Katy Perry was the definition of pop music in the 2010s. Her third studio album Teenage Dream was released on August 24, 2010, through capitol records. A pop album with hints of disco and electronic sounds. Teenage Dream featured singles like “California Girls”, “Teenage Dream”, “Firework”, “E.T.”, and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)”. This was the second album in history to produce five number-one singles. The first artist to achieve this was Michael Jackson’s 1987 album Bad. Making Katy Perry the second artist to achieve the honor and the first woman.
Fast forward more than a decade later and pop music is no longer dominating the charts. Other pop icons of the same generation as Katy Perry have shifted careers. Lady Gaga changed her music to a more mature sound by collaborating with Tony Bennett. Gaga dove into acting by starring in American Horror Story Hotel, A Star Is Born (2018), and House of Gucci (2021). Rhianna released her last album in 2016 and focused on building a fashion and makeup empire with Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty.
Other pop artists from the same era had to rebrand their music careers in order to stay relevant. Miley Cyrus rebranded from a pop sound to now a rock genre with her 2020 album Plastic Hearts. Over the last decade, Taylor Swift has transitioned from country to pop to now an alternative rock and indie-folk sound with her 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore. Ariana Grande is one of the modern pop stars to remain relevant in the pop music scene. But even Ariana had to change her sound with some elements of r&b and trap to stay on the charts. Scoring her first two number 1 hit songs with “Thank U Next” and “7 Rings” back in 2019.
Did we all collectively decide to cancel pop music? Or did we just outgrew pop music and dove into other sounds?
The genre has evolved into separate sub-genres with elements of rock, indie, and disco. When you look at the top charts today it is dominated by modern pop artists like Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo. Dua Lipa offers a fresh pop-disco and house sound that is easier to dance to. While pop-duo Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas managed to make mellow and depressive lyrics into electro and indie pop hit songs. New pop-star Olivia Rodrigo’s music is technically considered pop but it was some elements of rock and indie pop similar to Eilish.
In my opinion pop music isn’t dead but simply rebranded to appeal to gen-z. History always repeats itself even in music so traditional pop music will be back one day. Unfortunately, pop artists like Katy Perry are considered flops now due to misogyny and the death of bubblegum pop. She will continue to be the blueprint for current and future pop stars making Katy Perry a pop icon.