Artists gradually transitioning to pop genre

May 22, 2014 — by Shazia Gupta and Sweeya Raj

The band OneRepublic, whose original genre was rock, made songs such as “All We Are” and “Apologize.”  Lately, they have started to transition into pop music, as shown in their latest album “Native” with songs like “Counting Stars” and “If I Lose Myself.” Fans who once appreciated One Republic’s original rock style are disappointed by their newer, more mainstream pop music.        

The band OneRepublic, whose original genre was rock, made songs such as “All We Are” and “Apologize.”  Lately, they have started to transition into pop music, as shown in their latest album “Native” with songs like “Counting Stars” and “If I Lose Myself.” Fans who once appreciated One Republic’s original rock style are disappointed by their newer, more mainstream pop music.              
As a result, this new transformation of producing pop songs has made the OneRepublic more popular and well-known. On the other hand, the band has clearly changed its sound, losing its uniqueness and many old fans. This can hurt the band’s reputation because it reveals that their motivations and goals are more centered around making money rather than producing music purely because they love to do it. 
Musicians today continue succumb to the fleeting pop industry that at first seems exciting and promising, but then changes the artists’ sound and appearance completely.
Recently, more and more music artists, such as Kanye West and Katy Perry, are altering their music styles to fit the stereotypical pop genre that defines mainstream music today. These upbeat, electric songs, like Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse,” have catchy choruses that are often repeated throughout the song, but the lyrics in general do not have as much of a deep meaning as some of the artist’s songs before.
Artists that choose to follow this new trend lose their original sound and identity as talented musicians.
 These artists have started “selling out,” meaning that they have changed their style of music in order to become more popular and earn more money. This concept can be harmful to these artists because their individuality gets lost and they become a part of the all too common pop artist group. 
They tend to produce more and more pop hits.
Songs climb the top charts, but they remain popular for only a few months since there are always artists out there creating new pop songs that become equally if not more popular.  
The quality and meaning of the song lyrics in these new pop songs do not have as much of an impact as those in their old songs, because nowadays most pop songs are about the same things: partying and dancing all night, breakups and getting together and being single.
Another artist that has drastically changed her music style is Taylor Swift. Her beginning albums were filled with country songs, such as “Teardrops On My Guitar” and “Our Song,” but she has gradually started to become more of a pop artist. Her newest album, “Red,” contains a larger variety of song genres, most of which are pop, such as “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” 
As a result, Swift is not longer the sad country girl with tear-inducing songs, and she has become just another pop artist whose songs do not draw out any emotions from the listeners.
The band Maroon 5 has also succumbed to the trend, changing from rock and retro to pop. Their recent album “Overexposed” includes the chart topping single “Moves Like Jagger,” which is more pop than their older retro songs, such as “She Will Be Loved” and “Misery.” Although this transition made Maroon 5 more well-known as an artist, they too have drifted further away from their individual rock sound.
Old fans of these bands will continue to listen to old songs demonstrating the band’s original sound, while patiently waiting for artists to go back to releasing their authentic music.
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