We all know the title of king and queen of pop goes to Michael Jackson and Madonna. With Justin Timberlake’s new hit album, he secured the title of prince of pop since he left the boy band and brought ‘sexy back’ as a solo artist. Britney Spears was definitely the princess of pop during the 2000s, but does she still hold her title?
This year, Spears, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga will all release their new albums within months of each other. Each artist has released her first single from her album. But, it is still unclear which female artist will take the title.
Perry’s “Roar” is an empowerment anthem. It speaks to people who may not speak up for themselves. Perry’s single encourages everyone to “roar louder than a lion.” Yes, that does sound a tad corny, but it’s Katy Perry, so we all buy into it.
Lady Gaga’s first single from her new album is “Applause,” and the song has an electropop feel. Gaga shared the meaning of the song on her Twitter page: “‘Applause’ is a very meaningful song to me, because it addresses what many think of ‘celebrities’ today, that we ‘do it’ for the attention. But some of us are ‘artists’ in this group called ‘celebrity,’ and what we create doesn’t live on unless there’s an audience to remember it.”
Gaga, we get it. You see yourself as an artist and love performing, but how can most Americans connect to that? Most of us are not performers. I respect your talent, but that doesn’t make me fall in love with the song.
Last week, Spears’ released her single, “Work B**ch.” Yes, that’s the title. Everytime I hear it, I picture people in the club pumping their fists to the music. Spears sings that if “You wanna live fancy, live in a big mansion, party in France, you better work b**ch.” While most people who work hard every day never get to experience living in a mansion, the song is so fun and upbeat that it doesn’t matter.
Rachael Brizzard, a senior speech pathology major, said that her favorite song of the three is Perry’s “Roar.” “It has a catchy beat, and it’s one of those songs that you catch yourself singing to when no one is listening,” Brizzard said.
Even though Perry’s song is her favorite, Brizzard believes that Gaga will be most remembered in years to come. “Lady Gaga will be remembered 20 years from now for her unique styles including her performances and wardrobe choices,” she said. “Who can forget the girl who wore a sea shell bathing suit to the VMAs. Now, that was an outfit.”
Even though “Roar” tops the charts over “Applause,” Gaga may have the lead for the title of pop princess of this decade. Her music and performance choices are innovative, which are similar to Madonna. Spears’s height of fame occurred in the 2000s.
She just announced a two-year gig at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. This will be a boost to her career, but I don’t see it as enough to beat the chart- topping Perry and the Gaga’s enormous fan base.
While Perry, Gaga and Spears are considered the top three contenders for the title, Miley Cyrus is swinging her way in on a wrecking ball to become a heavy contender. Her newest single “Wrecking Ball” holds the number one spot on the Billboard Top 100 songs for this week. The music video for the single even broke the Youtube record for most-viewed video in a single day.
At the Video Music Awards, Gaga was invited to perform the opening number while Perry sang the finale song. But, both were upstaged by some major twerking.
Cyrus’ outlandish behavior on stage may have pushed her into becoming “the one to watch.” If Cyrus can continue to top the charts like Perry, perform outrageously in music videos like Gaga and produce club music like Spears, we may have a new pop princess.
While the jury is still out, Americans anxiously await the release of their albums. Only time will tell which artist will win the title of pop princess of this decade.
