Usually, in pop music, with a new album comes a new sound. Taylor Swift and her fans came up with a term for it, calling each chapter an era. It takes a lot of individuality and creativity to reinvent oneself, and yet, some singers make it look easy. People say that artists, especially women, reinvent themselves as a way to not fall off. Among pop music fans, being recognized as versatile is highly regarded, and numerous artists prioritize maintaining freshness.
Beyonce
Beyonce is one of the biggest names in pop music. A modern-day legend, she needs no introduction. The singer has done it all by singing, dancing, and acting. She started in an R&B girl group, and when she went solo, she kept it up. She released her debut album in the same genre and went on to release more R&B albums. Her albums have always been personal, but 4 just hit all the spots.
However, things took a positive turn when she released her self-titled album with a more pop sound. However, her self-titled album took a positive turn and shaped the way she was perceived, as she crossed over from predominantly captivating a black (mainly gay) audience to captivating a more diverse audience, which made her the living legend she is today.
If there were lingering doubts about Beyonce’s diversity, then her three-act project could ease the minds of haters. Her album trilogy kicked off with the disco/house album, Renaissance, which she states is a love letter to the LGBTQ community. For the second act, she released her country album Cowbow Carter, which received a ton of backlash.
Ariana Grande
One of the best voices in pop music is Ariana Grande, but more than that, the Wicked actress is just as diverse. The mega pop star got her big break on the Nickelodeon hit series, Victorious, and her character also starred in the spin-off of Sam and Cat. She released Baby I, a soft pop ballad, and The Way, instantly cementing her presence in pop music. Her voice is her best instrument. She proved that with her soft pop ballads, but where her voice shone was when she dropped pop for a more urban R&B sound.
Thank You, Next is probably her most successful album commercially; her single 7 Rings interpolates the Christmas song Favorite Things. She sings over a trap beat and even delivers a trap verse. This wasn’t the only time she’s incorporated hip hop into her sound, doing so again on a track with her co-writer and best friend, Victoria Monet, for their song Monopoly. She released one of her best works with Positions, a more turned-down sound.
This album is completely R&B and showcases her raw talent and flexibility as she not only changed the sound but also the delivery of these songs, which leaned towards R&B. For her 7th album, she surprised fans by straying away from her signature sound again, going more of a dance vibe with her lead single, Yes, And? Ariana Grande has proven time and again that there is not a genre she can not ace, and it makes one wonder what her next album will sound like.
Doja Cat
Many argue about whether Doja Cat is a rapper or more of a singer, and who can blame them when all she does is reinvent herself? Doja is a modern-day genius. She produces her beats, writes her hits, is a great vocalist, a talented rapper, and one of the best performers and dancers of our time. And none of her albums sound alike. Many fans know her from her pop album, Hot Pink, a very playful album with surface-level rap. She focuses more on singing, songwriting, and visuals for this album. Her raps are there merely for decoration.
But this wasn’t Doja’s first album. In her first album, Amala, we are introduced to an authentic lyricist. It is in this album where one can truly hear how talented she is as an MC, but her second and third albums overlooked that. In the year 2021, Doja released her third studio album, Planet Her. We get a different kind of Doja, visually; she drew inspiration from all things alien and outer space. Sonically, we get a more R&B album.
Here she showcases her talents as an R&B starlet, cementing herself as one of the 21st century’s pop music’s best icons. But that came as a hit towards her as a rapper. Soon, critics claimed that Doja was not hip-hop enough and that she couldn’t be mentioned as a rapper. That’s when she released her fourth studio album, Scarlet, a more hip-hop album. She solely released this album to do two things;
The Diverse Scene In Pop Music
While there may be a perception of traditional pop as lacking diversity, modern pop has always embraced it. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop Music, is renowned as the most versatile artist ever, exploring a wide range of genres like reggae, blues, hip-hop, and gospel. Modern pop stars, especially those who take inspiration from him, like Bruno Mars and The Weeknd, are all walking down that path. Pop is, and will always be, that one genre that can easily take inspiration from others effortlessly. That’s why it’s called pop.
In Conclusion
Changes in genres and sounds are such fun concepts. Fans already know to expect something new, something refreshing, and it’s never dull in that fandom. Does it strip the artist of who they are if they genre-hop? Not necessarily. All the artists who do this tend to be songwriters. Their truth and authenticity remain in the words they’re sharing with the world. They switch up to portray a new point in their lives. Pop music stands out as one of the most sonically diverse genres thanks to artists who continually push boundaries and reinvent their sound.
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