herself to Variety earlier this year, her 2022 LP, emails i can't send , "marked the beginning of a really freeing and artistic time for me." Once again, she co-wrote every song on the album; this time, though, she only had one co-writer for each track, and even wrote two songs solo ("emails i can't send" and "how many things") — proving that she was more assured as a songwriter than ever.

As a result, Carpenter's knack for confessional songwriting is on full display. emails i can't send represents a reflective time capsule of sorts; one that brings the curiosity of her earlier work with the perspective and wisdom of a young adult. Her growing fame meant there was more attention on her personal life, and emails i can't send allowed her to reclaim her narrative and express her side of the story.

Carpenter's candidness struck a chord with listeners, and upon the release of emails i can't send in July 2022, it was clear Carpenter was on a new trajectory. The album debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200, which marked her highest entry on the chart to date (as of press time); the 2022 stretch of her Emails I Can't Send Tour sold out in less than a day. And once  "Nonsense" was released as a single that November, her place as a rapidly rising star was solidified.

"Nonsense" was initially written as a means to an end after Carpenter was writing a sad song and had writer's block. Now, the track is the epitome of Carpenter's lyricism, weaving together her wit and humor with an infectious hook. First gaining traction on TikTok because of its catchiness, it's become a beloved part of Carpenter's canon thanks to her inventive and bespoke outros during her live shows. It's since become a tradition for fans to check to see what outro she created for each performance, adding to the fan fervor.

Carpenter further satiated fans' taste for her cheeky lyricism in March 2023, when she released emails i can't send fwd: , the deluxe version of her album, which featured a new track called "Feather." She took the playful, flirting energy of "Nonsense" and infused "Feather" with buoyant, airy production that mimics the feeling of self-liberation after moving on from a relationship. Earning Carpenter her first pop radio No. 1, "Feather" proved that the singer's audacious style was taking hold — and it set the stage for an even bigger 2024.

Becoming A Superstar: Eras Tour, "Espresso" & Beyond

After her own extensive — and very sold out — tour in support of Emails I Can't Send , Carpenter's rising star status was further confirmed by pop's current queen, Taylor Swift. The singer earned a coveted opening slot on Swift's monumental Eras Tour in Mexico, South America, Australia, and Asia.

Just after her last Eras Tour show in March 2024, Carpenter hinted that her own new era was beginning. "I'm starting to feel like I've outgrown the songs I'm singing," she admitted to Cosmopolitan , "which is always an exciting feeling because I think that means the next chapter is right around the corner."

That chapter began with "Espresso," which dropped a day before her debut Coachella performance. Doubling down on the playful, self-assured vibe of "Nonsense," the song immediately hinted that big things were coming for Carpenter, debuting at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 3.

Upon announcing her sixth album, Short n' Sweet , Carpenter released "Please Please Please." Combining her now-signature playful, carefree lyricism with an airy, disco-tinged sound, "Please Please Please" didn't just present Carpenter as a confident superstar —  it became her first Hot 100-topping smash.

Carpenter has referred to Short n' Sweet as the "hot older sister" of emails i can't send. "It's my second 'big girl' album; it's a companion but it's not the same," she explained to Variety , to whom she also admitted she feels a "sense of separation" from her work prior to emails . "When it comes to having full creative control and being a full-fledged adult, I would consider this a sophomore album."

It's apt, then, that her Short n' Sweet collaborators — including songwriters Julia Michaels , Amy Allen and Steph Jones — are largely the same as the team from emails i can't send . "I've really honed in on the people that I love making music with," she told Rolling Stone in June.

Even more telling of the direction she's heading is her work with one of pop's hottest producers — and Swift's right-hand man — Jack Antonoff , for the first time. At a GRAMMY Museum event with Antonoff himself, Carpenter debuted the country-infused " Slim Pickins ," presenting yet another pop style from Short n' Sweet . And as "Slim Pickins," "Espresso" and "Please Please Please" indicate, Carpenter's knack for infectious and edgy lyrics isn't just the throughline across Short n' Sweet — it's become the epitome of both her artistry and her stardom.

Just like her metaphorical friend the tortoise, Carpenter's long but steady journey has clearly paid off. As she's figured out who she is on her own terms, she's manifested the bonafide superstardom she's always imagined.

"I never had the plan B, and it wasn't even a thought in my mind that it wouldn't work out," she told Rolling Stone . "I just always knew it was about not if it would happen but when it would happen."

For Carpenter, every chapter of her artistry has built on the last; she's refused to rest on her laurels and continuously pursued new directions. She's creating work that wholeheartedly reflects her, and growing a loyal fan base because of it. Her next album might be named Short n' Sweet , but her time as a pop superstar will be anything but.

All Things Sabrina Carpenter

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From Dusty To Chappell: A Timeline Of Lesbian & Queer Girl Pop Icons

Chappell Roan's record-breaking success is just one of many ways female and nonbinary stars are helping sapphic pop dominate today's culture — but the subgenre's history traces back to the 1950s. Get to know some of the artists who helped pave the way.

In a time where pop balances between intimate vulnerability and brazen confidence, queer pop stars like Chappell Roan , Billie Eilish , Reneé Rapp , FLETCHER , and girl in red are spearheading a movement of their own: the lesbian pop renaissance.

The unofficially coined cultural craze has seen a number of queer women sing openly and explicitly about their same-sex relationships. And they're not holding back: "She was a Playboy, Brigitte Bardot/ She showed me things I didn't know," swoons Roan in "Red Wine Supernova," while Eilish gushes "she dances on my tongue" in "Lunch," and FLETCHER confesses in "girls, girls, girls" that she "kissed a girl and…really, really liked it."

This era of openly sapphic joy follows a history of hardships, with decades of queer artists defying prejudice and homophobia to sing openly about their desires and emotions. It's not been an easy journey — and struggles are still painfully evident. When grilled about her sexuality last year, Eilish declared on Instagram, "I like boys and girls leave me alone about it"; it echoed Dusty Springfield 's 1970s interview when she revealed , "I'm perfectly capable of being swayed by a girl as by a boy... and I don't see why I shouldn't."

Some have defined sapphic pop as a subgenre of indie or bedroom pop, and others have celebrated the more anthemic, upbeat "sapphic bops." But in reality, no one style of music encapsulates lesbian/sapphic songs; these artists are united by loving and desiring other women — some openly, while others were restrained due to societal pressures.

The current wave of unapologetic queer stars marks a pivotal moment in music history, where sapphic pop is no longer cornered in lesbian circles and gay clubs, but dominating mainstream airwaves, and influencing global pop trends while being rightfully celebrated by the masses. So as the current queer female stars continue to thrive, it's important to pay homage to all of the artists that paved the way.

Read on for a history of defiantly queer women and nonbinary people in music — a celebration of who they are, how they have loved and their remarkable musical imprint.

1950s: A Ranchera Folk Queer Pioneer

Costa Rican artist Chavela Vargas began singing in Mexican cantinas as a teenager in the 1950s, becoming a key figure of Mexico City's bohemian artistic boom. With slick, short hair and a powerful presence, Vargas sang regional Mexican music with hoarse fragility in her songs, including "Las simples cosas" and the haunting "La Llorona" (which means "The Weeping Woman"); her sobbing voice echoing the song's grieving protagonist.

With love songs addressed to women and an androgynous sense of style, Vargas never hid her sexuality, but first openly spoke about her lesbianism when she was 81. Before her death in 2012 at the age of 93, she lived a fascinating and exuberant life, was a friend and lover of Frida Kahlo and is rumored to have had flings with the likes of Ava Gardner. With her heart-wrenching vocal command, she is considered one of the most important artists in Latin American folk, and remains a towering figure in Latin American queer history.

1960s: A Fearless Pop Star

Decades before female musicians began openly embracing their sexuality, Dusty Springfield cooly shrugged at rumors about her own — her aforementioned 1970 "coming out" interview solidifies her status as one of the first openly queer female pop stars.

Rising to fame in the 1960s with her blonde beehive and dark eye makeup, Springfield frequented London gay clubs at the height of the Swinging Sixties (which, ironically, didn’t have anything to do with queerness). With hits including "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and "Son of a Preacher Man," her powerful voice channeled emotion with unnerving vulnerability. Though her music was never quite as frank as she was in the public eye, a few of Springfield's later releases touched on queer themes (1979's "Closet Man" and her 1989 collab with Pet Shop Boys , "In Private").

1970s: Feminist Folk & Funk

The second-wave feminist movement in the U.S. pushed gender issues to the core of the country's socio-politico agenda, including fights for abortion rights (Roe v. Wade in 1973) and the ferocious push to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Women artists were showing they were more than pop glam, picking up guitars and refusing to dress up for the cameras, favoring casual attire; sapphic pop was entering an era of authenticity and emotional honesty. Along the way, a group of feminist lesbians set up Olivia Records.

In 1975, Olivia's co-founder Cris Williamson released her politically charged folk album, The Changer and The Changed , one of the highest-selling independent records of the time ; two years later, Linda Tillery 's funk-soul track "Womanly Way" explored the sensual side of sapphic love: "I think I'd like to get to know you in a special kind of womanly way" she croons. Pioneering trans sound engineer Sandy Stone was an integral part of the Olivia team until she was forced to leave after receiving harrowing threats from separatist groups, sadly marking the steady decline of the groundbreaking label. 

In the UK, Joan Armatrading attracted buzz after performing gigs around her native Birmingham, earning fans for her slick guitar, melodic piano and powerful vocals. Though her lyrics were gender-neutral, Armatrading's music was largely embraced by the lesbian community — including the 1978 song "Taking My Baby Up Town," which celebrates queer love despite the prejudice and homophobia of the time ("You kissed me/ And then all the people started to stare/ We started a commotion/ Someone making comments, morals/ The state of affairs and I said, "What we got is the best"). In 2008, she performed on Cyndi Lauper 's True Colors Tour, which raised funds for LGBTQIA+ charities; she has spoken openly about her sexuality in the past decade, and has been in a civil partnership with Maggie Butler since 2011.

1980s: Love, Lust & Rock and Roll

The '80s brought a spirit of punk into the mainstream, and queer circles were attracted to the music's rebellion and rage. British-Canadian singer Carole Pope was part of the rock band Rough Trade, characteristically clad in leather and singing raunchy songs dedicated to the joys of BDSM and girl-on-girl eroticism. Rough Trade's lustful 1980 song "High School Confidential" shocked listeners at the time: "It makes me cream my jeans when she comes my way," swoons Pope. In 1981, she had a brief (but intense) relationship with Dusty Springfield.

A new folk movement was quietly brewing in the hushed tones and poignant strums of Tracy Chapman . Though she has never spoken publicly about her sexuality, her GRAMMY-winning hit "Fast Car" has been embraced as a lesbian anthem for its ideals of escapism and unhinged freedom. (Chapman's sexuality was later confirmed by her former lover, author Alice Walker, who spoke about their mid-90s relationship in 2006, though there's no disclosed relation to "Fast Car.")

Folk-rock duo Indigo Girls , who are both openly lesbian, formed in 1985 and immediately cultivated a cult queer following that led to a major label deal in 1988. Their 1989 self-titled album — which spawned the celebrated queer anthem "Closer to Fine" — went double platinum in the U.S. and won a GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Folk Recording in 1990. Just this year, the duo released a documentary, It's Only Life After All , which charts their journey, revealing the homophobic snubs they've stoically endured throughout their career.

Meanwhile, South AfricanBrenda Fassie began making music with her band the Big Dudes in the early 1980s, combining pop with hip-hop and kwaito. While Fassie did not explicitly sing about being queer, she often referred to herself as a lesbian and never hid her relationships with women. A staunch anti-apartheid campaigner, Fassie made pop with powerful social commentary; she was even hailed as the "Madonna of the Townships" for her brazen lyrics. Thought to be Africa's first openly queer pop star, Fassie remains a beacon of acceptance and tolerance in a region where homophobia is still rife — even two decades after her passing.

1990s: Intimacy Resonates

Building on the folk origins of Chapman and Indigo Girls, k.d. lang initially broke through with several country hits in the late '80s, but ruffled feathers with country radio when she came out as a lesbian in 1992. Nonetheless, she never backed down from who she was, and it launched her to sapphic pop stardom. Lang's alluring stage presence and a sensual masc charm helped her score a global hit with 1992's "Constant Craving," which has been cited as an ode to lesbian love. The song won a GRAMMY for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1993 — the same year she posed for a steamy Vanity Fair photoshoot with Cindy Crawford, which goes down in the lesbian history books.

In the late '90s, teenage twins Tegan and Sara picked up guitars and began performing confessional acoustic songs with big pop hooks and grunge elements (1999 track "Proud" features empowering lines such as "Freedom and blood/ I make my mark and fight for tomorrow… I'm proud to be me"). Their unapologetically queer music videos were intentional in their push for inclusion , complete with same-sex make-out scenes featuring LGBTQIA+ actors. The sisters, both openly lesbian, had a cameo in the cult lesbian series "The L Word," and their nonprofit Tegan and Sara Foundation promotes for LGBTQIA+ equality by raising funds for health care programs, summer camp and more.

2000s: Pop Gets Gayer

The 2000s marked a shift away from the acoustic confessionals of the decades prior, with a move into club beats and big pop hooks. Queer band the Gossip, starring charismatic, rebellious frontwoman Beth Ditto , broke all expectations of what pop could be and look like, with punk chords, disco beats and a belting voice. Their 2005 smash hit album, Standing in the Way of Control , confronted the marginalization and fear experienced by the queer community. The album's titular song was written in resistance to George Bush's attempt to outlaw same-sex marriage; "Standing in the way of control/ You live your life/ Survive the only way that you know," screamed Ditto.

Before developing a synth-pop sound on later albums, Chile's Javiera Mena carved emotional, melodic songs on her keyboard with her 2006 debut, Esquemas Juveniles ; the album featured heartfelt love songs like "Camera Lenta," which eschewed pronouns to sing about "the different paths to your eyes" in Spanish. Though she became more explicit with her sexuality in the 2010s — particularly on the lesbo-erotic hit "Espada" — Mena has been recognized as one of the pioneers in Latin America's LGBTQIA+ movement , alongside Ricky Martin , Kany Garcia and Pabllo Vittar .

London teenager Elly Jackson, better known as La Roux, immediately broke onto the pop scene with her smash "Bulletproof," and attracted a queer following for her androgynous looks — a refreshing anecdote to the chart dominance of hyper femme pop-stars of the time. While Jackson initially eschewed any labels, not wanting to be confined to queer audiences and baffled by the public speculation on her sexuality, she later embraced her place as an LGBTQIA+ icon (her 2014 track "Cruel Sexuality" appears to address her own journey: "Cruel sexuality / Am I a fool to let you trouble me?").

2010s: Mainstream Breakthrough

The 2010s marked a significant push for marriage equality, with same-sex marriage rights being awarded in countries like the U.S., UK, Argentina, Germany, and Australia, among others. This movement for equality was paralleled by a growing visibility of LGBTQ+ representation in pop culture — and sapphic pop was beginning to resonate more than ever before.

L.A.-bred trio MUNA released their indie pop debut, About You , in 2017, loaded with heartfelt songs that helped the trio quickly cultivate a die-hard following of queer fans. Listeners identified with the band's rebellion about heteronormative tropes and coming-of-age queer songs like "It's Gonna Be Okay, Baby" ("Your gonna move to New York, and experiment with communism/ Go down on a girl/ After reading her some Frantz Fanon").

Another bisexual indie darling (and MUNA's eventual "Silk Chiffon" collaborator), Phoebe Bridgers, also released her debut in 2017. Titled Stranger in the Alps , the album navigated toxic relationships, as well as Bridgers' experiences with women, with queer fans gravitating toward her unprecedented bisexual representation.

A year later, Bridgers teamed up with fellow LGBTQIA+ stars Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus to form the supergroup boygenius . The trio has flipped the "boy band" trope on its head, showing that masculine heartthrobs can emerge from feminine fluidity. With lyrics that delve into queer love and heartbreak — and live shows featuring plenty of onstage making out — the band has had a seismic impact on the sapphic pop landscape (and won three GRAMMYs in the process).

In the mid-aughts, U.S. pop star Hayley Kiyoko was experimenting with her artistry following the split of being in girl group The Stunners. Reintroducing herself as a solo star in 2013, Kiyoko had the freedom to explore lyrical themes that were more true to her own experience — like her 2015 breakthrough hit, "Girls Like Girls." The song, and accompanying music video, cemented her place in the queer pop canon; which Kiyoko has followed up with several songs about queer love and relationships, including "What I Need" featuring Kehlani (who came out as lesbian in 2021 and has since explored her own sapphic narratives, like 2020's "Tangerine.")

After hinting at their sexuality with the breakup song "Talia" in 2017, King Princess , who is genderqueer, went all-in on their queerness with the laid-back indie love song "Pussy is God" in 2018. Since then, they've built a cult following with songs marked by blatant honesty in a shifting age of gender identity and sexual expression — like 2022's "Sex Shop," which contemplates the use of strap-ons and binders.

Meanwhile, pansexual and nonbinary artist Janelle Monaé donned vagina-shaped pants for their symbolic video "Pynk," their 2018 sapphic sex anthem from Dirty Computer — a queer afro-futurist album that rebelled against the conservative policies of the then-incumbent Trump administration ("If you try to grab my pussy cat/ This pussy cat grab you back" they spit on "I Got The Juice"). The album's accompanying science-fiction film featured Monaé playing an android on the run with a lover, played by Tessa Thompson. Monaé's went even more explicitly queer in follow-up album The Age of Pleasure , a hedonistic kaleidoscope of funk, pop and reggae ("I like lipstick on my neck, leave a ticky hickey in a place I won't forget," they flirt on "Lipstick Lover").

2020s: Sapphic Pop Explosion

Though we're only four years into the 2020s, the decade has been marked by an explosion of sapphic pop. New Jersey pop star FLETCHER helped kick off the movement in 2020 with her EP The S(ex) Tapes , which navigated the end of a lesbian relationship through dark pop hooks loaded with sensual energy. Two years later, she doubled down on the lesbian narrative with her debut album, Girl Of My Dreams , which spawned one of the most viral queer songs of the decade this far, "Becky's So Hot." (In between, she delivered another lesbian bop alongside Kiyoko with 2021's "Cherry.")

Norwegian indie star girl in red, who is openly queer, cultivated a huge online following after the release of standalone early singles (in the track "i wanna be your girlfriend," she sings, "Oh Hannah… I don't wanna be your friend/ I wanna kiss your lips"), before releasing her highly anticipated debut if i could make it go quiet in 2021, featuring songs like "Did You Come?" ("Did you do the things you know I like? Roll your tongue, make her cum 20 times?"). Her connection to lesbians and bisexual women was so strong that the term "do you listen to girl in red?" evolved into a code to identify fellow queers on Sapphic TikTok . In the Latin urban scene, openly gay Puerto Rican star Young Mikko is shaking up reggaeton with her assured flow and cheeky, suggestive singles including "Peach" — an ode to her lover's rounded butt. Brazilian star Ludmilla makes listeners blush with her sensual track "Sintomas de Prazer," talking about getting turned on while giving her lover pleasure. After Billie Eilish established herself as one of the biggest pop stars of her generation, she faced intense pressure to come out as queer in November 2023. Six months later, her sexuality became a central theme in her third album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT — particularly the album's first single, "LUNCH," a fearless ride on pleasuring women. She seems to be enjoying her newfound freedom, too: in her recent remix of Charli XCX's "Guess," she deviously sings, "I wanna … kiss it bite it, can I fit it?/ Charli likes boys, but she knows I'd hit it."

Eilish was one of many Coachella 2024 performers who brought sapphic pop to the desert. Reneé Rapp's set was introduced by the cast of "The L Word," Ludmilla 's shared a tender onstage kiss with her wife during love song "Maldivas", and of course, Chappell Roan — decked in her Eat Me tee — had thousands to sing along with her unabashedly kinky hits.

Roan herself is redefining pop, with outfits inspired by drag aesthetic and lyrics that are unapologetically sapphic ("Knee deep in the passenger's seat and you're eating me out/ Are we casual now?" she sings in country pop ballad "Casual"). In August, Roan broke records for attracting Lollapalooza's largest-ever crowd , and her rapidly rising fame helped her 2023 album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess , reach No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 (and a UK No. 1) nearly a year after its release.

Lesbian and queer artists have been making music for decades — and with artists more openly celebrating their sexuality than ever before, it's an undeniably exciting and historic time for the LGBTQIA+ music community. A new era of sapphic pop is upon us, and it's hot, explicit and gleefully unrestrained. You could even call it a femininomenon.

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14 Pinoy Pop Acts You Should Know: G22, Maki, KAIA, ALAMAT, & More

Love K-pop or J-pop? The Philippines has an abundance of talent to offer in the world of P-pop. From BGYO to Maymay Entrata, get to know some of the groups and solo artists who are helping Pinoy pop blossom.

It's no secret that Filipinos can unapologetically belt out a song from Celine Dion , Whitney Houston or any pop diva on the mic. But beyond the viral videos of them singing their hearts out in malls or in their homes, the Filipino music scene is vibrantly filled with heart and emotions; and often taken over by powerful soloists like the Philippine pop princess Sarah Geronimo, balladeers like Martin Nievera or Morisette Amon, and acoustic/rock bands like Ben&Ben or Up Dharma Down that often sing about love, heartbreak and life.

Within the last decade, we've seen an evolution in the Philippine music scene: while solo stars continue to shine, pop groups have begun to take over the spotlight. The concept of pop groups have existed before in Philippine entertainment, however, were usually formed through variety shows or composed of actors and actresses — not necessarily pop idols that you can compare in other Asian music markets like Japan and South Korea.

It really wasn't until 2018, during the peak of third-generation K-pop, where we saw the beginning of first generation Pinoy pop idol groups. Inspired and influenced by the K-pop idol training system, some P-pop entertainment companies have begun implementing similar systems, or inviting Korean mentors who are active in the industry for any vocal and dance training needed.

Two of the most notable first-gen P-Pop groups are SB19 and BINI, who are at the forefront of bringing P-pop to a global audience. Five-piece boy band SB19 became the first Southeast Asian group to be nominated for a Billboard Music Award in 2021, and their 2023 single "GENTO" was approved for GRAMMY consideration last year. Meanwhile, eight-piece girl group BINI have earned the title as the Nation's Girl Group after a string of successful viral hits including "Salamin, Salamin" and "Pantropiko"; just this year, they made history as the first P-pop act to perform at KCON in Los Angeles.

Of course, the P-pop universe wouldn't be complete without solo acts. P-pop fans love to celebrate the timeless discography of Sarah Geronimo or gush over Asia's pop heartthrob Darren Espanto, and there's always new individual talent proving that the scene is still thriving.

As major P-pop stars continue to make waves, there's tons of blossoming acts who are helping to raise the Filipino flag in the global music scene. In light of the bright future ahead, here are a mix of P-Pop groups and soloists you should check out.

If the actual country of the Philippines were a pop group, it would be ALAMAT. The six member group — composed of Taneo, Mo, Jao, Tomas, R-ji, and Alas — under Viva Records values Filipino culture in their concepts.

Each member hails from different regions of the Philippines and also speak different dialects from their respective regions. Using dialects and culture to their advantage, ALAMAT often incorporates traditional folk dances, instruments, and lyrics in their native languages; and blends them into the modern sounds of hip-hop, R&B and dance.

Formed in 2018 and officially making their debut under Star Music in 2021 with "The Light," the quintet composed of Gelo, Akira, JL, Mikki, and Nate are known as the "Aces of P-Pop." The name BGYO even celebrates their heritage, as it's an acronym for "Becoming the change, Going further, You and I, Originally Filipino."

Often fusing pop sounds with R&B, the boy group isn't afraid to get quirky with their concepts — whether they're singing a ballad in suits or wearing vibrant oversized ones. As a result, their music is helping BGYO score big wins: Their single "The Baddest" made them the first Filipino act to top Billboard's Next Big Sound chart in 2021, followed by P-Pop Group of the Year at the TikTok Awards Philippines in 2022.

Debuting under SB19's former label, ShowBT Philippines, KAIA is composed of members Angela, Charlotte, Sophia, Alexa, and Charice. The quintet officially made their debut in 2022 with their lead single "BLAH BLAH" — a powerful EDM-pop track that can be considered for your gaming playlist.

The name KAIA is a double entendre: a Cebuano word "kinaiya" meaning one's self and personality; and the Tagalog word "kaya" which roughly translates "to be able to" or "can do." In other words, a P-pop girl group that can give you the extra boost when you need that sonic encouragement on the daily.

Inigo Pascual

One of the Philippine heartthrobs, Inigo Pascual is a suave and smooth pop soloist who aims to make you swoon with his R&B-pop serenades. His pop-doowop hit "Dahil Sa'Yo" off his solo debut of the same name became the first song to top the Billboard Philippines Top 20 chart in 2016.

Right from his debut, the actor and singer/songwriter continued to soar in his career when he released his international single "Options" in 2019. Just last month, the chart-topping singer unveiled his latest project, Basta't Alam Kong Tayo 1 , a three-track single-album under Republic Records Philippines.

If you already listen to K-pop, then you are familiar with the girl crush concept where the sounds are bass-heavy and the looks are all about dark outfits with smokey makeup. If that's up your alley, then check out G22.

Under Cornerstone Entertainment, the former quartet-turned-trio composed of members AJ, Alfea, and Jaz are known to be the "Female Alphas of Philippine Pop." The trio officially made their debut in April 2022 with their first single "BANG!" which was then followed by their second single "Babalik!" in May. But don't be fooled by their powerful demeanors — the trio also has a light and soft side to themselves in their B-sides and singles too.

If G22 is dubbed as the "Female Alphas of Philippine Pop," then VXON are said to be the "Monsters of P-pop" — so don't be fooled by the pretty boy looks VXON may carry. They are a P-pop group that can balance bubblegum pop with beast-like concepts, as if you're watching the transformation of boys to men. But at their core, they're making music to capture your heart (see for yourself with their viral R&B hit "Sandal").

Making their official debut in January 2022, the group consists of five members: C13, Franz, Patrick, Vince and Sam. After a big first year — they won Favorite Rookie P-Pop Group at Nylon Manila's Big, Bold, and Brave Awards in 2022 — VXON have continued winning hearts, most recently delivering a series of swoon-worthy live sessions on their YouTube channel.

Maymay Entrata

A multi-talented soloist, Maymay embodies Filipino entertainment, a fun and vibrant breath of fresh air within the Philippine music scene. She takes pride in her Visayan roots and stays grounded from her humble beginnings, even naming and singing her songs in Visaya, Tagalog and English.

First known as the season 7 winner of "Pinoy Big Brother" in 2016, Maymay has made a name for herself as a musical artist in the last couple of years. Signed under the same label as BINI and BGYO, Maymay is grandiose in her music, presenting a plethora of genres in her discography, from disco to dance pop to a little salsa with visuals that encapsulate inspiration from Filipino culture. "Her journey is only going further as she teased her first and upcoming international single "Paradise" at the 'ASAP Natin 'To in California' concert earlier this month."

Formerly known as SBTCBoys, the six-member boy group composed of Theo, Gab, Justin, Yen, Haro, and JL made their debut in 2023 with their first EP +.Y.M. (stylized and read as Time). Steering away from the traditional lead single promotions, PLUUS broke boundaries by promoting three tracks at once with "Amigo," "My Time" and "Cross My Heart" last year.

The trio of tracks also displayed PLUUS' wide array of talents: "Amigo" is a hip-hop-heavy dance pop track celebrating camaraderie; whereas "My Time" follows the personal stories of being an idol; and "Cross My Heart" is a love song about letting go. They've continued showing their versatility in 2024, with the airy single "Universe" and the thumping track "Summotion."

1st.One was already putting themselves on the map, and embodying their name, before they even made their official debut in July 2020; the month before, they became the first Filipino act to perform at the Seoul Music Awards. The six members — Ace, Max, Alpha, J, Joker, Jayson — debuted under the Philippine subsidiary of FirstOne Entertainment in South Korea with their single electronic pop single  "You Are The One (Ttak Maja Nuh)."

If you're into the nostalgic sounds of second-gen K-pop, 1st.One may be your seamless transition into P-pop. But just like any other group, they've explored different sounds and concepts; earlier this year, the group switched it up and dropped their R&B slow jam single "Dito" that was choreographed by member Max.

1st.One's sister group, DIONE (or stylized as D1ONE), also debuted in 2020, carrying that girl crush aesthetic with them. Some members of the group were first introduced as LUNA, a project trainee group under FirstOne Entertainment set to debut. Eventually, the quartet composed of Joyden, DK, Clara, and Ella released their digital single "BLING BLING" in April 2022.

Upon their official debut, the quartet's image delivered expensive pop, soundtracking their luxurious, high-fashion looks with EDM-driven pop — somewhat reminiscent of the sounds of second-gen K-pop groups like 2NE1 and After School. Their music is fun, energetic and quite tantalizing.

Fairly new to the game, YARA is oozing with charisma, from their rap flows to their dance moves. Signed under Sony Music Philippines, YARA consists of four members — Gelou, Rocher, Christa, and Kim — who blend rap, hip-hop and pop all together.

Debuting in March 2023, the P-pop girl group released their first single "Adda" (short for "Apat Dapat Dapat Apat"). Earlier this year, the group revived the old school bubblegum pop song "Bakit Papa?" by variety show girl group Sexbomb Girls, and gave it an R&B twist. Their recent track "Katawan Flow" sees the group making the dancehall genre their own — hinting that their musical direction will always be unpredictable.

Maki isn't your typical idol pop singer, but that's exactly what makes him a promising soloist. He seamlessly blends alternative rock and pop together, triggering a listener to get in their feels along the way.

When he's not dancing to BINI's "Cherry On Top," you can often find Maki strumming a guitar, questioning various love-related situations. And it seems his approach is working: his latest release, "Dilaw," topped the Billboard Philippines' Hot 100 and Billboard Top Philippines Songs for multiple weeks in July.

Officially making their debut under Tyronne Escalante Artist Management and Merlion Events Production in 2022, CALISTA is working toward being the next P-pop greats. Carrying more of a girl crush vibe, CALISTA's sounds blend dreamy pop with 808 beats and R&B.

Originally debuting as a six-member ensemble with the trap-inspired pop single "Race Car," the group has spent the majority of 2024 as a quartet comprised of Anne, Dain, Elle, and Denise. Their latest single "Let Me Know" has made its way around TikTok, helping them get one step closer to achieving superstar status.

Originally known as YAMA, ECLYPSE is fairly new, but definitely promising, to the P-Pop game. Comprised of six former participants of reality-survival show "Top Class" (Lex, Gilly, Dean, Clyde, Gab, Joshuel) and one who was announced as a member on the live-streaming app KUMU (Rave), the group have been forming since 2022 and made their official debut this year under GKD Labels.

Whether they're taking on a light or dark concept, their sounds revolve around the EDM genre — a seamless fit for their tones and voices. If you're a fan of synths, harmonies and falsetto, this may be the group for you.

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On Her New Album 'Buzz,' NIKI Embraces Radical Acceptance & The Art Of Letting Go

While processing a whirlwind of releases and tours, NIKI dug deep to create the empowered, thoughtful 'Buzz.' The singer/songwriter details the creative process behind her latest LP, and how she arrived in her "no clowns era."

At multiple points during our conversation discussing her latest album Buzz , NIKI falls back on one phrase. "I should speak for myself." While she cuts herself off often, physically but gently coaxing herself back on track, NIKI's latest release is defiantly personal.

"I think it's going to mark a new era for me musically. Personally, it is my favorite thing I've ever done." she says of the album. 

The past few years of NIKI's life have been spent in constant flux. The artist started her career as a performing artist on YouTube, did a headlining tour in support of her second album Nicole , and eventually became the first Indonesian artist to perform at Coachella (alongside fellow 88Rising labelmate Rich Brian). For the former self-proclaimed perfectionist, the exhaustion and rudderlessness of touring threw open the doors to some much needed introspection. When NIKI found herself alone, she realized had no idea who she was or what she was doing. So, she did the only thing she could do: write songs. 

"I write songs as a way to process my life as it's happening. Everyone has different ways of coping, and that just happens to be mine," the 25-year-old singer confesses. Buzz was written between tour dates, with no "concrete vision" in mind; in fact, it was probably the first time that NIKI had truly processed everything that had happened in her career. "Writing 'Buzz' was a very reflection-oriented time. I was making sense of my present and how my past has sort laid down the stepping stones, and everything in between." 

Confronted with a constant feeling of being uprooted and the vast unknown, NIKI realized that keeping a tight grip on how she approached, understood, and perceived her emotions was counterproductive. "Writing 'Buzz' was my way to deal with a lot of this existentialism that I was coming into for the first time in my early 20s," she continues. "I feel like everyone is starting to ask the big, deep, difficult questions when they start to live on their own and have to trudge through life as their own person." 

With an intimate, oft-minimalistic sound and almost stream of consciousness lyrics Buzz is an album for letting go of control and the learned behaviors of perfectionism in the favor of self-awareness, where NIKI processes "a spectrum of world weariness, of excitement, of joy and pain and all the moments in between."

"Buzz" is where she finds herself anew. She takes her time mulling over the hard questions on "Nothing Can", allows herself to grieve the loss of a great love on "Paths", breaks the cycle of generational trauma on "Strong Girl" and "Heirloom Pain", and learns that there is "freedom in accepting that everything is just incomplete and messy all the time." 

This interview has been edited and condensed.

When I was reading about the album, it appeared that you faced an identity crisis while making it. Do you feel satisfied with it or are you anxious about how people will receive it?

I think it's both. Anytime I'm on the cusp of releasing something, I'm always a little bit nervous as to how people are going to receive it. At the same time, I feel like I made this record with full conviction in myself and in my artistry. 

I think this is really the first time that I'm able to say that. I steered the making of this record myself. 

A lot of the songs on 'Buzz' felt like waves, with a very natural flow and progression to the songs on the album. It felt like you were giving into a feeling or embracing something. Did you allow yourself to feel [this flow] or did you have a concrete vision?

Buzz was the first album that I made that I didn't actually have a concrete vision in mind. It was just an organic synthesis of what's been happening over the past two years. 

Two years ago I started headline touring, and that inspired a lot of the album. Just this feeling of constantly being on the go, being uprooted time and time again, so the theme of acceptance is a huge one on this album. The acceptance of life being a constant state of uncertainty. We, as people, are constantly developing and irresolute. So this album was kind of made to process those feelings.

It’s an album of nuance, of nestling into this area of gray that we so often wrestle with in life. I definitely tend to see things as black and white. I was raised to think that way, with my Indonesian upbringing. My mom was very religious, so I think this album is about unlearning a lot of that stuff, taking what serves you from childhood and letting go of what doesn't, and embracing that things will feel messy very often.

Yet you  ended the album itself on a very hopeful note. Was that intentional?

Absolutely. Sometimes I joke that the universe has its foot on my neck right now. But I think, in general, I'm quite an optimistic person, or at least I try to be. I gravitate towards art or music that tends to skew that way, because I think we all need a little bit of hope in this very difficult, scary world. 

The record ends with "Nothing Can." I love that song, because it's a blend of optimism, but also it's just telling it as it is. Like, nothing and no one will be able to save you and I think that was an important thing that I had to teach myself.

Growing up, you watch a lot of movies and so much of media is like,  somebody's going to come swooping in knight in shining armor-style and maybe rescue you. Or a job will save you from your pain or the perfect fill-in-the-blank is gonna be the answer. That's impossible. You are responsible for your own happiness. What "Nothing Can" is about is that despite the mess and the suffering and the pain there are still moments in between that make everything worthwhile.

Did you go through a similar process of realization when it comes to making music? A moment where you thought, 'Maybe I'm expecting my career to make me happy but it should be the other way around?'

How do I eloquently say this? It's like... before Buzz , and even before Nicole , the way I perceived making music was like aceing assignments. I think I had always been a little bit of an overachiever. Buzz was my first real, true exercise in just writing and making art just to make art for myself versus to fulfill expectations. I found a lot of artistic healing through making this album because it was the first time I really kind of put my head down and was like: I'm going to make an album for myself in a way that I want and that feels authentic.

I realized quickly that every time I hit a milestone, I would aspire for the next milestone. And then there's always sky above sky — that is what my mom always told me. There is always something more to aspire to. So you really have to find peace and joy within yourself in order to show up the way you want to in your life. I wrote Buzz , just to help myself let go of the perfectionist streak.

So, if you were to describe the relationship between 'Nicole' and 'Buzz' knowing what you do now, what would you call it?

I have fondly nicknamed Buzz Nicole 's older, wiser sister. Nicole walked so that Buzz could run. Nicole was a very diaristic window into my past and Buzz is very much rooted in my present.  Nicole is about the subject matter that's important to you when you're 17, like your first ever breakup with your first love that feels so cataclysmic and earth-shattering. That's no longer relevant to me the same way that things are happening in my 20s now. 

Nicole was also sonically a lot more pop. On Buzz , I was inspired by a lot of artists. Obviously Joni Mitchell , and a current artist that I really love that I feel like echoes Joni Mitchell is Madison Cunningham . I am so inspired by her musicianship and guitar playing specifically. It made me think: I would want to have an album that I'd be so stoked to play every single night for however long on tour and I never get sick of these songs . Buzz is more musical, and there is a looseness to it that I feel Nicole lacked.

I also remember you saying in an interview that back when you wrote 'Nicole,' you went very heavy on imagery and metaphors. In contrast, 'Buzz' is still poetic, but very rooted in practicality. Do you think that's a natural consequence of growing up, and dealing with the realization that once life has hit us in the face, we don't prefer not to look at things with rosy lenses?

[Laughs.] I think it is a natural consequence of growing up. I think Nicole was so unapologetically schmaltzy. The way I wrote, I definitely cringe now because, you know, it's that 17-year-old drama. Everything feels so blown up out of proportion when you're 17, right? It was so emotional . The way I write [now] is totally different because there's a big dose of practicality and pragmatism  in the way I perceive things. I think it's a lot more emotionally healthier to balance emotion and reason, than having emotions just completely drown reason.

Buzz , specifically, is very much a reflection of the kind of writing that I gravitate to now, which is a lot less like "My world is going to end because you're leaving." Because you know when you're 25, you don't really necessarily feel that anymore. I feel that's really obvious in songs like "Take Care" and "Paths" where it is an older kind of love. A significant relationship of mine ended, and I still very much have only respect and love for this person and also wanting the best for them. I feel like, on Nicole , it was all so punitive. It was like, "You must be punished for how you hurt me!"

Was there anything that helped you learn to deal with things in this way? I did read that the album also contains some lessons that you learned in therapy.

Therapy has had a direct link to this record. Therapy has been transformative in the way I think and therefore the way I think shapes the way I write, and the way I write shapes the album that I make. 

For example, I call "Heirloom Pain" and "Nothing Can" my "radical acceptance" songs. That was a term that I learnt through therapy. Radical acceptance does not mean demeaning your grief or repressing your pain. Radical acceptance is saying, This really sucks, but I'm going to respond to this in a different way . Without therapy, I probably would still be writing very punitive schmaltzy Nicole songs.

I think everything can be processed, though! I feel like Buzz has a balance. I feel like I'm still pretty petty on "Colossal Loss" and "Focus" is just shade central. 

"Focus" really made me think you must be in your 'I'm not your therapist" era.

Exactly, I'm in my "no clowns" era. [Laughs.]

Radical acceptance makes a lot of sense. "Heirloom Pain" has this keen realization that our parents did their best, and they're only human, so you can't really blame them.

I think it humanizes everybody in [your family tree] that came before you, and at the very end, I flip it around onto [the listener] and [the song says] "You're gonna fall in love and f— up too."

We are born and everyone does the same thing over and over. We never learn! But at the same time, it doesn't shy away from the genuine pain and trauma. I literally called out my dad's temper and my mom's mistakes. Sometimes I'm like, 'Why did you guys not think about this before you had kids?' [Laughs.]

As you grow up…your parents kind of fall off the pedestal, you start to get on their level. You see them as humans. 

This is such a primitive album for you in some ways. What was the recording process for this like?

When I am in work mode, I don't always feel it. If I'm singing a painful song, usually that hits me a little bit later. When I recorded "Paths," that was basically a one-take thing that I did in my own studio at home. I remember just singing through the whole song for the first time, and at one point in the middle, I choked. I started to tear up because I felt so emotionally moved.

With this album specifically, I've learned my methods. I never do more than three takes, especially for vocals. If I do more than three takes, it starts to... you know the feeling of when you look at a word too long and the word doesn't look like a word anymore? When I sing the same thing too many times, I start to not feel it anymore. ["Paths"] felt like exposure therapy. I wrote the thing that I was really scared to write and then I was singing it.

It's interesting you say that you don't like singing your songs on repeat. What is your relationship with touring like then? Does it get exhausting performing the same song or set over and over?

Touring is definitely a different beast. I feel like it's more important to get the right take when you're recording an album, because an album is forever. A show is different every single night. To be completely honest, sometimes as a performer, if you do it so many times like it's muscle memory. You can slip into autopilot over time. The constantly changing variable on tour is the crowd. So whatever is happening in the crowd is usually enough to inject a newness to the show. 

I also wrote Buzz for this reason. I wanted an album that felt looser and felt more relaxed even in its DNA so that when I go on tour, I can play it as loosely as possible to create space for variety. 

It also feels like you've learned to be more accepting. Your recordings used to be a fairly solitary affair but now you've actively started involving more people in it.

I definitely ventured out into involving more collaborators and it's not just me and my laptop and headphones anymore, but I definitely still am very selective with who I let into my musical universe, because I have a specific vision of how I want things to sound, and what kind of environments I work best in. 

The way I like to work is that I start a skeletal framework for [a song], I produce it a little bit, record some parts. Then I call a producer that I respect, who I've seen work on my other favorite artists and then I give them that framework and then we finish it together. I worked with Ethan Gruska , who worked with Phoebe Bridgers , and Tyler Chester – who helped me produce "Strong Girl" – worked on all of Madison Cunningham's stuff. It's really fun to keep the circle small. 

A lot of songs on 'Buzz', like "Blue Moon," "Paths" and "Magnets" talk  about putting faith in a higher power.

I grew up very religious. My mom was a singer at church, so God was always an integral concept growing up. I wouldn't call myself a Christian now, but I definitely still believe in something greater than all of us. Julia Cameron, who wrote The Artist's Way , said: "God can be God to you, or it can stand for Good Orderly Direction." I think it is a beautiful way of thinking about it. 

I definitely am also an astrology girlie. I do believe that we were all made with intention. I do think there's a great creator out there and I believe that there is something out there — the universe, God, whatever you want to call it — that's guiding us or has our best interest. 

Do you like revisiting your past stuff? I ask this because it feels like with every new album, you have proverbially wiped the slate clean.

I will literally listen to my work or my music a million times before it's out. And then once it's out, I rarely ever revisit it.I almost see it as yours; it's the world’s now. It's ours. It's not something that I have been intentional about. Even when I had a YouTube channel when I was 15, I did this. I would watch my video and edit it five million times. And then as soon as I uploaded it, I never watched it again. 

I guess I do this to process my life as it's happening. Once it's shared, it's difficult for me to view it as just my own anymore. That's why every time I move on to a new project it feels like a completely different thing, because I never look at my past work. I never draw from that as an inspiration. I look forward instead. 

The Latest Pop Music News & Releases

Photos: Matt Lankes; Douglas Mason/ WireImage ; Astrida Valigorsky /Getty Images; Ralph Bavaro/NBC via Getty Images; Joseph Okpako / WireImage ; Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella

August is aflame with hot releases across genres. From Lainey Wilson's country 'Whirlwind' and dance duo Sofi Tukker's ecstatic 'BREAD' to Tinashe's highly anticipated 'Quantum Baby,' your summer playlist will be lit.

August 2024 comes with five Fridays and five weeks of piping hot new music releases. And if July was busy, the upcoming month puts it to task with a sundry of albums for every genre, generation, and gusto.

Kicking off August, R&B star Khalid releases Sincere , while masked country singer Orville Peck will release his first duets album, Stampede . The following week, Aug. 9 heralds the third LP from Filipino British singer beabadoobee , This Is How Tomorrow Moves .

By mid-August, new releases from Foster The People , Nikka Costa, Post Malone and Tinashe will drop, as well as the debut of KATSEYE — a multinational girl group formed by K-pop label HYBE in partnership with Geffen Records. A week later, all eyes and ears will turn to Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet , Lainey Wilson ’s Whirlwind , Thomas Rhett ’s About A Woman , and Fontaines D.C. ’s Romance .

Just before September arrives, Laurie Anderson will release her tribute to aviator Amelia Earhart, Amelia , and A$AP Rocky will make a long-awaited return with D on’t Be Dumb .

To fill up your upcoming weekends with fresh music, GRAMMY.com crafted a list with 13 remarkable new albums coming out August 2024.

Los Lonely Boys — 'Resurrection' (Aug. 2)

After more than a decade away from the studios, Texican rock trio Los Lonely Boys are ready for their Resurrection . The 10-track LP was recorded at guitarist Henry Garza’s home studio in St. Angelo, Texas and in El Paso’s Sonic Ranch ( Fiona Apple , Bon Iver ).  

On  lead singles "Wish You Would" and "See Your Face," Los Lonely Boys prove that the wait was worth it, as they experiment with their signature sound for a deeper, more mature output. Resurrection aims to rekindle "the sonic fire that bonds the Los Lonely Boys brotherhood," while also paying respects to Texas legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddy Fender , per a press release.

"It’s something we think people need to hear — especially the youth," said bassist Jojo Garza. "When we’re young, we think we have it figured out. When you get older, you start to see things differently. Having kids of our own, we see their ambitions and ideas of what they want to be, so we want to be good parents. The message is, ‘Be careful what you wish for. There could be a false light, and we don’t want you to get hurt.’"

Los Lonely Boys are also celebrating the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut, and the commemorations will be extended to a lengthy North American tour. Starting in August and running until November, the shows will also feature long time peers Los Lobos .

Khalid — 'Sincere' (Aug. 2)

Five years after the release of Free Spirit , R&B singer/songwriter Khalid is back with his third full length. Per a press release, Sincere is a "combination of my life experiences" that explores the pains and joys of growing up. Khalid noted that "it takes inspiration from conversations that I have had with my fans, supporters, and the people that love me."  

"When I listen back to this project, I hear a sound that’s so unique and represents me at my best," he added. "This album is me at 26, continuing to evolve with the knowledge that I have garnered throughout the years." Previewed by singles "Please Don’t Fall In Love With Me," "Adore U," and "Ground (Cotton Candy Skies)," Sincere is a 16-track collection that, most of all, showcases Khalid’s maturing.

"This all feels like the biggest reset for me," he shared on Instagram . "I feel so reminiscent to how I did when I first started my career 8 years ago. I can’t wait for all of you to experience the album."

Orville Peck — 'Stampede' (Aug. 2)

Groundbreaking country singer Orville Peck is about to surprise his audience once again. Following 2022’s Bronco , Stampede — his first duet album, and third overall — spans 15 tracks with collaborations from Elton John , Willie Nelson , Beck , Kylie Minogue , Diplo , and more.

Back in May, Peck teased the project with EP Stampede Vol. 1 , featuring songs with Noah Cyrus , Midland , and others. "This project has always been something I’ve fantasized about, so to see it finally come to fruition really is a dream come true," said the South African masked star in a press release.

Among a busy schedule, Peck also announced that his 6th annual Rodeo will happen on Aug. 23, 24 and 25 in Nashville. It will be headlined by himself and Tanya Tucker , and will feature sets from Medium Build, Reyna Roberts, and more. The Stampede North American tour is underway through October.

Learn more: How Queer Country Artists Are Creating Space For Inclusive Stories In The Genre  

Beabadoobee — 'This Is How Tomorrow Moves' (Aug. 9)

Filipino-British singer beabadoobee — also known as Beatrice Laus — is so excited about her upcoming third studio album that she decided to bring its release one week forward. This Is How Tomorrow Moves is now coming out on Aug. 9, via Dirty Hit.

Fronted by singles "Take a Bite," "Coming Home," and "Ever Seen," the album was produced by Rick Rubin , and features "themes of self-acceptance and personal growth," per a press release. "I think I’m more aware of my actions in these songs," said Laus. "In my previous records, I would consistently sing about my reaction towards other people’s doings, like a blame game. But in this record, it’s accepting that there’s an inevitability of my fault in there too."  

To crystallize those lessons, the alt-pop star is slated to perform at a one-off acoustic show in London, on Aug. 2. Then, she will play two intimate shows in London and Coventry, and a set at All Points East UK festival. In September, Laus will begin her North American tour, following with a string of November concerts in Europe.

Post Malone — 'F-1 Trillion' (Aug. 16)

Posty has been riding high on the country wave ever since May, when he released the top-charting single "I Had Some Help" with Morgan Wallen. Followed by "Pour Me a Drink" with Blake Shelton , and more recently by "Guy For That" with Luke Combs , his shift into the Nashville scene feels not only natural, but also rewarding.  

All three pre-releases are part of Malone’s sixth studio album, F-1 Trillion . The singer also collaborated with Chris Stapleton and Hardy in tracks yet to be revealed, and featured production by Louis Bell , Charlie Handsome, and Hoskins. F-1 also marks the first time that the singer fully dives into country music, despite dabbling with the genre for years.

To celebrate this momentous phase, Malone will embark on a North American Tour starting September. In the company of backing band The Fools For You, he will hit cities like Boston, Atlanta, Virginia Beach, Charleston, and wrap up in Nashville in October.  

Read more: Post Malone's Country Roots: 8 Key Moments In Covers and Collaborations

Tinashe — 'Quantum Baby' (Aug. 16)

" Quantum Baby is about getting to know me on a deeper level," said Tinashe in a press release about her upcoming album. "It’s about exploring who I am as a person and who I am as an artist. I’ve never been one to be put into a box, so the name ‘Quantum Baby’ encompasses all the different parts that make up who I am as a creative."

Spearheaded by April’s viral hit "Nasty," which serves as the album’s lead single, Quantum Baby is the second installment of a trilogy that began with 2023’s BB/ANG3L . "For BB/ANG3L , I was very inspired by the concept of identity. Exploring both how I self-identify and also challenging the perceptions of others," explained Tinashe. "I’ve enjoyed stripping back layers of aesthetic fluff, smoke and mirrors, and white noise to get down to the core of myself. Who we are at a core level, when we are alone — raw and unfiltered, is what I want this album to reflect."

Second single "Getting No Sleep" reflects that forthright perspective: "Feels Friday like, different night, same vibe / Take you outside, movie scene every time / Flick me up, I’m fitted up, so pretty, no bad side / Not a dog, but it’s in me, taking shots like I’m Lindsay," she sings.

Read more: Love "Nasty"? Get To Know Tinashe With 10 Songs That Show Her Honesty & Artistry

Sabrina Carpenter — 'Short n’ Sweet' (Aug. 23)

After heralding the summer of 2024 with double hits "Espresso" and "Please, Please, Please," Sabrina Carpenter will bring us Short n’ Sweet , a whole studio album to accompany its caffeinated appetizers.

Short n’ Sweet is Carpenter’s sixth LP so far, and features 12 tracks with major collaboration from top-charting producer Jack Antonoff . "This project is quite special to me and I hope it’ll be something special to you too," the singer shared on Instagram .  

To seal 2024 as the year of Sabrina Carpenter, the pocket-sized star announced her first North American arena tour, starting September 23 in Columbus, Ohio and wrapping up on November 18 in Inglewood, California.   

Learn more: Meet Amy Allen, The Hitmaking Singer/Songwriter Behind Sabrina Carpenter's "Please Please Please" & More Pop Gems  

Lainey Wilson — 'Whirlwind' (Aug. 23)

"Writing and recording these 14 songs over the past couple of years has helped me stay grounded in ways you’d never believe," said Lainey Wilson on Instagram about her new LP, Whirlwind . "This album brought me back to my roots and made me feel at home during times when I couldn’t have been further away and my biggest hope is that it gives you that same sense of comfort that it has for me."  

Following the 2022 GRAMMY-winning Bell Bottom Country , Wilson’s Whirlwind enlists producer Jay Joyce once again, but aims for a more organic sound by employing the singer’s touring band instead of studio musicians. Previously shared singles "Hang Tight Honey," "Country’s Cool Again, " and "4x4xU" feature on the tracklist , as well as a collaboration with Miranda Lambert on "Good Horses."  

Seizing the momentum, Wilson recently opened the Bell Bottoms Up bar in Nashville, and released a Hulu-exclusive documentary, Lainey Wilson: Bell Bottom Country . She is also amidst her North American tour, Country’s Cool Again.

Steve Cropper — ' Friendlytown ' (Aug. 23)

Time may be tight, but is also just a number to legendary guitarist Steve Cropper. Best known as a member of Stax house band Booker T. & The M.G.’s and as a guitarist for the Blues Brothers , he’s now 82 years old — but just getting started with his solo project, Steve Cropper & the Midnight Hour.

His 2021 solo debut album, Fire It Up, was nominated for a GRAMMY award in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category, and the upcoming Friendlytown aims to follow the same steps. "If your booty is not shaking in the first two bars of this album you’re already dead in a chair," said Cropper in a press statement. "I feel so good about this batch of songs. They’re packed with radio hooks, and we have Billy Gibbons , Brian May , and Tim Montana playing on the album — it’s like guitar heaven."

Single "Too Much Stress" with Brian May teases what’s to come in Friendlytown : 13 tracks of unbridled creativity and stirring melodies that bring back your faith in humanity. As Cropper said, "when I think about my legacy, I want it to be said that I was a nice guy."

Sofi Tukker — 'BREAD' (Aug. 23)

"Be really energetic and dance." That’s the acronym behind Sofi Tukker’s upcoming BREAD , but could also be their official slogan. The electronic duo formed by Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern bring joy and irreverence to their beats, mixing English with Portuguese, EDM with favela funk, fun with elegance. Now, they come forward with a brand new recipe for their third studio album.

"BREAD is pure energy," said Hawley-Weld in a press release. "Literally, carbs. That's exactly what we want our music to do. When you put on the album, we want it to give you energy." Halpern added, "We didn't know when we wrote the song ‘Bread’ that it was going to feel like a thesis statement for the album, and we didn't know that was going to be the name of the album initially, but as we were discussing, it became clearer and clearer that what we wanted to say to the world is: the world can be dark but it's also a really fun place."

To get a hint of the BREAD vibes, tune in to singles "Hey Homie," "Spiral," and the cheeky "Throw Some Ass." Then, catch Sofi Tukker live on their world tour starting September in Oceania, North America, and Europe.

Fontaines D.C. — 'Romance' (Aug. 23)

Following their acclaimed 2022 album Skinty Fia , Irish band Fontaines D.C. are gearing up to release their fourth LP, Romance . This is the post-punk ensemble’s first album under XL Recordings, and first album with producer James Ford, but it’s said to be their "most assured, inventive, and sonically adventurous" yet, according to a press release.  

"We’ve always had this sense of idealism and romance," said guitarist Conor Deegan of the upcoming record. "Each album gets further away from observing that through the lens of Ireland, as directly as [debut album] Dogrel . The second album [ A Hero’s Death ] is about that detachment, and the third [ Skinty Fia ] is about Irishness dislocated in the diaspora. Now we look to where and what else there is to be romantic about."

Romance ’s 11 tracks boast many inspirations — not all of them romantic per se. Frantic lead single " Starburster ," for example, was inspired by a panic attack that vocalist Grian Chatten suffered at London’s St. Pancras station. Aside from that, other references include the dystopian anime Akira , singer Shygirl , Prodigy , Sega Bodega, and more.

Fontaines D.C. will kick off a world tour starting September in the U.S. and Canada, and then head on to Europe and the UK throughout December.

Zedd — ' TELOS ' (Aug. 30)  

This month also marks the return of German DJ and producer Zedd, who will release his first LP in nearly a decade, TELOS . Described in a press release as a "profound listening experience," the album was crafted in hopes to create deep bonds with the audience. "I wanted everyone to be able to feel a deeper emotional connection, like how I felt listening to my favorite albums when I was growing up. It was the details, transitions and cohesiveness that made me want to create a truly meaningful body of work," said Zedd.

Lead single "Out Of Time" has been in the works since 2015, and is still one of Zedd’s favorite compositions. "I made an intro for my live show based on this chord progression, but was never able to finish it," he said. "Bea [Miller] was the missing piece of the puzzle; her voice added an emotional depth that completed the song. "Out Of Time" really encapsulates the DNA of the Telos album, which is why I chose it to be the song that introduces this new era."

Fans will be able to check out how this new era sounds live starting September, as Zedd just announced his TELOS North American tour. Starting in Los Angeles, he will play 18 shows throughout 10 cities, including Seattle, San Francisco, and Dallas.

A$AP Rocky — 'Don’t Be Dumb' (Aug. 30)

One of 2024’s most awaited releases, A$AP Rocky’s fourth LP, Don’t Be Dumb , will finally drop at the end of the month. It’s been six years since the New Yorker put out his last full effort, Testing , and several changes happened in his life since — including becoming a father to two sons with his partner, Rihanna .

In a 2023 interview for Dazed , Lord Flacko affirmed that the album feels like his "best work yet," and that he wants to "leave expectations wide and open. I don’t want to tell you what to expect. I just want people to experience it how they do naturally."

Don’t Be Dumb has been teased for a long time, and Rocky previewed three unreleased songs off it at his Rolling Loud performance in July 2023. It is also preceded by singles "S—in’ Me," "Same Problems?," and Pharrell Williams -produced "RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n )," although there’s no confirmation if they will end up on the final tracklist .

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• 2 From Dusty To Chappell: A Timeline Of Lesbian & Queer Girl Pop Icons
• 3 14 Pinoy Pop Acts You Should Know: G22, Maki, KAIA, ALAMAT, & More
• 4 On Her New Album 'Buzz,' NIKI Embraces Radical Acceptance & The Art Of Letting Go
• 5 13 Must-Hear Albums In August 2024: Sabrina Carpenter, Post Malone, A$AP Rocky & More