We’re in the era of Dance Pop. Factually speaking.
Hailed by some for the musical experimenting it encourages, it has been critiqued in earnest. Indeed, for many, the popularity of and conformity to the”generic genre” has swallowed the commercial relevancy of R&B whole.
For R&B singer Ne-Yo, it’s an issue that has plagued him in recent years; years which have seen him embrace a Pop-ier sound.
Presently on the promotional trail for new album ‘R.E.D’ (due September 18th), the singer-songwriter used a spot on Angie Martinez‘s Hot 97 radio show to address those who charge that he “abandoned” R&B.
His words after the jump…
Via RU:
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Having heard ‘R.E.D’ (click here to read our EXCLUSIVE preview), we can vouch for Mr Ne-Yo’s declaration that the LP boasts an equal mix of R&B and Pop.
For us, though, the issue stretches beyond just the Ne-Yo’s and Usher‘s. For, it’s a given that the popularity of every music genre has peaks and troughs. Yet, it’s the pronounced lack of variety on the charts that is the most disheartening.
The 90’s are often hailed as a great period for music – and with good reason. Yes, it birthed hits that will go down in history, yet it also served up trash and lots of it. Yet, the main difference between then and now is that tracks from a variety of genres had a legit chance of making a major splash on the collective tally vs today when the top 10 of many a chart sound like the same song with different lyrics.
Put simply, for the pervasiveness of Dance Pop to not go down negatively in the history books, those who govern the music industry must steer it back to a place where “difference” is celebrated not shunned.