Not to be confused withElectro (music), a genre influenced by the use of the Roland TR-808 drum machines that infusesfunk and earlyhip-hop and is sometimes called electro-pop.
Electropop is apopular musicfusion genre combining elements of theelectronic andpop styles. It has been described as a variant ofsynth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound.[4] The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw arevival of popularity and influence in the late 2000s. The genre is often confused withelectro, which is sometimes called electro-pop but is a separate genre which incorporatesfunk and earlyhip hop.[5]
Some fascinating new music began arriving on these shores; it was dubbed electropop, because electronic instrumentation — mainly synthesizers and syndrums — was used to craft pop songs. "Pop Muzik" byM was one of the first. There was a gradual accumulation of worthy electropop discs, though they were still mostly heard only in rock discos. But in 1981, the floodgates opened, and "new music" at last made a mighty splash. The breakthrough song was "Don't You Want Me" by the Human League.
Britney Spears' highly influential fifth studio albumBlackout (2007) is credited for bringing the genre to mainstream prominence. The media in 2009 ran articles proclaiming a new era of different electropop stars, and indeed the times saw a rise in popularity of several electropop artists. In theSound of 2009 poll of 130 music experts conducted for theBBC, ten of the top fifteen artists named were of the electropop genre.[9]Lady Gaga had major commercial success from 2008 with her debut albumThe Fame. Music writerSimon Reynolds noted that "Everything about Gaga came fromelectroclash, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s".[10] Singer Michael Angelakos ofPassion Pit said in a 2009 interview that while playing electropop was not his intention, the limitations of dorm life made the genre more accessible.[11]
In 2009,The Guardian quoted James Oldham—head ofartists and repertoire atA&M Records—as saying "AllA&R departments have been saying to managers and lawyers: 'Don't give us any more bands because we're not going to sign them and they're not going to sell records.' So everything we've been put on to is electronic in nature."[12][13]
Ellie Goulding became one of the best-known figures in contemporary electropop music.
Goulding first became known in the United Kingdom thanks to her 2009 hit single, "Starry Eyed", which was featured on herfolktronica debut albumLights.[24] Goulding's debut was met with critical acclaim, with Goulding ending up winning theBBC Sound of 2010 and theCritics Choice Brit Award.[25] Eventually, she became internationally known thanks to the album's title track, "Lights", a pop song with electronic beats, which became ansleeper-hit.[26] "Anything Could Happen", the lead single of Goulding's second albumHalcyon marked a shift on the singer-songwriter particular blend of folk and electronica, and embracing her electronic sound with fusion of pop. Furthermore, its re-issueHalcyon Days cemented Goulding as one of the mostly widely recognised figures in electropop music, collaborating with several electronic acts and achieving mainstream attention.[27][28] In 2015, after the release of Goulding third albumDelirium, Carrie Battan forThe New Yorker dubbed Goulding as "the Pop star of E.D.M."[29] After 2016, Goulding went on a five-year hiatus, but she kept releasing successful stand-alone singles. At the end of the 2010s, Goulding was named Artist of the Decade by theVariety Hitmakers Awards,[30] andBillboard ranked her asone of the most successful artists of the 2010s decade.[31]
Some contemporary artists that have been highlighted as part of the new decade of electropop music include:Slayyyter,Ayesha Erotica,Sigrid andBillie Eilish,[52] with the latter earning critical praise and commercial success just at the ending of the last decade.Kenneth Womack forSalon wrote that Eilish had "staked her claim as the reigning queen of electropop" with her critical and commercial hit albumWhen We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?.[53]
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