"Electronic pop" redirects here. For the related genre, see synth-pop. For popular electronic music, see Electronic music#Late 1960s to early 1980s.
For other uses, see Electropop (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Electro (music), a genre influenced by the use of the Roland TR-808 drum machines that infuses funk and early hip-hop and is sometimes called electro-pop.
Electropop
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsEarly 1980s,
United Kingdom and Japan[1]
Derivatives
Other topicsAlternative dance · bitpop · chill-out · C-pop · J-pop · K-pop · V-pop · Europop · post-disco · electro · electroclash · electro-industrial · electro house · indie electronic · electronic rock · indie pop · progressive house · recession pop
Current yearyes

Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles.

Electropop has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound.[4] The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a revival of popularity and influence in the late 2000s. The genre is often confused with electro, which is sometimes called electro-pop. However, electro is a separate genre incorporating funk and early hip hop.[5]

History

Early 1980s

Main article: Synth-pop
See also: Electronics in rock music

Depeche Mode's composer Martin Gore said: "For anyone of our generation involved in electronic music, Kraftwerk were the godfathers".[6]

During the early 1980s, Japanese artists such as Yellow Magic Orchestra and Ryuichi Sakamoto[1] and British artists such as Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, the Human League, Soft Cell, John Foxx and Visage helped pioneer a new synth-pop style that drew more heavily from electronic music and emphasized primary usage of synthesizers.[7]

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" by M 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.

— Anglomania: The Second British Invasion, by Parke Puterbaugh for Rolling Stone, November 1983.[8]

21st century

See also: Synth-pop#21st-century revival (2000s–present)

2000s

Britney Spears' highly influential fifth studio album Blackout (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 the Sound of 2009 poll of 130 music experts conducted for the BBC, ten of the top fifteen artists named were of the electropop genre.[9] Lady Gaga had major commercial success from 2008 with her debut album The Fame. Music writer Simon Reynolds noted that "Everything about Gaga came from electroclash, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s".[10] Singer Michael Angelakos of Passion 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 of artists and repertoire at A&M Records—as saying "All A&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]

2010s

In the 2010s, electropop music saw an increase in its commercial popularity. This owed to the success of artists such as Avicii, Lady Gaga,[14] Calvin Harris,[15] Kesha,[16] Rihanna,[17] Zedd,[18][19] and Ellie Goulding,[20][21][22][23] in an era now often referred to as recession pop.[24][25]

Zedd's debut album Clarity was one of the records that influenced the development of electronic pop music into the mainstream, mixing strong electronic beats with catchy tunes performed by pop artists that made him and the genre gain commercial popularity in during the 2010s,[26] and as well carving his own pop persona.[27][28][29]

Electropop acts that achieved either commercial or critical success during the 2010s include: Sofi Tukker,[30] Lykke Li,[31] Mura Masa,[32] Empire of the Sun,[33] CHVRCHES,[34] AlunaGeorge,[35] Icona Pop,[36] Tove Lo,[37] BROODS,[38] Troye Sivan,[39] Charli xcx,[40] MØ,[41] Florrie,[42] BANKS,[43] Bright Light Bright Light,[44] Foxes,[45] AURORA,[46] Allie X,[47] and Marina.[48]

The Korean pop music scene has also become dominated and influenced by electropop, particularly with boy bands and girl groups such as Super Junior, SHINee, f(x) and Girls' Generation.[49]

2020s

Some contemporary artists that have been highlighted as part of the new decade of electropop music include: Slayyyter, Ayesha Erotica, Sigrid and Billie Eilish,[50] with the latter earning critical praise and commercial success just at the ending of the last decade. Kenneth Womack for Salon wrote that Eilish had "staked her claim as the reigning queen of electropop" with her critical and commercial hit album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?.[51]

See also

References

  1. ^ J. D. Considine (March 23, 2000). "Sakamoto hears music's sounds, not its styles". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on February 10, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  2. ^ Jon Pareles (March 21, 2010). "Spilling Beyond a Festival's Main Courses". The New York Times
  3. ^ "Spilling Beyond a Festival's Main Courses". The New York Times. 22 March 2010.
  4. ^ Jones 2006, p. 107.
  5. ^ "What Exactly is "Electro" and Why Does It Matter?". Gray Area. 2024-11-22. Archived 6 December 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  6. ^ "Kraftwerk: the most influential group in pop history?". The Telegraph. 30 January 2013.
  7. ^ Reynolds 2005, pp. 296–308.
  8. ^ "Anglomania: The Second British Invasion". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  9. ^ UK gaga for electro-pop, guitar bands fight back Archived 2009-07-23 at the Wayback Machine, The Kuwait Times, January 28, 2009
  10. ^ The 1980s revival that lasted an entire decade by Simon Reynolds for The Guardian, 22 January 2010.
  11. ^ "Interview: Michael Angelakos of Passion Pit Boston Phoenix October 1, 2009"
  12. ^ "Gaga for girl power". smh.com.au. 28 February 2009.
  13. ^ Neil McCormick (5 August 2009). "La Roux, Lady Gaga, Mika, Little Boots: the 80s are back". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived 2022-01-11 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ^ "how lady gaga's 'bad romance' changed the face of pop". VICE. 2019-10-20. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  15. ^ "'King of Electropop' on his way to Carlow". Irish Independent. 2010-04-13. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  16. ^ "Kesha > PopCrush". PopCrush. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  17. ^ T. H. R. staff (2011-11-21). "Rihanna's 'Talk That Talk': What the Critics Are Saying". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  18. ^ Elmer, Rachel. "Zedd gives fans of electro-pop something to really enjoy". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  19. ^ Yoo, Noah (2019-11-07). "Dance Dance Revolution: How EDM Conquered America in the 2010s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  20. ^ adviser & Pena, Joelle De La (2012-10-25). "Music Review: Electropop artist Ellie Goulding is back". The Clarion. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  21. ^ Papathanasopoulos, Vasili (2023-04-06). "ELLIE GOULDING 'HIGHER THAN HEAVEN' REVIEW". Milky. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  22. ^ Sharp, Erica (2015-11-17). "Ellie Goulding's new album 'Delirium' explores electropop sound". Daily Titan. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  23. ^ Sones, Katie. "Ellie Goulding explodes with a blitz of fresh new electro-pop". The Foothill Dragon Press. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  24. ^ Gibbs, Audrey. "What is recession pop? Why Kesha's new single heralds return of late-2000s jams". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
  25. ^ Miyashita, Nina (September 11, 2024). "What exactly is "recession pop"?". Vogue Australia. News Corp Australia. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  26. ^ BassGorilla, Micha from (2024-10-22). "What Genre is Zedd? Exploring Zedd's Musical Journey". BassGorilla.com. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  27. ^ "Zedd describes sound as good mix of electronic, pop music". Spartanburg Herald Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  28. ^ Elmer, Rachel. "Zedd gives fans of electro-pop something to really enjoy". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  29. ^ "The Dazzling Beauty of Zedd's "Clarity": An EDM Masterpiece - Songs Magazine". 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  30. ^ ABCNews, ABC. "Music Review: Electro-pop duo Sofi Tukker dances to own beat on new energetic album 'BREAD'". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  31. ^ "Review: Lykke Li – moody, introspective electro-pop". Edina Zephyrus. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  32. ^ Heffler, Jason (2021-11-29). "Mura Masa Drops First Single of 2021, Teases Third Studio Album". EDM.com - The Latest Electronic Dance Music News, Reviews & Artists. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  33. ^ "Electronic duo Empire of the Sun finally returning to Perth". PerthNow. 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  34. ^ Thomas, Paul (2015-09-24). "Interview: CHVRCHES discuss second album anxiety, Depeche Mode and Glasgow" (in German). NBHAP. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  35. ^ Kaplan, Ilana (2013-07-24). "AlunaGeorge's 'Body Music'". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  36. ^ "Icona Pop Announces First Album in a Decade". Hypebeast. 2023-06-25. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  37. ^ Jonze, Tim (2014-08-30). "One to watch: Tove Lo". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  38. ^ "VIDEO: "Free" by BROODS – Indie Music Filter". indiemusicfilter.com. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  39. ^ "Troye Sivan's Road To 'Something To Give Each Other': How Transparency & Exploration Led To His Most Euphoric Album Yet | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  40. ^ "Charli XCX: An Evolution of Style and Sound | SHOWstudio". www.showstudio.com. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  41. ^ "Meet MØ, the Danish Electro-Pop Sensation with a Punk Heart". PHOENIX Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  42. ^ Wonderland Staff (2014-08-26). "New Noise: Florrie | Wonderland Magazine". Wonderland. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  43. ^ Shaffer, Claire (2019-08-08). "The First Time: Banks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  44. ^ "Discovery: Bright Light Bright Light". Interview Magazine. 2012-10-26. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  45. ^ "Foxes reveals new video for single 'Youth'". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  46. ^ "AURORA announces her first book, The Gods We Can Touch". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  47. ^ Feinman, Amanda (2019-10-22). "Allie X On Subverting Trends and Keeping Her Infectious Electro-Pop Fresh". Bedford + Bowery. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  48. ^ Tadic, Nina (2019-10-21). "MARINA brings "Love + Fear" to Aragon Ballroom". Stage Right Secrets. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  49. ^ Mullins, Michelle (15 January 2012). "K-pop splashes into the west". The Purdue University Calumet Chronicle. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  50. ^ "Electro-Pop Is Back, Baby!". fyzzymag.com. 2024-06-11. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  51. ^ Womack, Kenneth (May 10, 2019). "Billie Eilish is the new pop intelligentsia". Salon. Retrieved February 2, 2020.

Bibliography

Further reading