In order to be fair to all of the pop music fans out there who didn't relate to the last rant about R&B princesses, I thought I'd bring up my favorite debate. Who's the real queen of pop? Do me a favor and don't read one section and then decide to go comment. Read it all first so your argument is well formed and I don't have to read you shitless.
I think what pisses me off the most is how much people are quickly to pass the proverbial crown around, reasoning that the only thing you need is a bunch of album sales, #1 hits or broken records. When Madonna was crowned the Queen of Pop, it wasn't just because she was the hottest artist out at the time. Her cultural impact was completely game-changing. She practically redefined pop culture as whole to being more about material happiness, sexual desire and controversy. Every single song, every single video, every single controversial moment in pop culture now is in some way, shape or form, inspired by Madonna. That's why she held the title. That's why many people still reverie her in such a way.
Today, with social media making everything so instant, fans of artist are quick to call their favorites the best. Even Billboard and Rolling Stone capitalize on this by constantly releasing articles about made-up broken records and blog posts about artists one-upping each other.
So let's discuss... aside from Madonna, who I feel will be the Queen until she retires or is dead and gone, who is the Queen of Pop?
In no particular order, I'll go through some artist I feel are constantly compared to each other in reference to their worthiness of the title.
First up, Britney. The argument can be made that Britney has been the most influential artist when it comes to restructuring and evolving with the Top 40 sound. Britney came out of the nineties besting all of her contemporaries by a long shot. Even with Christina close on her heels, she was just that. Always one step behind. With every album, Britney's sound evolved and with that so did every other artist who wanted to remain popular. With the Britney album, she, along with the Neptunes, popularized a more urban sound, filling pop music with heavy hitting bass and slippery rhythms. If you look at all of her gal-peers, they all slowly started to become more and more over-sexed, even to this day, to make sure they were showing a little bit more skin, being a little bit more provocative and causing a little bit more controversy. During In The Zone, Britney's "Toxic" gave the airwaves the first taste of electronic sound. Blackout's "Gimme More" was the first big name artist to bring the club sound out of the club. "Womanizer" and "3" only pushed the movement further and further... then of course, there's the whole dubstep thing that's taking over now. I'm not saying Britney created these sounds, but to deny her impact on US mainstream radio, is to choose to be ignorant. Britney was also once respected as a top performer, with the likes of legends like Michael Jackson and Madonna praising her and even requesting her presence in a high-profile performance.
The argument against Britney is her stability. Though Britney's managed to coast along as time went on, she didn't keep the same high-octane profile as Madonna. She became a pity party after her meltdown, with the world cheering for her. Her performances have become, "cool" or "pretty good," instead of "Oh my fucking GAWD did you see Britney perform at the this place?" Declining sales is expected of any artist. Everyone has to peak sometime... but when become satisfied with not being the best, you start to lose your edge. Britney's happy where she is and that will take her a long way, especially with her fan base... but it won't keep her around as long as Madonna has been around.
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Christina Aguilera, at one time, would have made a great argument... She has fantastic vocals, some of the best of this generation and her résumé is not something an employer would pass up on. Christina was always right there, ready to give her fans everything they wanted, while also being herself. She evolved a lot quicker than Britney as a person, but as an artist she was always two, three or four steps behind. That's how the world saw it anyways. Where she made an impressive leap with Back 2 Basics, not conforming to the hot sound of the moment, she almost killed her career by failing to catch up with Bionic. Plus Christina's always missed a mark by a little when it came to being controversial. She allowed the world to exclude her from the infamous 2003 VMA kiss. Her public meltdown was more of a weight watch then a public concern for her well being. People just didn't seem to care as much. I really have no idea why, but Christina has always seemed to lack the publics love and respect just a little more. Yeah, she definitely deserves it, but it's more evident now than ever that she just doesn't have it. Then again, she's only had one blip on the radar. We'll see with her next album how she holds up.
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If a Beyoncé fan hears you say she's not the Queen, you're risking a death sentence... but is their argument justified? If you think about it, Bey comes from the highest selling female group of all time. She evolved from that and continued pushing her brand to become one of the the most recognizable names in the history of the world. The best thing about her is that she never regresses. It's always progresses. She picks a task and she masters it and with each album it seems like she nails a different one. Her first album was pretty much a continuation of the sound she had made her own her entire professional career. The second, she slowly started to establish herself as an her own artist, in the aspect of a singer and a performer. The third album, she decided that she was going to make music that would dominate the digital world, and she did with every move, from YouTube to iTunes. Then with her last album, she wanted to do something that she could be proud of and call a classic album that was true to her musical roots... and she did. She refuses to take the back seat to anyone and skipped the whole "Queen of Pop" reference, having her industry peers call her the Michael Jackson of out generation.
I just disagree with that a tiny bit. Michael Jackson was an innovator. Beyoncé really hasn't really done anything that will go down in history as the first ever, except establish a budget and stick to it. I've always seen her as more of a Prince. She's always going to be respected more for her art than anything, and I'm sure she sees it the same way and is happy about it. She doesn't really have controversy. She's never really lead any musical movement, though I'd be stupid to ignore that even though she doesn't, when a trend comes around she masters it better than the originators. There's just something that's not really organic about Beyoncé. Maybe it's the fact that she's getting sued at every turn... I don't know, but I think because of her versatility and evolving skills as a singer, songwriter, producer, whatever, it's more fitting to conclude that she'll go down in history as a pop queen, but not THE Queen of Pop. I almost want to say that she is overqualified for that title because her career isn't based on some of the material things the crown is.
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Lady Gaga. Hmm. I love Gaga. Her impact over a few short years is really impressive. She really has seemed to get a great grasp on how the industry works. That's all there is too it, really...
...the issue is; "That's all there is too it, really..." She hasn't been around long enough to see where her impact lands her. We don't know if she'll peak with Born This Way. We don't know if she'll continue to conquer the globe. We don't know if she'll overdose on cocaine and be dead tomorrow. Right now, Gaga is more so a gimmick than anything. When you hear people talk about Lady Gaga, it's more about an outfit she wore than how her music is changing the world. I feel like to be called the queen, you have to have a balanced impact on pop culture and on music itself.
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Rihanna, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, [Insert other digital era it-girls here].
No. Just no. I won't argue for them. I just can't. Each of them has done great things, but in the digital era, each of them can be replaced by the next pretty smile with a generic voice. I had mad respect for each one of these ladies because in one way or another, they've all led the digital era... but they're all stats. Their cultural impacts are limited to numbers.
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There are others who have had great impacts, like Mariah, Kelly Clarkson, etc... but I don't feel like they've ever been in the running for this title. Maybe another title...
Alright, go ahead, let the arguments begin in the comment section... but let's be logical about this. Let's not come in here and start spewing bullshit about RIAA certifications, Grammy's and other accolades. I want to hear about cultural impact. Longevity. Industry respect. Influence. Who do you guys think, ASIDE FROM MADONNA, is the queen of pop.
Britney Spears
ReplyDeleteGood job. You single-handedly made the Britney fans look like retards.
ReplyDeleteAgreed 100%. Of all these divas, Britney Spears is worthy of the title. She's the only one that has shown true stable relevance but if she wants to quit the sympathy card she needs to step it up once again. It bothers me when people say she has nothing to prove and she doesn't have to do this, etc. she sure as hell does. Her music is fierce, her image is getting better, now she needs to work hard as fuck on this next era to show everyone why she is the new queen of pop
ReplyDeleteGreat point.
ReplyDeleteNobody can beat Britney in cultural impact. She's the Queen of Cultural Impact since 1998. Her videos. The snake. The kiss. The meltdown. The comeback. Can someone deny her cultural impact?
ReplyDeleteI feel as if you didn't give GaGa enough of an argument, its silly how you disregard her social and cultural impact on music and saying people talk about what she's wearing more than her music or her, herself. Her social impact on music influenced this whole trend of 'self-help songs', not saying she started it, but she definitely brought it to the front-line. 'The Fame' changed music it-self, it aswell brought the whole electro-pop genre to the front-line aswell.She is innovative and with every album changes the music scene either a little bit, or drastically. It seems as if it would be hard for you to argue for other artists when this site and blog are very Britney stan based. I don't think you gave a GaGa a fair shake, due to your inability to be purely impartial.
ReplyDeleteBritney!!, great article!
ReplyDeleteBritney's 'comebacks' come with every album; 'Womanizer' was her comeback; 'HIAM' was her comeback, it seems after each undeniably great album she seems to fade into obscurity, she is not able to sustain.
ReplyDeleteWith Britney in music industry everything was changed... since she came out every record company was looking for the next britney She's The best selling female artist since 1999 and the younger and if we talk about her performances nobody comes close to her vma's performances live concerts and even the femme fatale era all the new girls tried too hard to be the next big thing but only Britney has Beauty Dance Voice (Well in the studio sounds amazing) I mean Britney was and still is the Whole Package ... Gaga Rihanna Perry Xtina all of them are really good but only in one thing they're not good in everything
ReplyDeleteI would say Beyonce based on her as an artist OVERALL and what she has done and accomplished with her career but as you said, she's too overqualified for just a "Queen of Pop" title. Beyonce stans have every right to call her the Queen especially when it comes to Beyonce performing. She doesn't need the stage theatrics or anything shocking to command a presence on a stage. She simply puts on a show with her voice and dancing. What is also to be noted is how 4 spawned NO hits and still manage to see over 1 million albums in the U.S. Not everyone can do that with a number 1 hit. Beyonce is aiming for something greater though and I believe she will surly attain that goal.
ReplyDeleteThe Fame is nothing but a really good Blackout Inspiration!
ReplyDelete@Doll777... I'm failing to see how The Fame changed music itself. Can you elaborate? What did the Fame bring that wasn't already there? What envelope did she push during that era musically?
ReplyDeleteI'll wait.
Plus, my job, as a journalist, is to be as impartial and fair as possible... I've taken classes on pop culture, written for MTV, E! amongst other thing. One thing you'll find in from every writer, journalist, blogger, whatever, is that if you don't add your own opinion and taste into the mix, then everything becomes black and white and boring. Yes, Britney is my favorite pop artist and it is very difficult to be 100% fair to other artists, but that's why I'm not the only blogger here. That's also what makes this MartianLeaks and not ThatGrapeJuice, who is partial to Beyonce... or TheProphetBlog who is partial to several less-popular pop acts...
Also, you have to take into consideration the ability to write songs for your album *cough* Femme Fatale *cough*
ReplyDelete@Travis, I think you misinterpreted the meaning of that comment.
ReplyDeleteYou're giving her a lot based on performing and music alone, but pop culture is about much more than just those things...
@Doll777 .... you act like Gaga's really writing music that is deep and profound. No pop star really is. If you wanna talk about writing songs that aren't just ooohs and aaahhs... let's talk Regina Spektor or Inara George. Prince. Even Common or Lupe Faisco.
ReplyDeleteThe Fame didn't bring things that weren't there, it made them more apparent, she made music what it is today, she brought house and electro to the mainstream, and everyone began doing it afterwards. She is undeniably the performer of the noughties every performance brings something new, more theatrical than the last, he videos are flawless and able to top each-other. She is the guide of music and all the other artist follow the path that she sets for them, britney is one of those.
ReplyDelete100% Queeney
ReplyDeleteMusic does not have to be deep and profound, but it does need to have a considerable enough message in it, otherwise it's worthless and generic. Every one of her songs bears a message.
ReplyDeleteYou're nutz and stanning. Take a step back and look at the landscape of pop music... start at about 1995 and work your way to 2012. Look at the changes in sound, when they happened and who was hot at the time. There's barely any house on The Fame. Do you even know what house music is? She has some electro on there, but that's started back in 2006 and blew up in 07.
ReplyDeleteGaga's cultural impact...
ReplyDelete?
I hate that people even consider Gaga. I love Gags, and sure, she has had a huge cultural impact; however, the term "queen" implies experience, something Gaga lacks a whole lot of in terms of longevity and resilience to public tire. Britney has shaped pop music into what it is today, she still puts out top 10 hits and no 1 albums, 5 year olds know who she is, it's blatant that the title belongs to Britney. Her entire career can be defined and described by pop cultural and iconic milestones and markers. She regained her position as America's sweetheart (Taylor Swift is close but Britney has a special, nostalgic place in everyone's hearts.) When ever the topic of pop music arises, people are quick to deem Britney and her music the epitome of pop music as she's what first comes to mind. Gaga might get there one day but for the time being, Britney Spears is not only THE queen of pop, but an iconic pop music legend, as well. Living legend, you can look but don't touch.
ReplyDeleteHow someone interprets music is completely up to them. You can't judge lyrics for everyone based on your own opinion. Just because every Gaga song "bears a message," doesn't mean everyone is going to understand it. Just because you don't think Britney's songs have meaning, doesn't mean it's not changing someone else's life.
ReplyDeleteI want everyone to hear ...Baby One More Time right now. Nobody can beat this.
ReplyDeleteBRITNEY SPEARS! Today she is a pop culture legend that still continues to bring out successful music and videos. She is also an inspirational figure towards troubled people and victims due to her highly publicised comeback story and long journey of never ending ups and downs. If you're talking about the 21st century, the entire thousands, then Britney is without a doubt the Queen of Pop with the success and legacy to prove it!!! :)
ReplyDeleteNone if these artists should even be mentioned for the title of Queen of Pop more like Princess of Pop. If I had to choose it would be Britney Spears though. The only people who should even be mentioned for the Queen of pop title are Madonna, Janet, Mariah and Whitney. Living legends. Cultural icons.
ReplyDeleteSo you don't think Britney and Beyonce are leading up to having the same cultural impact as Mariah and Janet at least?
ReplyDeleteBritney Spears, for me PERSONALLY, fits in the category with Rihanna, Katy, and nem. All of her recent nods have come from digital sales and things. She originally was headed for the Queen title...but since her mental madness she has become one of the lessor girls. People don't want to stan for anybody associated with Kevin Federline.
ReplyDeleteChristina, a Queen? Not in America. The last album was a HIT on current trends in pop (although some say she oversang). But,once she disgraced our national anthem and gained all that weight at the pity party over her divorce... Americans just aren't here for her anymore. Then she had the nerve to say 'fuck what we think about her' at that press conference?! HA! I'm not giving my money to some fat celebrity who can't find a weight loss endorsement and every company known to man has them on sale.
Lady Gaga hasn't been around long enough to be Queen of anything. I'll give her heir to the throne. If the next is a hit then we'll revisit this topic.
Beyonce: Anything I say will be biased since I'm a stan. But, you did say she was good at E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. Maybe that's a sign?
When I think about a Queen or a King of any music genre, my mind always navigates to who get's receives standing ovations? Madonna, Beyonce, and Christina Aguilera. These three woman are highly respected by their peers, music executives, and even non-fans.
ReplyDeleteMy aunt can't stand Madonna, and has always been vocal about it. After my aunt finishes her yearly Thanksgiving rant about Madonna having a weak singing voice, she immediately follows up with, "but she is certainly one of the most important singers, ever."
I think almost all my friends minus one or two 'hate' Beyonce, yet they never deny her talents, and when I force them to watch concert footage they become mesmerized. Beyonce is an artist of her own destiny much like Madonna. You know when you hear a song or watch a video of Beyonce, it's very much Beyonce's vision. She is the master of her craft, and that earns respect whether you like her or not. She is an international superstar, all the while maintaining a very private personal life. She is a number 1 selling artist despite personal controversy, in an age of time where scandals = record sales.
Christina Aguilera has arguably the best voice of the century. Nobody denies Aguilera's voice. In my opinion? She tries too hard. It's as if she consciously picks what her next era is going to be, and the imagery to follow seems very forced versus an authentic growth as an artist. She lacks star power.
Britney. Let me start by saying I am a Spears' fanatic. I own over 400 Spears' tracks dating from the very beginning of her career when I fell in love with her at age 9, to the very rare and unrelased tracks throughout her career. Her music takes me somewhere no other artist's is able to. However, there is nothing genuine, authentic, or artistic about Britney Spears anymore. It's been this way since the conservatorship was placed over her; her team has forced her back into her bubblegum wrapping, ensuring that she always smiles, and gives public relations approved answers. Britney once had an edge, that has long disappeared. "Blackout" had an artistic flare that was unique, and showed promise and growth as an artist. Then came "Circus", and even worse "Femme Fatale". Albums I both enjoy and rock out to as a fan, but were artistically regressive. Spears' once has promise to be the queen, but it appears that she has become a stage pony. I can't unbiasely give her the title, when she has become a passionless lackluster star, that hasn't shown happiness in her eyes since "In the Zone." Her impact on pop culture is remarkable. She is a household name & the prototype of up and coming pop stars, but I can't crown somebody who I believe doesn't want to be doing what she is doing.
Sorry Martian Leaks, but I can't crown anyone aside from Madonna as the queen. Just like Micheal Jackson will always be the King of Pop, and Elvis Presley will always be the King of Rock N' Roll.
The last two comments I disagree with about 100%
ReplyDelete@martianleaks What is it that you disagree with? And, if you have to pick a Queen of Pop aside from Madonna who do you pick?
ReplyDeleteBritney Spears - Queen Of Pop
ReplyDeleteMadonna - Goddess Of Pop
im a britney stan, and i will love her til i'm dead, but i admit,
ReplyDeletethe QUEEN of pop should be madonna. i mean, IS.
i only know most of madonna because of britney, but just because madonna isn't the biggest most popular right now, doesn't erase her past. she is the first. most has to do w/ her age and time she came out, and no that's not shade.
britney is second to her, but that's pretty good. since she's been around since 98'.
so as a true britney stan, i feeel confident in saying that. i think britney would agree (:
This blog is warped. You say you aren't biased, but everytime someone chooses somebody that isn't Britney, you shoot them down in the comments.
ReplyDeleteJournalist or not, you're incredibly biased, mis-informed and aren't looking at it from every angle....just Britney tinted glasses
^ You're ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!! This Britards blog huh..
ReplyDeleteBritney is already Iconic, but more like a Princess not a Queen. Beyonce is no MJ, there will only be 1 MJ but she is without a doubt the best performer since MJ. GaGa, has been in the industry for 3 years and accomplish a lot, its impressive. I honestly don't know who is Queen of Pop. I'm Beyonce stan but I honestly don't think she is but she's a contender for sure. I'm not even a fan of Madge but she is the Queen, no one has outdo her accomplishments so far...
ReplyDelete@ Ash - Y'all act like I didn't shoot Britney down the same way. Of course I'm going to be partial to her... but let's not ignore the fact that everything stated is based of events that actually happened. Not just my opinion... so before you go complaining about this point be a little bit more positive for Britney than anyone else, take a look at the past 15 years of pop culture and tell me who's had a bigger impact than her? Seriously.
ReplyDeletePeople today don't understand the difference between having an opinion, stanning and being logical. There's actually a way to do all three. Just because you don't agree with something doesn't mean you have to try and shoot down the messenger. Disagree, say your peace and if you feel up to it, defend it. Otherwise, hardly anyone's really argued against what I said. Most people just quickly jump to say I'm too soft on Britney. What am I saying that's not true then?
@badlildude - I started disagreeing with your comment when you said Christina is one of the most respected artists in the industry. I've heard more producers, writers and even artists bad mouth her than any other singer ever.
ReplyDeleteNot to beat a dead horse, but I wanted to add something to my previous post that martianleaks disagreed with about 100%.
ReplyDeleteBritney has not done anything iconic and/or memorable in the past 5 years that has influenced pop culture in any profound way. Yes, she is has broken records and has had many more number one's but you are asking about cultural impact.
If we look at her career as a whole, Spears' has had an enormous influence on pop culture. Spears' is credited as the leader of the 90's teen pop music explosion, and is still an upcoming pop star prototype. The imagery of her music videos & live performances have influenced the likes of The Pussycat Dolls (the entire "Buttons" video is practically an tribute to Spears'), Beyonce (famously, wore a trench coat & emerged from the ceiling in her 2006 VMA preformence à la Spears' 2003 AMA performance) Lady Gaga (google lady gaga copies Britney) Miley Cyrus (the video for "Who Owns My Heart" is a merge of Spears' "Womanizer" & "My Prerogative") and, Heidi Montag (I'm not going there).
Aside from her influence on other artists, she has made many memorable moments in pop culture history. If we were to make a montage of the most memorable pop culture moments of the 2000's Spears' face would show multiple times. The Rolling Stones cover, the strip tease, the snake, the kiss, the head shaving, and '07 VMA performance.
And here's my point ... her mega influence over the pop cultural world ended in '08. She has not done anything groundbreaking, shocking, cutting edge, or controversial. There has been nothing in her recent videos or tour that we haven't seen her do before. She has been unable to reinvent herself in the way Madonna has always done.
And for me personally, to be crowned a queen you always have something to prove. You can't be complacent, you have to always strive for excellence. Spears' relies on her mega fan base, and for me that's not enough.
Just yesterday at work I was watching the "Till the World Ends" music video with my patients. A 20 something old male nurse walked in and asked, "Britney Spears is still around and making videos?" I'm sorry, but Spears' has lost some of her relevance as modern day pop star.
So, over the span of her career Spears' maybe the closest in royalty to Madonna. Current day Spears' falls somewhere short of the title.
@martianleaks: I agree with that. I have read/heard many things about Aguilera being a difficult diva. However, she is a respected talent regardless of her antics.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll simply disagree with that by saying that Britney has done everything in the past 5 years that she missed out on in the first part of career... including becoming more commercially accepted and praised on radio. She's broken a lot more records and sustained a lot of the ones she had already broken before. Plus, as trends in pop culture change there is more to do... Britney was the original Queen of Twitter and Google plus. She's done a pretty good job dominating social media. I think a lot of what she's done as of late is a lot more stats oriented...
ReplyDeleteYet, you cite Christina over her... Christina has had absolutely no impact on culture in the past few years except bashing Lady Gaga... and we see where that got her.
Yes, you are correct that she is the Queen of Twitter and Google plus. Is she the person behind her tweets? Does Spears' herself update her Facebook? Does Spears' genuinely want to share private photos of her children with the world? Or is it some clever PR person? It's questionable. Unfortunately, those are elements I feel necessary to factor in, whether others agree with it or not.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I never cited Aguilera over Spears. I stated Aguilera has one of the best voices in the industry, which is undeniable. Yes, I stated Aguilera is a respected talent, regardless of the bad things people have to say about her. What I also said was she lacks star power, and her 'eras' seem forced.
... and I know a lot of what we see from public figures is contrived by some PR person.
ReplyDeleteWe continue to disagree, even though we both agree that Spears' is the closest thing we have to a "Queen." Disagreeing is fine, and what makes the world go round. I love a decent debate.
Britney Spears is the artist with the most cultural presence and impact of the 10 + years. Her music has always been pop and commercial, yet everytime she's begun a new era the music has surely evolved to include relatively underground & international sounds and making them mainstream and the norm.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why Britney peaks peoples interest not only musically but also in a sense intellectually and culturally, is that she's a bit of an anomoly. Unlike Madonna, Xtina, Beyonce, Jlo, Gaga; definining who Britney is or what she stands for is as difficult as understanding how Cassie landed record deal. Nobody really knows Britney, we know the teenage cute girl next door that was sold, the not-yet-a-woman-still-growing up sex bomb that was sold, the popstar that fell from grace, but nobody really knows what Britney Spears really is or stands for. MTV said it best, she's probably the only star who can debut at #1 w/o any planned promo while also somewhat being contradictory to the image & marketing planned out for her (just look at HIAM debut; she essentially recorded and released the single, and sat down w/ a bag of cheetos and tweeted a few sentences every now and then). She's also the only star who turned 30 and had every major media outlet cover her birthday with articles, contest, compilations, interviews, etc. etc. When xtina, bey, jlo, mariah, whoever else turned 30 they got the standard mention, but no fanfare.
However at the rate Britney is going, she might go down as the tragic queen of pop, since she seems to be unable and unwilling to try to push herself and her art further. I've worked with some of her choreographers, who have even said that she's so hit or miss in person, that you just don't know how to deal w/ her.
Originally I was team xtina when her & Britney first came out, but contradictory to what Xtina says, she never seemed to really quite know what to do with her amazing voice. Unlike Beyonce & Madonna (who seem to make huge leaps in image and music w/ albums), Xtina went from pop, to dirty, to R&B, to Blues, to dance/electronica, _____ (insert blank style), yet nothign ever seemed natural or progressive. Unlike Britney always made u believe every line, note, moan, giggle, yawn, etc. whereas Christina just always seemed to be searching. Nobody really buys into somebody who isn't really a consistent artists, especially one who is known to boast and be rude to other artist, producers, etc.
Bey is Bey. She's one of the hardest working artist and performers, who refuses to not master something. She truly is the definition of a diva, as soon as she hits the stage, nothing else matters. It's admirable, but it's almost too perfect. Sheseems to lack the naturalness that MJ had when he performed. Or the complete look of release and passion Britney had when she used to dance in her earlier years (example: Oops VMA performance). Almost everything that I've seen Bey do, especially since bday, seems incredibly methodical and perfected, which is what really prevents some people from really connecting with her. It also doesnt help that most of her body work seems to be inspired or remixed (usually in a far superior version than the original).
I can't really comment on Gaga. Gaga is tied to her image not to her music. The music is secondary. She has yet to made a song that is as iconic and distinctive as Toxic, Crazy In Love, or even Dirrty. Though its commercial and popular, her musical impact is still TBD.
Katy, Rihanna, Kesha make really fun, enjoyable, and sometimes touching music; yet they aren't really performers. The music is fun, but I doubt anybody is going to care about any of it in 5 years.
Really, Britney is the closest thing to Madonna; but in a should've, could've, but didn't sort of way
I agree with everything you said, except I honestly think that Brit will be around and have more impact than Madonna (remember, Brit started when she was 16 and is still 30) once her conservatorship ends, she will continue slaying as she did in 2011. Was Madge as relevant as Brit was 13 years into her career? (assuming her "career" started with her SUCCESSFUL albums in late 80s)
ReplyDeletewhat about janet
ReplyDeleteIf this is Queen of Pop Globally, It is Madonna hands down. I have never been a huge Madonna fan but I do acknowledge she is a mega Pop Goddess Icon. The other artist I would have to think about as in the running as the Princess of Global Pop is Kylie Minogue. She is entering her 25th year in the Music Industry and has made a huge name for herself in all countries except in America. Kylie is genius at reinventing herself to fit the modern area and has produced hit after hit in Europe, Asia, South and Latin America, and Australia since the late 80s. If I was to make a list i'd have to put Madonna at #1 followed by Kylie, Britney, Mariah and other artists I am sure that deserve recognition, but you have to have been in the industry at least a decade to prove that you have consistency before you can be considered revolutionary in my opinion. Gaga will join the list after her career is over because she is already having a huge impact on music today and there are no signs of her slowing down.
ReplyDeleteThe long comment about four posts above... great post! *claps*
ReplyDeleteBritney has had the biggest cultural impact of them all but she's slowing down a bit on it and she feels like she doesn't need to prove herself anymore. At least that's how I see it. Only if Britney were showing more aptitudes of leadership and use her HUGE team to come up with crazy/new concepts that can change the scene she would be to kill Magde by 2020 or a few years before. I always think that if she hadn't had that mind breakdown during Blackout that era would've been her biggest because that album is stunning. If I'm not wrong, I think it's her most acclaimed album.
ReplyDeleteBey is amazing and the most talented out of the pack but she hasn't done anything that's GROUNDBREAKING, something that changes the scene because she's not trying to do it. You know she's giving you her all, but you know she's not fighting for any pop culture tittle . She's genuinely doing everything she loves to do and it's the best performer of this generation. Also, Bey is the most respected and acclaimed but it still feels like it's not enough for her to 'cause that HUGE QoP impact. Performance impact level, Bey is also the best we have these years.
Gaga, you can't say that these aren't the Years of Gaga when it comes to her impact, but it's only been 3 years and her real mark is yet to be seen. Gaga's biggest problem is that she wants to be a lot of things at the same time and she uses a lot of her energy on that: music, fashion, activism, etc etc etc... And when you do many things at the same time you will have problems with a few of them. Her music so far has not suffered any mayor problems, she´s released 3 brilliant pop albums; her fashion is becoming the only thing people might remind her for; her public appeal is based around an ever-changing image that many people don't get and ultimately give up one her, her music and her credibility. Gaga's biggest problem is that she takes herself way too seriously, I mean, it's great to love yourself and have a high self esteem and high appreciation for what you do, but when she describes her work she does it in a way Picasso would describe his paintings. She needs to know that most people don't see her as "the ultimate credible artist in years", most people see her as a pop star. Gaga has a lot of talent and a lot of passion, but she needs to balance everything. Imagine that if instead of 55% Fashion + 45% Music, we'd be getting 30% Fashion + 70% Music; her music would be even better. I see Monsters saying she needs an acoustic album, rock etc... It'd be good, but she needs to evolve gradually, she took a big risk with this album and she's currently (at least commercially) suffering the outcomes. I still feel her impact is still intact but she needs to keep it alive smartly, omnipresent (through the years, like Madonna) and not releasing a single every two months and an album per year (because I feel she's about to go that way). I honestly feel Gaga makes better music if the topic she writes about has been very significant to her, songs like The Edge Of Glory, You and I, Speechless, etc. prove that. IMO, she's a QoP in the making but it feels like she's striving for something bigger than that,but ultimately if she doesn't balance herself, she'll be stepping back on big-foot-sized strides.
out of all of these i love gaga the most and gaga has made a huge impact but like chris said shes only been around for like 4 years and dont know whats gonna happen to her in like 5 seconds or 5 years, she is everything everyone loves about pop now but out of al lthe gurls britney is the queen of pop she always knows whats coming and does it before everyone she has always remained relevant even when she dont know and she has always had her pop classics and everyone knows britney and you either hate her or love her but no doubt you love her music no one can doubt that
ReplyDelete@martian leaks
ReplyDeleteYou're too biased to pick a queen of pop. So just shut up and admit it. Also you are not a journalist. What you wrote above is not journalism. What you wrote is a whole bunch of biased shitty opinions, I just don't see how you think you have the power to crown anyone. Flabbergasted by the stupidity of this article.