What a time to be young.

City-gobbling fires and devastating school shootings are regular occurrences and it’s accepted that this generation’s grandkids probably won’t inherit much in the way of a planet. But on the other hand… the possibilities! It’s never been so easy to have a voice. To make art and put it in front of other people.

That’s especially true in music. Teenagers have had a place in popular music virtually as long as it has existed—Elvis made his debut at 19; when the Beatles released their first album, half the band was in their teens; and the Jackson 5’s whole schtick was being outrageously gifted children. But not since the early 2000s days of boy bands and teen divas have kids figured so prominently into the pop landscape.

As Gen Z artists release their first official projects, they’re firmly putting their mark on the charts. The legally troubled 19-year-old rapper-crooner YNW Melly currently has two albums on the Billboard 200. Earlier this month, 18-year-old goofball Lil Pump’s Harvard Dropout debuted at number eight. At the moment, the top spot on the album chart belongs to recently 20 Juice WRLD’s Death Race for Love. And the artist best positioned to unseat Juice is the 17-year-old ukulele-playing goth songstress Billie Eilish, who will release her major label debut, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, on Friday (it’s already shattered the record for Apple Music “pre-adds”).

Streaming, of course, has brought upon a sea change in which the very notion of what a pop star is has been turned on its head—and kids have been at the forefront of the transition. Because this generation of young artists largely won their legions of fans through social media, they haven’t looked, sounded, or been received like past generations of young artists. Where the industry groomed yesterday’s teen superstars in the image it assumed other teens craved—oozing with sex appeal, impeccably choreographed, mostly white—social media rewards the kids who are the loudest, boldest, and brashest. Today’s teens are coming at pop with punk energy—face tattoos, neon hair, eccentric wardrobes—and ample artistic ambition.

And perhaps as a result—or just because they’re moving at a faster pace than the rest of us—they’re largely being taken seriously. Where teen pop has connoted something immature and superficial, the SoundCloud umbrella implies insurgent energy, amplified emotions, and angsty attitude. Colorful hair and face tattoos have become a meme of the up-and-coming generation, but one that’s not entirely unfavorable; these are markers of erratic behavior, yes, but also rebellious style and unwavering commitment (a face tattoo is an obstacle to non-musical opportunities).