Recently, it’s been quite difficult to find exciting music news. There have been no defining social moments in music so far in 2018, except for the Grammys, which saw Kendrick Lamar robbed yet again in the Album of the Year category, and saw disappointing yields for Lorde’s Melodrama and SZA’s Ctrl. The new release radar has also been quite stale; it’s obvious that music fans are devoid of new music when weeks pass by and the only albums to touch the iTunes top 5 have been movie soundtracks (The Greatest Showman and Black Panther) and albums from early-mid 2017 (Imagine Dragons’ Evolve and Ed Sheeran’s Divide). It always seems like popular artists are afraid to release music early in the year; bigger sales figures come in the fall months preceding the holiday sales boom, while smaller artists likely to play multiple music festivals often release music in the spring, just before the festival season. Even with these factors considered, I still feel as if I’m in some desperate-for-a-new-release-limbo, and this cloudy northeast weather is doing nothing to help my mood. So, in the absence of exciting news on the horizon, I’ve decided to share my thoughts on a topic I think about constantly: pop music, more specifically, its gradual decline, its weakening image, and the disappearance of the female pop star. Then, I’ll give some recommendations on some of my favorite pop artists that I think deserve a wider audience.
We live during a pivotal moment in the world of music. For the first time in history, genres of R&B and hip-hop are dominating the music industry. A look at the Spotify streaming charts reveals the shocking disparity; throughout the last year, the top 10 has rarely been without the presence of 7 or 8 R&B/rap songs. While earlier in this decade, releases from pop stars like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry would cause conversation and chart domination for weeks, 2017 was horribly lacking in a lasting pop release. Albums from the top artists came and went, landing at #1 due to first week sales, but then tanked the following weeks in streaming and sales. Examples of this: Katy Perry’s Witness, Lady Gaga’s Joanne, Lana Del Rey’s Lust for Life. Even Lorde’s critically acclaimed Melodrama didn’t last, while the juggernaut sales of Taylor Swift failed to create a hit from Reputation. Even when a single from a pop artist did find radio success last year, it would often verge on feeling “overplayed” in a matter of a few weeks. Meanwhile, R&B/hip-hop artists like SZA, Kendrick, and Post Malone found lasting success, hovering in the top 10, largely without top 40 radio at their side. This is truly a remarkable time in music, where the radio is no longer dictating the music conversation, and music fans can use streaming platforms and social media to discover new artists.
While the emergence of R&B and hip-hop is quite exciting for a chart watcher like me, it is clear that a stigma is developing against the most mainstream, lowest common denominator pop artists, a stigma that harms quality pop newcomers. Let’s face it – some pop music just does not deserve its popularity. With lyric reading-levels approaching that of a second-grade student (according to a mic.com article), and enough Auto-Tune to raise a generation of people with trust issues, the average pop song often succumbs to a boring formula that results in a rather aggravating top 40 radio listening experience. Even some pop listeners don’t respect their devotion to the genre; when asking others about their music tastes, I’m often apologized to by people who listen to pop music. “Sorry, I really only listen to what’s on the radio.” There’s no problem with liking pop music! If you look hard enough, it is just as complex and diverse a genre as any other. So, here are some of my suggestions for artists that are keeping the pop genre alive by making interesting music that they love:
Pale Waves
This dreamy, alternative-pop music band just released their ALL THE THINGS I NEVER SAID EP and is perfect for fans of everything from The 1975 to Troye Sivan.
Elle Watson
One of my favorite new artists, Elle Watson releases dark, reflective, electronically-influenced pop anchored by a mesmerizing voice and stellar music videos. Although her social media presence is tiny and she has released only 5 songs, I am confident that she should become a prominent pop artist.
Eliza
Eliza enjoyed major success in mainstream pop in the UK at the beginning of this decade. She was one of my favorite artists back then, and, having disappeared for 4 years, resurfaced in 2017 by releasing a series of downbeat slow jams, revealing a new, R&B direction. Needless to say, I couldn’t be happier that she’s back on my playlists.
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