Pop
Pop music, in popular and contemporary parlance, is a subgenre of popular music. Since the term spans many rock, hip hop, rhythm and blues (R&B), country, dance and operatic pop acts, it is reasonable to say that "pop music" is a loosely defined category. The term is also used in a derogatory manner by those who feel that pop acts lack any musically artistic meaning, or in lack of better terminology, represent a "betrayal" away from the traditional sound of either the act themselves or the specific genre to which the act belongs.
Characteristics as a subgenre
Pop music is generally described as very commercial friendly, marketable and memorable, with either vocals, lyrics, instruments, or a combination of all three creating catchy choruses or verses. Pop music is also known for its ability to attract listeners through its versatile sound since it pulls from a plethora of musical influences. It can be also fair to say that pop music is predominantly image driven, especially through the subject matter of the lyrics, live performances, music videos, and other forms of exposure which makes it favourable and unfavourable to whoever is the listener.In modern times (increasingly over the last half-century; most notably since the start of the 2000s), this genre's immense success as a commercial product has, ironically, led to even more commercialization within the music itself, with "artists" being drawn in by companies for their appearance, dancing ability and vocal competence; and being provided with an image, choreography, and most importantly complete songs by veterans working for the record company. Some notable examples include Swedish songwriter Max Martin's having crafted most hit songs by pop acts such as Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys, and the pop boy band O-Town having been created as an MTV show. This technique for creating music is massively effective commercially for several apparent reasons. It is adept at targeting specific demographics among young people, since songs are written with that purpose in mind by talented professionals, and images crafted similarly. Also, by sticking to a straightforward formula and format, it is able to produce a consistent, predictable, and marketable product. That ability is only aided, naturally, by the vastly reduced output of the artists preventing companies' dependency on their eccentricities and whims. On the other hand, that reduced role for the artist, especially in the creative area, has always drawn harsh criticism from music fans who are painfully aware of its lack of substance. A music production method completely opposite to that of pop music is that of indie music, where record labels are small, vastly dependent on their few artists, and run by young entrepreneurs rather than corporate veterans. Indie artists, in turn, are in no way image driven, not widely marketed (often because of the label's financial constraints), and are almost universally of organic origins rather than having been assembled by their label. Many new artists turn to small indie labels since their reduced marketability makes them an unpopular choice with major labels.
Sound and themes
Pop in whatever influence form that it takes is done with simpler songwriting and arrangement. It takes from numerous influences but generally the focus is on the predominance of a simple melody, which makes the songs memorable; stripped down rhythms, which attributes to the less complex songwriting and sound arrangement; and the combination of the states of the melody and the rhythm allows for harmony to actually be a driving force of the song, which makes it more pleasing to the listener's ear. Themes are definitely varied ranging from personal songs to vivacious party jams. However, the most common theme deals with the wide range of emotions stemming from physical or emotional love. Music videos and live performances are mainly for exposure purposes, thus artists usually have extravagant stage shows and antics such as choreographed dancing, which is usually common amongst female musicians.
History and success
Pop music is far too ambiguous and far too diverse to say that it has a real concrete history as to when it began or so to speak. It can be said, however, that pop music serves now as to what folk music did in the early 20th century, which was to appeal to wide audiences of listeners. It has continued to evolve in that role. Therefore, the evolution of pop music can be discussed. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, pop music served as an umbrella term to the music that got the most exposure rock 'n' roll, soul, and country amongst others. Yet, going into the 1970s when those three genres became more textured and deep in musical composition, the simpler forms of musicianship started to take the form of pop music as the subgenre. shape their sound instead of relying on actual instruments.In the 1990s, the advent of boy bands such as the Backstreet Boys and girl groups such as the Spice Girls solidified pop as its own subgenre. Many solo artists labeled as pop (at times incorrectly) continue the evolution of the subgenre as a whole through not only their music, but their popularity themselves.As for success, pop music's wide marketing and general massive appeal has made it exponentially successful in record sales, airplay, and ticket sales. It has been the case ever since its evolution began. The music can be also credited for spurring subcultures amongst subcultures by those who identify with the music and/or the artist in general. In addition, the same characteristics also allow for many new artists to enter the pop music realm.