| New pop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early 1980s, United Kingdom |
| Other topics | |
New pop is a British-centricpop music movement consisting of ambitious,DIY-minded artists who achieved commercial success in the early 1980s, aided by platforms likeMTV. Rooted in thepost-punk movement of the late 1970s, the movement encompassed a wide variety of styles and artists, including acts such asOrange Juice,the Human League, andABC.
The term "rockist", apejorative aimed at those who rejected this type of music,[4][5] became associated with new pop.[2]
"New Music" is a similar but slightly more expansiveumbrella term[6] referring to a pop music and cultural phenomenon in the US tied to theSecond British Invasion.[7][8] The term was popularized by the music industry and American journalists during the 1980s to describe emerging movements such as new pop andNew Romanticism.[9]
Many new pop artists created music that blended less commercial and experimental elements with apop appeal.[2] The concept ofentryism became popular among groups of the time, reflecting their attempts to infiltrate mainstream culture with unconventional styles.[2]
New Music acts were characterized by danceable rhythms, anandrogynous aesthetic, heavy use ofsynthesizers anddrum machines, and lyrical themes exploring the darker side of romance. These acts were predominantly British and drew inspiration fromrockabilly,Motown,ska, andreggae, incorporating African rhythms to create what was described as a "fertile, stylistic cross-pollination."[7]
AuthorSimon Reynolds observed that the new pop movement represented "a conscious and brave attempt to bridge the separation between'progressive' pop and mass/chart pop – a divide which has existed since 1967, and is also, broadly, one between boys and girls, middle-class and working-class."[1]
The terms "New Music" or "new pop" were used loosely to describe various styles and artists, includingsynth-pop groups such asthe Human League, soul-disco acts such asABC,new wave performers likeElvis Costello andthe Pretenders,[6] andjangle pop bands likeOrange Juice.[2] American MTV stars, includingMichael Jackson, were also associated with the movement.[8]
Stephen Holden ofThe New York Times wrote that New Music was more about the artists themselves than their specific sound. It attracted teenage girls and males disillusioned with traditional, "phallic" guitar-driven rock.[10] New Music was a singles-oriented phenomenon, emphasizing both 7-inch and the then-new 12-inch formats, in contrast to the 1970s emphasis onalbum-oriented rock.[11]
In the wake of the punk rock explosion of the late 1970s, the new wave and post-punk genres emerged, driven by a desire for experimentation, creativity, and forward momentum. Music journalistPaul Morley, whose writing in the British music magazineNME championed the post-punk movement, has been credited as an influential voice in the development of new pop. Following the decline of post-punk, Morley advocated for "overground brightness" rather than underground sensibilities.[2] Around this time, the term "rockist" gained popularity as a disparaging label for music that favored traditionalist rock styles.[2] According toPitchfork's Jess Harvel, "If new pop had an architect, it was [the writer]Paul Morley."[2]
As the 1980s began, many musicians sought to broaden these movements to appeal to a more mainstream audience. In 1980, theNew Music Seminar debuted as a platform designed to help young new wave artists break into the American music industry. The event grew rapidly in popularity and encouraged the shift from using the term "new wave" to "New Music" in the United States.[12] Unlike in Great Britain, early attempts to introduce new wave andmusic videos to American audiences had achieved mixed results. By 1982, New Music acts were appearing on the U.S. charts, and clubs that played their songs were consistently packed.[7]
"I hated the phrase 'new wave'. It sounded too trendy and could be gone in a year."
In response to New Music's rising popularity,album-oriented rock (AOR) radio stations increased their rotation of new acts, and the "Hot Hits" format emerged.[7] By 1983, with half of the new artists emerging from the New Music movement,[14] acts such asDuran Duran,Culture Club, andMen at Work were dominating the charts, creating an alternative musical and cultural mainstream.[7]Annie Lennox[15] andBoy George were among the figures most closely associated with New Music.[8][16]
In a 1983 interview withCBS News about theSecond British Invasion of new pop acts in America, singerMartin Fry ofABC described the phenomenon as "an explosion that came out after punk rock swung through Britain – a whole generation that was kind of interested in making music that was more polished. That obviously led to a golden age with Duran Duran,Spandau Ballet,the Human League, ABC,Depeche Mode, many bands like that. We were all a little bit flamboyant."[17]
Criticism of new pop emerged from supporters of both traditional rock and newer experimental rock. Critics viewed new pop as overly corporate, prioritizing commercial success at the expense of rock music's anti-authoritarian tradition. They argued that new pop's embrace of synthesizers and music videos often masked a lack of musical talent. For example, the heavy metal magazineHit Parader frequently used the homophobic slur "faggot" to disparage New Music musicians. Similarly, the 1985Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing", which reached number one in the United States, included the line "the little faggot with the earring and the make-up" and used the term multiple times.[18] According to lead singerMark Knopfler, the lyrics were inspired by the language of a New York appliance store worker he overheard while watching MTV. Assistant professor, author, and musician Theo Cateforis cites these examples as manifestations of homophobia used to defend "real rock" against New Music.[19][20]
In the mid-1980s, a reaction against European synthpop and "haircut bands" began to emerge in the United States, marked by the rise ofheartland rock androots rock.[21]Richard Blade, a disc jockey at Los Angeles radio stationKROQ-FM, reflected on this period, stating, "You felt there was a winding-down of music.Thomas Dolby's album had bombed,Duran Duran had gone through a series of breakups,the Smiths had broken up,Spandau Ballet had gone away, and people were just shaking their heads going, 'What happened to all this new music?'"[22]
Theo Cateforis argues that New Music eventually evolved intomodern rock, which retained its uptempo feel while diverging stylistically. This evolution continued to draw influence from the rock disco/club scene.[23]
In the UK,indie bands adopted the jangling guitar work that had typifiednew wave music.[24] The arrival ofthe Smiths was characterized by themusic press as a "reaction against the opulence and corpulence of nouveau riche New Pop" and a "return to a different vision of 'new pop,' thePostcard ideal."[25]
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