| Dance-pop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1970s to early 1980s, United States and United Kingdom |
| Derivative forms | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Other topics | |
| Electronic music |
|---|
| Experimental forms |
| Popular styles |
| Other topics |
Dance-pop is agenre ofelectronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s.[2] It is generally uptempo music intended fornightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable forcontemporary hit radio. Developing from a combination ofdance andpop with influences ofdisco,[3]post-disco[4] andsynth-pop,[1] it is generally characterised by strong beats with easy, uncomplicated song structures[3] which are generally more similar to pop music than the more free-form dance genre, with an emphasis on melody as well as catchy tunes.[3] The genre, on the whole, tends to beproducer-driven, despite some notable exceptions.[3]
Dance-pop is highly eclectic, having borrowed influences from other genres, which varied by producers, artists and periods. Such includecontemporary R&B,house,trance,techno,electropop,new jack swing,funk andpop rock.
Dance-pop is a popular mainstream style of music and there have been numerous artists and groups who perform in the genre. Notable artists includeCher,Madonna,Britney Spears,Rick Astley,Kylie Minogue,Christina Aguilera,Spice Girls,Paula Abdul,Backstreet Boys,Michael Jackson,NSYNC,Jennifer Lopez,Janet Jackson,Rihanna,Katy Perry,Lady Gaga,Dua Lipa,Years & Years,The Weeknd,Justin Bieber,Taylor Swift,Carly Rae Jepsen, andAva Max, among others.
As the term "disco" started to go out of fashion by the late 1970s to early 1980s, other terms were commonly used to describe disco-based music, such as "post-disco", "club", "dance" or "dance-pop" music.[3] These genres were, in essence, a more modern variant of disco music known aspost-disco, which tended to be more experimental,electronic andproducer/DJ-driven, often usingsequencers andsynthesizers.
Dance-pop music emerged around the early 1980s as a combination of dance and pop, or post-disco, which was uptempo and simple, club-natured, producer-driven and catchy. Dance-pop was more uptempo and dancey than regular pop, yet more structured and less free-form than dance music, usually combining pop's easy structure and catchy tunes with dance's strong beat and uptempo nature. Dance-pop music was usually created, composed and produced by record producers who would then hire singers to perform the songs.
At the beginning of the 1980s, disco was an anathema to mainstream pop. According to prominentAllMusic criticStephen Thomas Erlewine,Madonna had a huge role in popularizing dance music as mainstream music, utilizing her charisma, chutzpah and sex appeal. Erlewine claimed that Madonna "launched dance-pop" and set the standard for the genre for the next two decades.[6] As the primary songwriter on her self-titled debut album and a co-producer by her third record, Madonna's insistence on being involved in all creative aspects of her work was highly unusual for a female dance-pop vocalist at the time. The staff ofVice magazine stated that her debut album "drew the blueprint for future dance-pop."[7]
In the 1980s, dance-pop was closely aligned to other uptempo electronic genres, such asHi-NRG. Prominent producers in the 1980s includedStock, Aitken and Waterman, who created Hi-NRG/dance-pop for artists such asKylie Minogue,Dead or Alive andBananarama. During the decade, dance-pop borrowed influences fromfunk (e.g.Michael Jackson andWhitney Houston),new jack swing (e.g.Janet Jackson andPaula Abdul), andcontemporary R&B.
Other prominent dance-pop artists and groups of the 1980s included thePet Shop Boys,Mel and Kim,Samantha Fox,Debbie Gibson, andTiffany.
By the 1990s, dance-pop had become a major genre in popular music. Several dance-pop groups and artists emerged during the 1990s, such as theSpice Girls,Britney Spears,Christina Aguilera,Jessica Simpson,Backstreet Boys, and'NSYNC. During the early 1990s, dance-pop borrowed influences fromhouse music (e.g.Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy",Taylor Dayne'sSoul Dancing, andMadonna's "Vogue", "Rescue Me" and "Deeper and Deeper"), as well ascontemporary R&B andnew jack swing (e.g.Shanice's "I Love Your Smile").
By the late 1990s,electronic influences became evident in dance-pop music; Madonna's critically acclaimed and commercially successful albumRay of Light (1998) incorporatedtechno,trance and other forms of electronic dance music, bringingelectronica into mainstream dance-pop. Additionally, also in 1998,Cher released a dance-pop song called "Believe" which made usage of a technological innovation of the time,Auto-Tune. Anaudio processor and a form of pitch modification software, Auto-Tune is commonly used as a way to correct pitch and to create special effects. Since the late 1990s, the use of Auto-Tune processing has become a common feature of dance-pop music.
Celine Dion also released a midtempo dance-pop song, "That's the Way It Is" by the end of 1999. Also during this period, some British bands connected withBritpop andalternative pop experimented with dance-pop as a form – examples includeCatatonia single "Karaoke Queen,"Bis's top 40 hit "Eurodisco",Kenickie's final single "Stay in the Sun" andRomo bandOrlando's major-label debut single "Just For A Second." Another Britpop band,Theaudience was fronted bySophie Ellis Bextor who went on to a successful solo career primarily in artist-driven dance-pop.
At the beginning of the 2000s, dance-pop music was still prominent, and highly electronic in style, influenced by genres such as trance, house, techno andelectro. Nonetheless, as R&B andhip hop became extremely popular from the early part of the decade onwards, dance-pop was often influenced byurban music. Dance-pop stars from the 1980s and 1990s such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Janet Jackson and Kylie Minogue continued to achieve success at the beginning of the decade. Whilst much dance-pop at the time was R&B-influenced, many records started to return to theirdisco roots; Kylie Minogue's albums such asLight Years (2000) andFever (2001) contained influences of disco music, or a new 21st-century version of the genre known asnu-disco; hit singles such as "Spinning Around" (2000) and "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (2001) also contained disco traces.[3] In Madonna's case, her albumMusic (2000) contained elements ofEuro disco, especially the successfuleponymous lead single.[8]
Nevertheless, it was not until the mid-to-latter part of the decade when dance-pop music returned greatly to its disco roots; this can be seen with Madonna's albumConfessions on a Dance Floor (2005), which borrowed strong influences from the genre, especially from 1970s artists and bands such asABBA,Giorgio Moroder, theBee Gees andDonna Summer. Britney Spears' albumBlackout (2007) contained influences of Euro disco.
The mid-to-late 2000s saw the arrival of several new dance-pop artists, includingRihanna,Kesha,Katy Perry andLady Gaga. This period in time also saw dance-pop's return to its more electronic roots aside from its disco ones, with strong influences of synthpop andelectropop. Lady Gaga is frequently considered one of the pioneers of this evolution, notably with her singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" which were heavily influenced by synthpop and electropop.[9] Rihanna's singles in the dance-pop genre, including "Don't Stop the Music" and "Disturbia", contained electronic influences, the former of which has elements of house music,[10] the latter electropop. Kesha's debut single, "Tik Tok", was also highly electronic in style and employed avideo game beat. Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold" (2008), "California Gurls" (2010), and "Firework" (2010), which were major commercial hits, also showcased influences of electropop and house music.
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The 2010s, similarly to the late 2000s, saw strong electronic influences present within dance-pop; there is also a strong emphasis on bass-heavy drum beats. Artists such asBritney Spears,Lady Gaga,Taylor Swift,Katy Perry,Madonna,Kesha,Christina Aguilera,Usher andRihanna remained very popular, while newer recording artists such asAriana Grande,Justin Bieber,Rita Ora, andDua Lipa joined the dance-pop charts within the decade.[11]
Some music journalists noted the popularity of dance tracks, particularly those with narratives about clubbing and feeling positive during hard times, in pop music in the early 2010s. This was considered a response to the2007–2008 financial crisis or2012 phenomenon, with the colloquial term "recession pop" used to define some of the popular songs of this decade.[12][13][14]
American singer-songwriterTaylor Swift's albumsRed (2012),1989 (2014) andReputation (2017) contain more of a pop-influenced sound, which features production by dance-pop record producersMax Martin andShellback.Ariana Grande's single "Problem" featuringIggy Azalea was a big hit in 2014 and reached combined sales and track-equivalent streams of 9 million units worldwide the following year.[15]
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The 2020s continued to see the evolution of dance-pop with an array of artists expanding the genre's boundaries while incorporating elements from diverse musical styles.
In 2020, Dua Lipa's albumFuture Nostalgia garnered significant acclaim for its fusion of disco, funk, and electro-pop. Hits like "Don't Start Now" and "Physical" channeled retro vibes while offering contemporary production, helping revive interest in the dance-pop genre.[16][17] Lady Gaga also made a notable return to her dance-pop roots with the albumChromatica, which included collaborations with Ariana Grande ("Rain on Me") and Blackpink ("Sour Candy").[18]
The influence of K-pop on dance-pop also grew in prominence. South Korean groups such asBTS andBlackpink achieved global success with songs that blended electronic dance beats with pop melodies. For instance, BTS's single "Dynamite" (2020) became a global hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, showcasing how K-pop artists were successfully merging dance-pop elements into their music.[19]
Doja Cat'sPlanet Her (2021) and The Weeknd'sDawn FM (2022) blended R&B with dance-pop and synth-pop elements, offering new interpretations of the genre.[20][21]
Dua Lipa's follow-up albumRadical Optimism (2024), featuring singles like "Training Season", "Houdini", and "Illusion", continued to push dance-pop boundaries by incorporating elements of house and disco while exploring themes of empowerment and growth.[22][23] Similarly, Taylor Swift's albumsMidnights (2022) and1989 (Taylor's Version) (2024) showcased a continued embrace of synth-pop and dance-pop sensibilities.[24]
In 2024,The Recording Academy introduced a new category, theGrammy Award for Best Pop Dance Recording, to honor the growing influence of dance-pop. The inaugural winner was Kylie Minogue for her single "Padam Padam", highlighting her continued influence in the genre.[25]
The decade also saw a trend toward a more indie and alternative take on dance-pop, with artists like Rina Sawayama andCharli XCX blending hyperpop, electro-pop, and avant-pop elements into their music, as evident in albums likeSawayama (2020) andCrash (2022), respectively.[26][27]
Dance-pop's mainstream appeal persisted as major festivals and live events returned [when?], underscoring the genre's enduring popularity and adaptability.
Dance-pop generally contains several notable characteristics:
The 1980s brought the dawning age of the synthesizer in rock. Synth pop, a spare, synthesizer-based dance-pop sound, was its first embodiment.
