The 411 Music Top Five 08.107.10: Top 5 Current Pop Stars

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 08.17.2010

From Katy Perry, Lady GaGa and Train to Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and more, the 411 Music staff looks at their top five currently active pop stars! Check out the full article to see who made their lists and why!

Pop. It's not a dirty word. Michael Jackson was a Pop star - the King of it, actually – and, while you might not like everything he put out, everyone agrees he was a major innovator. Madonna was Pop. Billy Joel made some amazing Pop songs. Hell, so did The Beatles. Pop today is littered with commercial bullshit – hell, it always has been – but that doesn't mean there aren't some great songs out there. So with that in mind, let's dive in and look at our Top 5 Current Pop Stars.

David Hayter

Okay so like last week I'm going to define "current" as an artist who has released a good record in the last three years. This is all about who is on form and not about legacy. Sure Prince is still making music but 20ten was not a great record, so he's discounted, got it? One more note; last week I discounted artist who have albums due to be released within the year. This time I gave those artists genuine consideration. On top of this; I'm excited I finally get to put the guitars aside and talk some pop, it's been a while.

5.Rihanna

This was the toughest call in the entire top five, but the hit factory that is Rihanna has triumphed over the uber showman P!nk, and the soulful and troubled Amy Winehouse. If Amy's album was set to drop this side of Christmas she may well have made the list but at this moment in time I had to go for Rihanna. The simply fact of the matter is that Rihanna is thoroughly contemporary and continues to churn out hit after hit. More than this, Rihanna produces truly brilliant tracks, not just catchy pop numbers like "Single Ladies", Rihanna offers up creative, trend setting brilliance. After the success of super singles "Umbrella", "Don't Stop The Music" and "Disturbia" would their have been another artist brave enough to comeback with a track like "Russian Roulette"? A powerful stirring and beautifully constructed power ballad of the highest order. It wasn't an obvious number one, but it was a legitimately superb piece of music that led the way for the equally brave and uber infectious "Rude Boy". Rihanna is a hit factory, supported by some of the finest pop songwriters around today, a worthy top 5 entrant.

4. Annie.

Pop in Europe and the UK has seen a full blown renaissance in the last four years on the backs of some tremendous records and some utterly captivating stars. Sadly, back in 2004 things weren't so bright. The previous decade of pop had been utterly regrettable (Timbaland aside) until, suddenly, out of nowhere Annie burst onto the scene. The largely underappreciated Anniemal set the tone to pop's return to credibility. Slick infectious grooves produced by Eurodance wizards Rokysopp & Richard X laid beneath smart, sassy, and relatable lyrics; sounds familiar right? The hooks were utterly delicious and in "Heartbeat" Annie create one of the finest moments in pop history. Fast forward to 2009 and Annie returned from the wilderness with the triumphant Don't Stop. It couldn't quite recapture the magic of her debut but it proved that the wily fox who set the pop revival ball rolling all those years ago, could still now stand shoulder to shoulder with Pop's new heavyweights.

3.Robyn.

It pains me to even consider putting Robyn outside of the top two, but alas it must be done. Robyn is the essential album artist in pop music. Unlike the others in this top five Robyn is a woman who has a rich history of releasing albums that are engrossing from track 1 to track 12. Of all the genres pop is the most susceptible to filler, but Robyn has consistently produced start to finish works that require your full attention. Her recent releases Body Talk Part.1 and Robyn are simply vital LPs for fans of creative, inventive and genuinely artistic pop music. By hopping genres at will and constantly altering her vocal assault Robyn has managed to stay thoroughly contemporary while also appearing ahead of the crowd. You simply can't second guess or predict this lady. She's been one step ahead of the curve since the 90s and has built her career on artistic integrity rather than over the top antics. Proof positive that pop as art is anything but a fallacy.

2.Lady Gaga.

If 2008's The Fame was a victory for style over substance then 2009's The Fame Monster was the proof positive that Gaga was no gimmick. Her arty illusions were more than just clever PR ploys; they were statements of intent. Suddenly in one fail swoop she'd moved from being the next Madonna or Britney to the next Bowie or Prince. The implications built incredible resentment but with just one thirty four minute slice of pop brilliance Gaga instantly transcend all the silliness that surrounded her. "Speechless", "Dance In The Dark" and "Bad Romance" weren't just great pop singles they were brilliantly layered artistic statements. While the world was distracted by guessing what she would do next, Gaga was hoping genres and soundscapes with complete and utter ease. Her scope and ambition was frankly staggering. Gaga's next album will be make or break. She's proved she can write hits, she's proved she can produce a start to finish LP, but can she right something truly meaningful than transcends the contemporary? We shall see, but for now she hasn't put a single high heel out of place.

1. Lily Allen

Disclaimer: I am fully aware that Lily Allen is pregnant and is about to retire from music, but she still has one date left (supporting Muse) and is still thoroughly contemporary. She also just wrote the score for the Bridget Jones musical so she is still an active song writer. Not to ruin your fun, but I thought I'd pre-empt you all from slating me for picking a retired artist as "current".
One of the most fascinating aspects of pop music in the last decade has been the relationship between the Europe and US. The US produced huge larger than life superstars. You have stadium filling brands like "Beyonce", superhuman monsters like Lady Gaga and supershowmen like P!nk. In the UK we do things a little differently thanks to two special ladies. Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse changed what it was to be a pop star. Lily wrote her own music, she promoted herself on her myspace, she acted like a down to earth regular human being, she played with a band, she listened to the Specials and she dressed like...well...like your friends did. Quite frankly she didn't look like a pop star, sure she was hot as hell, but she wasn't a super model. She looked like the type of girl who'd get expelled forgiving blow jobs behind the bike shed (and it turns out she was!). She was a troubled regular girl who dealt with the same hopes and fears as every other woman. This created an ultra-intimate and believable song writing approach that has truly opened the door for a thousand unorthodox pop stars in the UK. She was a fully realized three dimensional human being and her records reflected this. And for me personally I've always preferred the warts and all honest approach to pop music to the over the top persona; it's simply more relatable and more affecting.
Musically, Lily like so many pop stars was prone to filler, but her albums remained captivating throughout because she had an intriguing turn of phrase and a knack for throwing out lines that truly struck right to the heart of the matter. She was a pop star who let you into her world and people genuinely embraced her for it. While I have other personal favourites, her career highlight came in the form of "The Fear". A track that scooped three prestigious Ivol Novello for song writing; it was a truly brilliant work that succeeded on multiple levels. On the surface it was a brazen sarcastic attack on the morose overly sexualized morally ambiguous nature of 21st Century life; but scratch beneath the surface and it was an admission of guilt that Lily was just as lost in this crazy disgusting world as the rest of us. No mere facetious eye roll this was a plea for help. It's one thing to criticize, it's another to admit complicity, and that's what made the track truly special as Lily admitted "I don't what's right and what's real anymore....but everything's cool as long as I'm getting thinner". By tapping into everyday's people's base emotions and real life struggles Lily made an unbreakable connection to her audience that transformed her into one of the most important and influential songwriters of the 21st Century thus far. When your life and times are fucked up, you need a fucked up superstar, and Lily Allen (along with Amy Winehouse) was just that.

Read more from David...

Mitch Michaels

When I say current, I'm going with REALLY current, as in people with hits albums and singles at this very moment. I'm also including NO honorable mentions, because it is not an honor just to be mentioned.

5.Maroon 5.

I have a love/hate relationship with Maroon 5. I love a lot of their songs, but I fucking hate the band. Adam Levine, more specifically. Every video portrays the guy as God's gift to women, despite his obvious physical similarities to a rat or maybe a weasel. That notwithstanding, I was all in on Maroon 5 ever since "Harder To Breathe", and they've been a solid singles band since – and isn't that what makes a good Pop group? With a new album coming soon (Hands All Over, surely to imply several women's hands will be all over Adam Levine's astonishingly large member), Maroon 5 is out there again. The new single, "Misery", is already a big hit.

4.Train.

Train has been rocking since the 90's. While their first album was kind of folksy (see "Meet Virginia"), they've been a reliable pop act ever since frontman Pat Monahan first played a piano chord and said "I guess she's back in the atmosphere". Train has had its ups and downs during their 16-year career, but currently they're on a big high. The original line-up reunited after years apart and the latest single "Hey, Soul Sister" was a giant Adult Contemporary hit. Oh, and if you're just getting into Train, check out their 2006 album For Me, It's You, which is just as solid as the newest CD.

3. La Roux.

La Roux is a fairly new act – an electro-pop band out of London fronted by the quirky Ms. Elly Jackson. They released their first album in 2009 and the 80's throwback "Bulletproof" is just now scorching the Top 40 radio stations. I fucking LOVE that track. It's as addictive as Pac-Man.

La Roux 'Bulletproof' from MATHEMATIC SAS on Vimeo.

2.John Mayer.

What can you classify John Mayer if not Pop? The guy has a major blues influence, true, and he can rock on the guitar, but his grooves are so R&B and his vocals are so smooth (and he's so white) that you just have to call it Pop. Battle Studies isn't his best effort, and he is a total douchebag personality-wise, but I just can't get enough of the guy's music. Here's one of my favorite tracks from his last album, Continuum.

Free Video Hosting

1.Katy Perry.

So sue me – I love Katy Perry. Ever since "Ur So Gay", Katy has just been my kind of Pop star. She's hungry for attention, but she doesn't just do ANYTHING for it. She's a good singer and songwriter, but doesn't put on that "artist" air that Lady Gaga holds onto. And have you seen her tits? Katy's new album will have to go a long way to top One Of The Boys, but her "Teenage Dream" single makes me thing she has it in her. Sure, "California Gurls" was majorly overblown, but I think we needed that kind of event to show how far she'd come from the last album to this one. I can't wait to hear more.

Katy Perry - New Music - More Music Videos

Read more from Mitch...

Lenny Vowels

I'll admit, I haven't been a fan of pop music for very long. Anything that got overplayed on the radio just never found its way into regular rotation in my CD collection or mp3 player, once upon a time. As of late, that's changed quite a bit. I've even started appreciating some of what I had heard back in my high school days, now that it had long past. Maybe that's just the way of my world, but as it stands, here's my current top 5.

5. Justin Timberlake.

Ordinarily, he'd be ranked higher, but he hasn't had an album in 4 years so he'll have to deal with it. Being a teenager in the late 90's, 'N Sync initially did nothing but annoy me at every opportunity they got. Once they broke up and Justin went solo, I initially disregarded him, since songs like "Cry Me a River" sounded too much like his days with the band. I managed to get past that line of thinking following the release of 2006's FutureSex/LoveSounds. The decision to collaborate with the hip hop genius that is Timbaland gave Justin the music cred he desperately needed in order to look beyond more than just girls screaming his name and sappy lyrics. He got his bite back, and after big hits like "SexyBack" and "Summer Love," I'm still anticipating the follow-up.

4. Rihanna.

Following the release of 2009's Rated R, Rihanna managed to show she had grown up and perspire following the Chris Brown incident. Unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea, and it definitely didn't match the awesomeness that was 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad. No matter her sound, her discovery and constant collaborations with the likes of Jay-Z will ensure that she stays in the spotlight for a good while to come. Don't forget the constant media attention, either.

3. Britney Spears.

I don't think any pop star in history has managed to have the successful comeback that Ms. Spears has. Following 4 albums in her pre-married with children days, Britney managed to make a media circus of herself with controversial actions following her divorce, including shaving her hair. Normally, a musician would likely be dead in the water after something like this, but not Britney. Though the release of her album Blackout managed to coincide with these incidents and simultaneously managed to attract no media love, her comeback was well on the way the following year with 2008's Circus. Some have called it her best album ever, and it's hard to disagree. It has passion, fun, great beats, and is also very thematic for everything going on with her at that time. My odds say she won't get another chance, so let's hope she doesn't fall from atop this pyramid again.

2. Beyonce.

I miss the Destiny's Child days. Really. Although even then, it sure seemed like Ms. Knowles was ready to break out on her own in a one-woman tour de force, and that's exactly what she did. Ever since the release of 2003's Dangerously in Love with the smash hit "Crazy in Love," Beyoncé has managed to write a one-way ticket to the top that may never stop. Add on two further albums in B'Day and I Am... Sasha Fierce and her marriage to aforementioned hip hop mogul Jay-Z, and you can expect to see Beyoncé burning up the charts for quite some time.

1. Lady Gaga.

As if there was any doubt. 2 albums in as many years, several releases of remixes and live studio sessions, and more media attention than anyone's gotten since maybe the post-glory days of Michael Jackson. This equates to the awesome (not to mention obscenely young) Lady GaGa. Some don't buy into her hype. Others think her music is nothing but nonsense. Personally, I don't think she's the musical genius that others seem to, but she can play the piano like a visionary, and her singing voice is nothing short of heavenly. Genius or not, her talent deserves to be recognized. Preach on, GaGa. Preach on.

Read more from Lenny...

The Final Word
	As always, the last thoughts come from you, the reader. We're merely unpaid monkeys with typewriters and Wikipedia. Here's what you need to do: List your Top Five for this week's topic on the comment section using the following format: 5. Band Why you chose it 4. Band: Why you chose it 3. Band Why you chose it 2. Band: Why you chose it 1. Band: Why you chose it