One of the prevailing genres of music for over 70 years, home to some of the biggest artists, such as Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, NSYNC, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga, is making a resurgence in popularity, specifically those who are seemingly tapping into the nostalgic side of music. Pop music has continued to dominate the charts for its unique flare and modern twist but today's artists are drawing inspiration from prior hits to mend past & future together.
With Country, HipHop, and Punk music on the rise, Pop music seemed to be sitting in the back burner where music lovers hadn't paid much mind to the oversaturated genre and have even grown tired of artists seating themselves within the category. With the influx of massive artists steering the directionality of pop music, it became difficult for musicians to breakthrough as the real challenge wasn't necessarily to make good music but to stand out amongst the massive crowd of fellow musicians.
With the surge of pop music finding popularity in the early 2000s, more recent artists have drawn inspiration from this era of bubblegum pop, aesthetics, house & dance sounds, and free-spirited energy. Artists such as Tate McRae, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Kehlani, Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, Troye Sivan, Justin Timberlake, Conan Gray, and Lauv have sampled and even make symbolic references to those who've paved the way for pop artists today.
Camila Cabello's new album "XOXO,C" is home to the singles "I LUV IT" and "HE KNOWS", which is the epitome of pop music with its addictive tones, unserious lyricism, and its main source coming from dance music. Additionally, her single "B.O.A.T" sampled Pitbull's 2009 track "Hotel Room Service", one of the leading pop songs of the decade. Despite including tracks of which touch on heavier topics, such as heartbreak and emotional trauma, a majority of the album remains within the aura of early 2000s.
Financial Times | Ludovic Hunter-Tilney | Harley Weir
It's no secret that Charli XCX is bringing pop music back in 2024 with her new club-pop & electro-pop album "brat". The singer is known for her discography full of pop hits, such as "I Love It" and "Boom Clap", which dominated the charts and radio for their free-feeling energy and dance-based tones. Her new body of work continues her reign through bringing back the early 2000s rave scenes, bringing you on a rollercoaster of emotions but basing off of the exhilarating feeling of the pop music scene. Each song fully encapsulates recklessness, summertime freedom, and the energy within earlier albums from her career.
Singer, songwriter, actor, and producer, Troye Sivan has been making pop music his own with his new album "Something To Give Each Other", which celebrates the fluidity, expression, and unseriousness of pop music. The hits, "Rush" and "Got Me Started" focus on the dance scenes of the genre with a specific ode to the house scenes. The bold sound and eclectic rhythm brings a sense of elevation and an outer body experience, highlighting the genre's simplicity. The tracks within the album are focused on the old school club bangers sound, which relies primarily on the intense beat & energy whilst putting the lyrics on the back burner.
The talented, Lady Gaga has been an emblem of pop sensationalism since the early 2000s whilst embodying a conglomeration of some of the biggest pop stars to date, including Madonna, David Bowie, Prince, and Janet Jackson through her reliance on musical theatre, dance, camp aesthetics, and liberation. Her latest album, "Chromatica"celebrates these elements whilst remaining in the dance-pop realm, similar to her discography. The disco-backed tracks provided themes of freedom, which are in line with pop music at the time.
Buzzfeed News | Leyla Mohammed | Jeff Kravitz | Getty
Gaga's songs, "Rain On Me" featuring Ariana Grande and "Stupid Love" led the charge, bringing a sense of nostalgia to the industry upon its release. The singer relies heavily on catchy & rhythmic sounds within the Euro-pop era to tap into the new millennia. Although her album was released in 2020, it remains relevant today as the singer releases the accompanying movie, which provides a behind the scenes look at her widely successful tour, titled "Chromatica Ball".
Although pop music will continue to reign as one of the most prevalent genres of music, today's artists are finding themselves circling back to pop culture moments & qualities from the early 2000s music era and both longtime listeners and newcomers are here for it.
Comments