IS POP A GENRE? YOUR COMPLETE ANSWER

We’ve all heard the term ‘pop music’ before, but what does it actually mean? Does pop mean popular? If Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Lana Del Rey, James Maslow and Rihanna all fall under the pop umbrella, then what are the requirements? Is pop a genre? What kind of music is pop?

Discover the answer to these questions and more as we explore the world of pop music – from the history of pop to the various pop subgenres – below. Plus, we’ll fill you in about our extensive catalogue of pop background music.

• What is Pop Music?
• Is Pop a Genre?
• The History of Pop Music and Pop Music Origin
• What are the Subgenres of Pop?
• Art Pop Genre
• Bubblegum Pop Genre
• Anti-Pop Genre
• City Pop Genre
• Indie Pop Genre
• Pop Music for your Next Project

What Is Pop Music?

Fundamentally speaking, pop music is music that sells. And although the taste of the masses differs from generation to generation, there are key similarities between the songs that make it big in the charts and are subsequently categorised as pop songs.

Pop music is catchy, instantly likeable and easy on the ear. Customarily, it follows the classic verse-chorus structure we’re all very familiar with, features memorable lyrics that are constantly repeated and is usually around 3-4 minutes long. And more often than not, it features an upbeat rhythm that makes the listener want to dance.

Is Pop a Genre?

Yes, pop is a genre. Although it may seem as though no artist truly belongs under the pop umbrella, many well-known artists create pop music that adopts traits of the genres they root from. An artist’s shift to pop music usually occurs when they reach the apex of their career - just look at the trajectory of Abel Tesfaye, AKA The Weeknd.

Tesfaye was once a gritty R&B artist who released music on YouTube to help him express his emotions. His first three mixtapes – now known as The Trilogy – were filled with dark, moody and unpredictable songs that attracted a niche audience. Making music helped the artist through dark times, and his eerie, macabre beats and lyrics reminded others like him that they weren’t alone.

Now, Tesfaye – who’s in a much better place in his life and is reportedly worth $100 million – creates pop music sprinkled with R&B flavour (think Blinding Lights, I Feel It Coming and Save Your Tears). His new music is now so prevalent that he was picked to be this year’s halftime Super Bowl performer; if that isn’t a testament to his pop star status, we don’t know what is.

The History of Pop Music

The origin of pop music is rooted in the history of another genre: rock ‘n’ roll. After the post-war era of the 1940s passed by like a grey cloud, the sun finally came out – and so did the American teens. One of these teenagers was espoused by the music industry to create music for the masses – his name was Elvis Presley. Mr Presley’s career marked the beginning of ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll.

Radio stations played rock ‘n’ roll music for the youngsters living their best lives – it was the most popular music around. Soon, the culture caught on and countries across the world were engaging with the American genre. But during the 1960s, British Rock ‘n’ Roll became the next biggest thing. This is largely credited to the success of The Beatles.

During the 1960s, the terms pop music and rock music became ubiquitous. Each encapsulated a certain aspect of rock ‘n’ roll – it was as though the genre was suddenly split into two. Pop described the bright, effervescent and commercial music that was enjoyed by people of all ages and rock described the rock ‘n’ roll music with bona fide sensibility.

As soon as the 1970s hit, rock ‘n’ roll music became all but extinct in its original form and the two evolutions of the genre – pop and rock music – took over.

What Are the Subgenres of Pop?

Pop music often contains elements of other music genres – similar to Marvel films are often being inspired by other film genres but still under the superhero film label. Here we take you through some of the most intriguing pop subgenres.

Art Pop Genre

Art pop is considered the pop art of the music world, it blurs the lines between low and high culture to create music that’s both critically and commercially acclaimed. It's weighty, expressive and imbued with emotion.

Singers commonly associated with art pop include David Bowie, Kate Bush, Björk, Grimes and FKA Twigs. Bearing all of this in mind, we feel like it's safe to say the subgenre is led by the trailblazers of the industry.

Bubblegum Pop Genre

Bubblegum pop is everything art pop music isn’t: artificial, addictive and fun-loving. Always upbeat, bubblegum pop songs rely on the younger demographics to be sucked up into their catchy, infectious flows; often, this kind of music is created by one-hit wonders. Bubblegum pop songs of the 21st Century include Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen, Grace Kelly by MIKA and Friday by Rebecca Black.

Bubblegum pop is one of the purest forms of pop because it's incomparable to other genres – it purely exists to be catchy, popular and enjoyed by the masses.

Anti-Pop Genre

Anti-pop is the cool cousin of the pop family; it’s the popular music that doesn’t rely on gimmicks and structures, created by artists that refuse to be labelled pop stars. Usually, anti-pop music isn’t created for bars, nightclubs and festivals, it’s created for more personal settings – say your car or your home. It's music you can listen to on your own. Albums that have been dubbed anti-pop include Rihanna’s ANTI (we guess it makes sense), Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and Lily Allen’s Alright, Still.

City Pop Genre

Born in Japan during the 1970s, city pop carries urban and oriental idiosyncrasies that distinguish it from the other subgenres. It’s pop music redolent of city set animes, late-night drives and neo-retro technology; it’s the sound of a pink summer sunset. Commonly, city pop takes inspiration from other feel-good genres, including funk, disco, Latin, jazz, soft rock and Caribbean.

Thanks to the recent spike in interest in anime and the western world’s sudden obsession with Japanese culture as a whole, city pop is making waves once more. 70s popstar Mariya Takeuchi is commonly said to be the quintessential singer of the genre, and her songs such as Plastic Love, Once Again and September are trending.

Take a deep dive into the history of Japanese music in our comprehensive article.

K-Pop Genre

K-pop is pop music that comes from a specific location: South Korea. Many K-Pop artists are part of large groups, usually girl bands and boy bands, and their songs often feature a mix of English and Korean lyrics. Accordingly, they have a worldwide following.

K-Pop – inspired by the likes of jazz, hip hop, country, R&B and reggae – is currently hugely popular because it’s sprightly, cool and complements the world of social media. Plus, fans love the fact that K-pop performances are a visual feast that consist of awe-inspiring sets, sleek choreography and impressive vocals. Currently paving the way for a new era of K-Pop are two bands: Blackpink and BTS.

Latin Pop Genre

It’s easy to get one’s head around Latin Pop, all you need to know is that it adopts the foundations of Latin American music to create viral tracks that are streamed and purchased worldwide.

Latin American artists usually sing Latin pop in both (Spanish or Portuguese) and English, which makes the tracks more accessible for a foreign audience, and therefore more commercial. Additionally, the music follows the verse-chorus structure that western audiences are accustomed to and features a more upbeat rhythm that's typically associated with Latin culture. The most popular Latin pop artists in the world right now are J Balvin, Bad Bunny and Maluma.

Indie Pop Genre

Indie pop takes its cues from indie rock music and creates tracks that are suitable for mainstream audiences and radio stations. The term indie stands for independent which highlights the DIY element of the subgenre.

What does independent pop mean? Essentially, it means the music sounds raw and it doesn’t sound as though it’s been meddled with during post-production.

Artists commonly associated with the genre include Florence and the Machine, HAIM, Lana Del Rey and The 1975.

Electro Pop Genre

Electro pop, also known as synth-pop, is a subgenre of pop music inspired by electronic music and brimming with electronic sounds.

Commonly associated with the 1980s and early 2000s, electro pop floats in and out of the mainstream and is embraced by artists at different points in their careers. Everyone from Lady Gaga to The Human League to Billie Eilish has been labelled an ‘electro pop artist’ by the media, simply because a part of their discography relies on electronic beats and instruments.

Country Pop Genre

Speaking of Lady Gaga, the multi-award-winning singer-cum-actress has also tried her hand at another pop subgenre: country pop. Needless to say, country pop waters down country music to make it approachable and appealing to millions worldwide. This is evident when listening to Gaga’s album Joanne.

But Gaga isn’t the only artist fusing country music into her pop music. Country pop is also the best term to describe Taylor Swift’s Red and Miley Cyrus’ Younger Now. By embracing their country roots, each of these women has been able to produce popular albums and subsequently sell out arenas and produce capital for their record labels.

Europop Genre

Inspired by 20th Century Europe, Europop describes the camp, sickly-sweet, dance and trance category of pop music. Fittingly, it’s the kind of music we expect to hear each year at Eurovision.

According to Spotify’s official playlist, Europop is practically synonymous with cheesy music. Featured on the playlist are songs such as Aqua’s Barbie Girl, Atomic Kitten’s The Tide is High and Rednex’s Cotton Eye Joe.

Pop Music For Your Next Project

Now you’re equipped with everything you need to know about the genre, dive into our music catalogue, for pop and pop subgenres perfect for licensing.

If you’re looking for production music for your next project – whether that be a gaming podcast, a beauty vlog, a psychological thriller TV series or something completely different – then take a look at our tracks.