GloRilla and Sexyy Red have just turned the nursing home into a rave. In their new music video for Jiggly Bow Bow, directed by Arrad, the two rappers trade their usual looks for grey hair, wrinkles, and walking frames in the retirement home, dancing and twerking. It might be fun watching older women behave with rebellious energy usually seen in youth. Bless!
Back in 2025, British artist Little Simz transformed into an elderly version of herself for the music video for Young, complete with white hair and a gold grill, who has absolutely no intention of slowing down. She visits the pub and the streets before taking up at a punk gig, giving the finger. She has no intention of growing out of it. Before them, Spice imagined her future self in 2085 Tea. Taking the role of a 102 year old version of herself. The idea came from reflecting on her past and wondering what she might be doing when she gets older.
So why are these female pop artists interested in playing their own grandmothers? Perhaps our fantasy is what life might look like once the pressure to look young has finally disappeared. I’m tempted to connect this new wave of elderly alter egos to the Coastal Grandma trend that took over TikTok in 2022 with a look inspired by Nancy Meyers movies. It was an aspirational vision of getting older where retirement meant having enough money and time, especially one where you saw yourself gardening instead of doomscrolling.
Here, there are no perfectly maintained gardens, expensive seaside properties, or leisurely lunches. This new grey granny trend is what happens when you stop caring about the Pinterest boards. Perhaps it is less about aspiring to a certain lifestyle and more about imagining the freedom that might come with age. For female pop artists, the relationship with ageing has never been straightforward. While male musicians can grow older without their relevance being questioned, women are still regularly confronted with conversations about their looks; even Dolly was still receiving questions up until her passing.
There is an element of camp in these video transformations as they get to explore an alter ego without taking themselves too seriously. Could this be another extension of body positivity? Embracing the very process of getting older? It might be too early to call it an age positivity movement, and while Western populations are aging, younger generations are increasingly uncertain about what their future looks like. Between the rising cost of living, the difficulty of saving for retirement, questions surrounding pension systems (I’m based in France, so you know this is a big issue for us), and the growing anxiety around climate change, the idea of reaching 80 or 90 feels like an abstract possibility than a given.
Perhaps women aren’t necessarily dreaming of getting old, but they are beginning to imagine what it might feel like to stop worrying about it. Having lived, made mistakes, survived heartbreak, and no longer seeking approval. And if Jiggly Bow Bow is any guide, the retirement home will be a lot more fun than anyone expected. I hope I make it there!
