Teen pop

{{Short description|Genre of popular music with an adolescent audience}} {{AI-generated|date=February 2026|partial=y|reason=[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Teen_pop&diff=1214886430&oldid=1210225963 these 2024 edits]; note WP:AISIGNS in undue emphasis on significance, vocab distribution typical of 2024 LLMs etc}} {{Infobox music genre | name = Teen pop | stylistic_origins = {{hlist|Pop<ref name="Allmusic"/>|bubblegum pop<ref name=secondwave>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2WOunUzyRLQC&q=teen+pop+bubblegum+pop&pg=PA10|title=Teens, TV and Tunes: The Manufacturing of American Adolescent Culture|author=Greene, Doyle|date=10 January 2014|publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786489725}}</ref>|rock<ref name=secondwave/>|new wave<ref name=secondwave/>|disco<ref name=secondwave/>|funk<ref name=secondwave/>|hip hop<ref name=secondwave/>|techno<ref name=secondwave/>|synth-pop<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ksjs.org/2012/10/24/what-is-synthpop/|title=What is Synthpop?|date=October 24, 2012|access-date=June 10, 2018|work=KSJS|author=Marshall, Britnee|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415104657/https://ksjs.org/2012/10/24/what-is-synthpop/|url-status=dead}}</ref>|dance-pop<ref name="Allmusic"/>|R&B<ref name=popcult/><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/04/03/060403crmu_music|title=Mariah Carey's Record-Breaking Career|last=Frere-Jones|first=Sasha|date=April 6, 2006|access-date=December 17, 2020|magazine=The New Yorker|quote=And young white pop stars—including Britney Spears, ’N Sync, and Christina Aguilera—have spent much of the past ten years making pop music that is unmistakably R&B.}}</ref>|urban<ref name="Allmusic"/>}} | cultural_origins = 1980s to 1990s, United States | derivatives = | fusiongenres = Adult contemporary | regional_scenes = Orlando, Florida<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/article/2001/11/14/britney-spears-sexpot-or-virginal-teen/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=November 14, 2001|title=Britney Spears: Sexpot or virginal teen?|access-date=February 9, 2018|archive-date=February 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210002821/http://ew.com/article/2001/11/14/britney-spears-sexpot-or-virginal-teen/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Los Angeles, California | other_topics = * Boy band * Girl group * Pop icon }}

'''Teen pop''' is a subgenre of pop music that is created by, marketed to, and oriented towards preteens and teenagers.<ref name="Allmusic"/><ref name="About">Lamb, Bill. [http://top40.about.com/od/popmusic101/p/teenpop.htm "Teen Pop"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110223105218/http://top40.about.com/od/popmusic101/p/teenpop.htm |date=2011-02-23 }}. About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007.</ref> Often, the artists themselves are teenagers during their breakout. While it can involve influences from a wide array of musical genres, it remains a subset of pop music, focusing on catchy melodies and marketability.<ref name="About" /> Teen pop’s lyrics emphasize themes that teenagers can relate to, such as love, growing up, or partying.<ref name="popcult" /> The image of the artist as an aspirational or desirable teenage figure is a crucial element of the genre, highlighting their visual appeal.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Jasmine |first=Lucretia Tye |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7F3HEAAAQBAJ&dq=teen+pop&pg=PA49 |title='70s Teen Pop |date=2023-10-05 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-5013-8352-6 |language=en}}</ref>

Despite facing criticism for being perceived as inauthentic or overly commercial, teen pop has remained a defining genre in the music industry. The genre's popularity can be attributed to teenage listeners' disposable income, which they often devote to purchasing singles, albums, and merchandise. The impact of the teen pop genre extends beyond the music industry into culture, influencing fashion, language, and social trends.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Welch |first1=Graham F. |last2=Biasutti |first2=Michele |last3=MacRitchie |first3=Jennifer |last4=McPherson |first4=Gary E. |last5=Himonides |first5=Evangelos |date=2020 |title=Editorial: The Impact of Music on Human Development and Well-Being |journal=Frontiers in Psychology |volume=11 |page=1246 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01246 |doi-access=free |pmid=32625147 |pmc=7315798 |issn=1664-1078|hdl=11343/241720 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Teenage fans often develop a parasocial relationship with their idols, believing that the artist cares about them and their fellow fans.<ref name=":0" /> The intense connection between teen pop artists and their young audiences has had a profound effect on the psychological nature of teenagers, shaping their self-image and cultural identity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Crazy About You : Reflections on the Meanings of Contemporary Teen Pop Music |url=https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/202/300/ejofsociology/2005/01/vannini_myers.html |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=epe.lac-bac.gc.ca}}</ref>

== Characteristics == Structurally, teen pop may include influences from a variety of other genres, such as R&B, rock, electronic, or hip hop.<ref name="Allmusic"/><ref name=secondwave/> Usually, it includes catchy repeated chorus lines,<ref name=sociology>{{cite journal| url=https://www.sociology.org/ejs-archives/vol006.002/vannini_myers.html|journal=Electronic Journal of Sociology |title=Crazy About You: Reflections on the Meanings of Contemporary Teen Pop Music|last1=Vannini |first1=Phillip |last2=Myers |first2=Scott M.| year=2002}}</ref> Auto-Tuned or pitch-corrected vocals, and upbeat melodies.<ref name=popcult/>

Appealing to adolescents, the lyrical content of teen pop usually involves themes teenagers can or aspire to relate to, such as young love, partying, high school social hierarchies, and often incorporate sexual innuendo.<ref name="sociology"/> An element of visual appeal is integral to teen pop, with teen idols usually being an object of desire or aspiration to their fans, often by cultivating an image of being a girl/boy next door.<ref>{{Citation |last=Higashi |first=Sumiko |title=Debbie Reynolds |date=2014 |work=Stars, Fans, and Consumption in the 1950s: Reading Photoplay |pages=47–56 |editor-last=Higashi |editor-first=Sumiko |url=https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137431899_4 |access-date=2024-03-21 |place=New York |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US |language=en |doi=10.1057/9781137431899_4 |isbn=978-1-137-43189-9|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Stylish fashion, popular hairstyles, and choreographed dance crazes are important commercial elements of teen pop.<ref name=":0" />

According to AllMusic, teen pop "is essentially dance-pop, pop, and urban ballads" that are marketed to teens, and was conceived in its contemporary form during the late 1980s and 1990s, pointing out the late 1990s as "arguably the style's golden era."<ref name="Allmusic"/> About.com's Bill Lamb described teen pop sound as "a simple, straightforward, ultra-catchy melody line [...] The songs may incorporate elements of other pop music genres, but usually they will never be mistaken for anything but mainstream pop. The music is designed for maximum focus on the performer and a direct appeal to listeners."<ref name="About"/>

In ''Crazy About You: Reflections on the Meanings of Contemporary Teen Pop Music'' (2002), Phillip Vannini and Scott M. Myers write that teen pop songs "are targeted to youths presumably unaware and unconcerned with the problems of everyday society. Youths are symbolized as mainly in growing up while having a good time."<ref name=":1" /> Some authors deemed teen pop music as "more disposable, less intellectually challenging, more feminine, simpler and more commercially focused than other musical forms."<ref name=popcult/> In ''Music Scenes: Local, Translocal and Virtual'', author Melanie Lowe wrote that teen pop "is marked by a clash of presumed innocence and overt sexuality, a conflict that mirrors the physical and emotional turmoil of its primary target audience and vital fan base: early-adolescent middle-and upper middle-class suburban girls."<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv17vf74v |title=Music Scenes: Local, Translocal, and Virtual |date=2004 |publisher=Vanderbilt University Press |doi=10.2307/j.ctv17vf74v |jstor=j.ctv17vf74v |isbn=978-0-8265-1451-6}}</ref>

== Background == Teen pop has a rich and evolving history that extends beyond its commercial success.<ref name="Teen Pop Music: A Guide">{{Cite web |title=Teen Pop Music: A Guide |url=https://www.liveabout.com/teen-pop-meaning-3246993 |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=LiveAbout |language=en}}</ref> Characterized by its simple, catchy melodies and mainstream appeal, teen pop has been a staple of the music industry since the 1940s, with artists like teen idol Frank Sinatra paving the way. However, it wasn't until the late 1980s and early 1990s that the genre experienced a significant resurgence, coinciding with the widespread use of the term "teen pop" to describe this particular style of music.<ref name="Teen Pop Music: A Guide" />

This revival came after a period of decline in the late 1970s and early 1980s when teen-oriented pop faded due to the rising popularity of punk rock and disco. Disco becoming popular from the United States' city nightlife scene, and punk rock from its lyrical focus on themes of rebellion against authority and the establishment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Short History of How Punk Became Punk: From Late 50s Rockabilly and Garage Rock to The Ramones & Sex Pistols {{!}} Open Culture |url=https://www.openculture.com/2019/02/a-short-history-of-punk-from-late-50s-rockabilly-and-garage-rock-to-the-ramones-sex-pistols.html |access-date=2024-03-21 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-09 |title=Disco {{!}} Origins, Genres & Cultural Impact {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/art/disco |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Nevertheless, the early 2000s marked a peak in pop dominance, with teen pop becoming even more popular. Artists like Britney Spears became iconic figures, influencing not only music but also fashion trends of the 2000s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Teen Pop Music Subgenre Overview |url=https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/teen-pop-ma0000002895 |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref>

== History == === 20th century === Teen-oriented popular music had become common by the end of the swing era, in the late 1940s, with Frank Sinatra being an early teen idol.<ref name=popcult>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gC0JA6is7REC&dq=%22Teen+pop%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA23 Pop Cult: Religion and Popular Music] Till, Rupert (2010)</ref> However, it was the early 1960s that became known as the "golden age" for pop teen idols, who included Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Lulu and Ricky Nelson.<ref name="About"/> During the 1970s, one of the most popular preteen and teen-oriented acts was the Osmonds,<ref name="About"/> where family members Donny and Marie both enjoyed individual success as well as success as a duo apart from the main family (Donny also recorded with his brothers as the Osmonds).

The first major wave of teen pop after the counter-culture of the 1960s and 1970s occurred in the mid to late 1980s, with artists such as Menudo, New Edition, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, New Kids on the Block<ref name="Allmusic"/><ref name="About"/> and Kylie Minogue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kylie-minogue-mn0000776093|title=Kylie Minogue Biography, Albums, Streaming Links|work=AllMusic|author=True, Chris|quote=...took her out of the stifling world of teen pop...}}</ref> In the early 1990s, teen pop dominated the charts until grunge and gangsta rap crossed over into the mainstream in North America by late 1991. Teen pop remained popular in the United Kingdom with the boy band Take That during this period, until the mid-1990s when Britpop became the next major wave in the UK, eclipsing the style similar to how grunge did in North America.<ref name="Allmusic">[https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/teen-pop-ma0000002895 Teen Pop Music Genre Overview] AllMusic Staff. ''AllMusic''. Retrieved June 23, 2018</ref>

[[File:Britney Spears.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Britney Spears, pictured in 2003, is credited for revitalizing the genre with her best-selling debut and sophomore studio albums, earning her the title of Princess of Pop.]] In 1996, British girl group Spice Girls released their debut single "Wannabe", which made them major pop stars in the UK, as well as in the US the following year. In their wake, other teen pop groups and singers rose to prominence, including Hanson, the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Robyn, All Saints, S Club 7, Five, B*Witched, and Destiny's Child.<ref name="Allmusic"/><ref name="About"/> In 1999, the success of teenaged pop singers Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, and Mandy Moore marked the development of what AllMusic refers to as the "pop Lolita" trend,<ref name="Allmusic"/><ref name="About"/> sparking the short careers of upcoming pop singers such as Willa Ford, Brooke Allison, Samantha Mumba, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Mikaila, Amanda, Nikki Cleary and Kaci Battaglia. In 2001, artists like Aaron Carter, Swedish group A-Teens, girl groups 3LW, Play, Eden's Crush and Dream and boy bands O-Town, B2K and Dream Street were teen pop artists who achieved success. In Latin America, successful singers and bands appealing to tweens and teens were Sandy & Junior,<ref>[https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/74714/sandy-junior In their Brazilian homeland, dynamic teen siblings Sandy & Junior are a million-selling phenomenon.] Billboard</ref> RBD<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/17/arts/music/17rbd.html RBD’s Life Is a Mexican Soap Opera in More Ways Than One] ''The New York Times'' (July 17, 2006)</ref> and Rouge.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Hw0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=rouge+brazilian+girl+group&pg=PA50 South America Loves it's 'Popstars'] Billboard (via Google Books)</ref>

According to Gayle Ward, the demise of this late 1990s teen pop was due to: *promotional oversaturation of teen pop music in the early 2000s; *the public's changing attitude toward it, deeming teen pop as inauthentic and corporately produced; *the transition of the pre-teen and teenage fanbase of these teen pop artists during 1997&ndash;1999 to young adulthood (and the accompanying changes in musical interests); *a growing young adult male base classifying the music, especially boy band music, as effeminate, and *other musical genres began increasing in popularity.<ref name="Genders OnLine Journal">Wald, Gayle. [http://www.genders.org/g35/g35_wald.html "'I Want It That Way': Teenybopper Music and the Girling of Boy Bands"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020810222702/http://www.genders.org/g35/g35_wald.html |date=2002-08-10 }}. Retrieved January 27, 2008.</ref>

1990s and early 2000s teen pop artists eventually entered hiatuses and semi-retirements (*NSYNC, Dream, Destiny's Child) or changed their musical style, including the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, 3LW and Aaron Carter.<ref name="About"/> Many teen artists starting incorporating genres such as pop rock, contemporary R&B and hip-hop. B2K were a hip hop/pop/R&B group consisting of four teenage black boys, and were considered a boy band, though they were only active from 2000 to 2004. Their style of music was very different from other teenage artists, sounding more mature than the typical boy band, though all members were in their mid-teenage years at the time.

=== 21st century === [[File:Justin Bieber in 2015.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.6|Justin Bieber is credited for creating a renewed interest in the genre and in the male teen idol with his debut EP ''My World''. He is widely referred to as the Prince of Pop and the King of Teen Pop.]]

In the mid to late 2000s, teenage singers such as Rihanna and Chris Brown achieved success, indicating new relevance of teen-oriented pop music.<ref name="About"/>

In 2005, AKB48 was created to promote idol culture and Japanese pop nationwide and overseas followed by the expansion of sister groups and rival groups locally and internationally over the years. In 2016, SNH48, as AKB48's second international sister group, announced its local Chinese sister groups like BEJ48, GNZ48, SHY48 and CKG48 to integrate idol culture with a Chinese twist.

The emergence of Canadian singer Justin Bieber created a renewed interest in teen pop, especially of the traditional male teen idol. With the release of his debut seven-track EP ''My World'' on December 5, 2009, he became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hombach |first=Jean-Pierre |date=February 22, 2012 |title=Justin Bieber |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |page=8 |chapter=Justin Bieber (Introduction) |isbn=978-1470126797}}</ref> Since his debut, Bieber has played a key role in influencing modern popular culture and has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=McIntyre|first=Hugh|title=Justin Bieber Is No Longer Just A Pop Star, He's Proven He Can Do Anything|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2017/07/24/justin-bieber-is-no-longer-just-a-pop-star-hes-proven-he-can-do-anything/?sh=3d48d255531b|access-date=2021-10-09|website=Forbes|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Collins|first=Kat|title=Ed Sheeran, Drake and Justin Bieber: What were they doing 10 years ago?|work=BBC News |date=12 December 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-50743503|access-date=2021-10-09|language=en-us}}</ref>

[[File:Robin - Ilosaarirock 2015 12.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Finnish pop singer Robin Packalen performing at the 2015 Ilosaarirock Festival in Joensuu, Finland]] Taylor Swift, an influential figure in contemporary teen pop music, emerged onto the scene as a teenage country artist in the mid-2000s and progressively transitioned to mainstream pop. She quickly became one of the most influential and highest-grossing artists of her generation with multiple Grammy Awards, best-selling album sales, and record-breaking hits. On top of her musical achievement, Swift also has an immense cultural impact, as she has been a vocal advocate for artists’ rights within the music industry.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Théberge |first=Paul |date=2021 |title=Love and Business: Taylor Swift as Celebrity, Businesswoman, and Advocate |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07494467.2021.1945227 |journal=Contemporary Music Review |volume=40 |issue=1 |pages=41–59 |doi=10.1080/07494467.2021.1945227 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Her battle to regain the rights to her master recordings has influenced young artists such as Maggie Rogers, Ice Spice and Olivia Rodrigo to prioritize owning their music.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sarmiento |first=Isabella Gomez |date=2025-10-01 |title=Taylor Swift popularized fighting for masters. Are more artists getting ownership? |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/10/01/nx-s1-5552299/taylor-swift-masters-fight-artist-deals |access-date=2025-10-15 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref>

One Direction, a British-Irish boy band that formed on the UK version of ‘The X Factor’ in 2010, is the most profitable boy band of all time.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Tiffany |first=Kaitlyn |date=13 December 2016 |title=How One Direction Stayed the World's Biggest Band Even After it Stopped Existing |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/13/13937688/one-direction-one-year-hiatus-anniversary-social-media-blogging |website=The Verge}}</ref> Composed of members Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, and Zayn Malik, the group swiftly rose to colossal stardom after their debut and eventually became synonymous with the global trend of teen pop culture in the early 2010s, a phenomenon deeply rooted in the age of Twitter.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Santero |first=Nicole Kelsey |date=2016 |title="Nobody Can #DragMeDown": An Analysis of the One Direction Fandom's Ability to Influence and Dominate Worldwide Twitter Trends |url=https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3731&context=thesesdissertations |journal=University of Nevada |pages=7}}</ref> One Direction’s fame ignited a fan frenzy among their predominantly female fan base to a magnitude such that it has been compared to the “Beatlemania” era of the 1960s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Santero |first=Nicole Kelsey |date=2016 |title="Nobody Can #DragMeDown": An Analysis of the One Direction Fandom's Ability to Influence and Dominate Worldwide Twitter Trends |url=https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3731&context=thesesdissertations |journal=University of Nevada |pages=8–9}}</ref> Building on the craze of American boy bands of the 1990s and early 2000s such as NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and later the Jonas Brothers,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lyons |first=Annie |date=2020 |title=One Direction Infection: Media Representations of Boy Bands and their Fans |url=https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/f613c40e-927b-438e-9ba2-4997f2686f4b/content |journal=University of Texas at Austin |pages=23–24}}</ref> the One Direction teen idols redefined the concept of the boy band and its legitimacy by shedding the image of the manufactured idol and embracing their authenticity.<ref name=":2" /> They created a new wave of the boy band genre that directly contributed to the emergence of other artists such as 5 Seconds of Summer.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lyons |first=Annie |date=2020 |title=One Direction Infection: Media Representations of Boy Bands and their Fans |journal=University of Texas at Austin |pages=26}}</ref> Despite their indefinite hiatus in 2015, One Direction has a cemented place in the annals of pop music history and its members continue to pursue solo music careers.

In 2010, the creation of Ark Music Factory helped contribute a new generation of teen pop artists via the Internet, such as Rebecca Black and Jenna Rose, despite major criticism with these artists due to the excessive use of auto-tune. As for Japanese teen pop culture, the category of "idol" was playing an important role. Momoiro Clover Z is ranked as number one among female idol groups according to 2013–2017 surveys.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFK17032_X10C13A6000000/ |title=ももクロ、初のAKB超え タレントパワーランキング|work=Nihon Keizai Shimbun|date= 24 June 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|language=ja}}<br />{{Cite journal | date=2013-05-04| journal=Nikkei Entertainment |script-title=ja:タレントパワーランキング トップ100|issue=June, 2013|pages=48–49| publisher=Nikkei BP| language=ja}}<br />{{Cite journal | date=2014-05-02|script-title=ja:タレントパワーランキング トップ100| journal=Nikkei Entertainment| issue=June, 2014| publisher=Nikkei BP| language=ja}}<br />{{Cite journal | date=2015-05-02|script-title=ja:タレントパワーランキング トップ100| journal=Nikkei Entertainment| issue=June, 2015| publisher=Nikkei BP| language=ja}}<br />{{Cite journal | date=2016-05-04|script-title=ja:タレントパワーランキング トップ100| journal=Nikkei Entertainment| issue=June, 2016| publisher=Nikkei BP| language=ja}}<br />{{Cite journal | date=2017-05-04|script-title=ja:タレントパワーランキング トップ100| journal=Nikkei Entertainment| issue=June, 2017| publisher=Nikkei BP| language=ja}}</ref>

In 2013, New Zealand singer/songwriter Lorde dominated the teen pop mainstream, with her debut studio album Pure Heroine. The album's lead single Royals became a viral sensation. Lorde topped ''Time'''s list of most influential teenagers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-12-24 |title=Lorde is 'changing our world' says Forbes |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/lorde-is-changing-our-world-says-forbes/4THQECYKQ7YOTPLXRUK23PFCV4/?c_id=1501119&objectid=11182484 |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-25 |title=How Lorde's 'Pure Heroine' Forever Changed the Way We View Teen Girls |url=https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a34115515/lorde-pure-heroine-anniversary/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Shondaland |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203171304/https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a34115515/lorde-pure-heroine-anniversary/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

By the late 2010s, K-pop artists such as BTS and Blackpink, attained international stardom in teen pop culture.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Vogue|first=Teen|title=The Best K-Pop Moments of 2020|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/best-k-pop-moments-2020|access-date=2021-04-20|website=Teen Vogue|date=18 December 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref> Having sold over 4.7 million copies, ''Map of the Soul: 7'' by BTS is the all-time best-selling album in South Korea. BTS is the first Asian and non-English-speaking act to be named International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) Global Recording Artist of the Year (2020).<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bts/9534672/bts-ifpi-global-recording-artist-2020|url-access=subscription|title=BTS Crowned IFPI Global Recording Artist of 2020|last=Brandle|first=Lars|date=4 March 2021|magazine=Billboard|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310225045/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bts/9534672/bts-ifpi-global-recording-artist-2020|archive-date=10 March 2021|url-status=dead<!--to bypass subscrip-lock-->|access-date=18 April 2022}}</ref> The group was featured on ''Time'''s international cover as "Next Generation Leaders" in 2018 and are recognised as the "Princes of Pop".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/bts-time-magazine-next-generation-leaders-list-8479427/|title=BTS Make Time Magazine's 'Next Generation Leaders' List: 'We Are Spreading Korean Culture as Its Representatives'|last=Herman|first=Tamar|date=11 October 2018|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>

In the 2020s, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has dominated the teen pop scene. Emerging as a teenage Disney star, she swiftly transitioned into pop music to draw from her personal experiences and weave narratives of love, heartbreak and self-exploration. Rodrigo's rise to fame can be attributed to her prominence on platforms such as TikTok, where she became viral after releasing her first single “Drivers License” in 2021.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Rauchberg |first=Jessica Sage |date=26 July 2022 |title=A different girl, but she's nothing new: Olivia Rodrigo and posting imitation pop on TikTok |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14680777.2022.2093251 |journal=Feminist Media Studies |volume=22 |issue=5 |pages=1291|doi=10.1080/14680777.2022.2093251 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Alongside Rodrigo, singer-songwriter and dancer Tate McRae has achieved significant success with dance-pop and R&B influences.<ref name="time">{{Cite web |last=Brodsky |first=Rachel |date=2025-09-30 |title=How Tate McRae Found Her Way |url=https://time.com/7321459/tate-mcrae-interview-time100-next/ |website=Time |quote=}}</ref> Emerging artists such as Sophie Powers and Elle Coves have also been releasing songs since the early 2020s that combine youthful themes with elements of teen pop and alternative music.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://thatmusicmag.com/rising-teen-pop-rocker-sophie-powers-shares-single-video-life-goes-on-about-crappy-breakups/ |last=Paskill |first=Ashley |title=Rising teen pop-rocker, Sophie Powers, shares single/video "Life Goes On" about crappy breakups |website=That Music Magazine |date=August 22, 2021 |access-date=April 21, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://vergemagazine.co.uk/sophie-powers-ushers-in-a-bold-new-era-with-move-with-me/ |last=de Moura |first=Naomi |title=Sophie Powers ushers in a bold new era with "Move With Me" |website=Verge Magazine |date=April 11, 2025 |access-date=April 21, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rigotti |first=Alex |date=July 19, 2023 |title=Reach for the stars: Elle Coves is one of the hottest new names in pop |url=https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/elle-coves-new-single-interview-summer-radar-3467927 |access-date=May 27, 2026 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== See also == {{Columns-list|colwidth=22em| * Bobby soxer * Teen drama – (List of teen dramas) * Teen film – (List of teen films) * Teen idol * Teen magazine – (List of teen magazines) * Teen sitcom – (List of teen situation comedies) * Teenybopper * Youth culture }}

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == * [{{AllMusic|class=explore|id=style/ma2895|pure_url=yes}} Teen pop] at Allmusic

{{Pop music}}

Category:Teen pop Category:Pop music genres Category:Youth culture Category:20th century in music Category:21st century in music Category:1980s in music Category:1990s in music Category:2000s in music Category:2010s in music Category:1990s fads and trends Category:2000s fads and trends