You aren’t deep for hating pop music. No, the pop genre is not a monotonous meaningless corporate music machine, and no you are not a better person just because you listen to The Talking Heads instead of Taylor Swift.
Pop as a genre is just a compilation of the most popular music at the time, meaning it’s an incredibly broad genre that includes a variety of musicians. However, up until recently, the Billboard Top 100 has been filled with repetitive bland pop. Before 2024, the Billboard Top 100 felt like a compilation of the same five artists who became famous in the 2010s and are still famous for doing the same thing repeatedly.
My claim is not that pop as a genre is entirely bland, it is more so that the pop genre has been inflated with a perpetual sound that most pop artists have not attempted to sever themselves from. I completely understand the basic reputation pop has accumulated over the years, as many popular artists have stopped trying to make art and have focused more on making money.
The infamous Taylor Swift, in my opinion, is one of the biggest perpetrators of the bland money grab as of late. I tuned into her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” which was unfortunately a major disappointment for me. Not only is it poorly constructed and ordered, but Swift released way too many songs simultaneously, making this album feel disingenuous compared to the rest of her discography.
I believe that Swift’s latest album is a prime example of what’s wrong with the current state of pop. To me, the songs on “The Tortured Poets Department” blend together, and it was difficult to differentiate which songs I was actually listening to, which, is exactly why I am so glad there is an influx of artists that are getting popular within the music scene and redefining what pop music can sound like.
Artists like Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Remi Wolf, each have their unique take on pop and a sound that is hard to replicate authentically. Since pop is such a broad genre that includes multiple different artists and sounds, it is frustrating to see people generalize it all as generic. There are just as many pop songs with deeper meanings and beautiful lyrics as there are indie songs that share the same content. Even on Swift’s discography, her releases of Folklore and Evermore served as beautiful sister albums.
Charli XCX’s resurgence as well as Roan’s rise to popularity gives me hope that their work will redefine the pop genre. As a femme lesbian, I am especially excited to see how Roan will elevate pop music, just as much as I am thrilled to have representation like her rise to fame within the pop industry. Roan has such a uniquely beautiful voice and the way she uses her music to express her emotions is so powerful and moving to me.
On top of that, Roan is bringing so much authenticity to her music and performances that I believe the current state of pop is lacking. I am ready to move on from the pop icons of yesteryear because let’s be honest, who is actually still listening to Katy Perry’s latest releases outside of perfume or Target ads?
