The 411 Music Top Five 01.17.12: Top 5 Current Pop Artists
Posted by Ben Czajkowski on 01.17.2012
From Britney Spears to Skrillex, 411's Ben Czajkowski ranks his Top 5 Current Pop Acts!
Ben Czajkowski
Honorable mentions: Lana Del Rey, Frank Ocean, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, LMFAO, Lil Wayne, Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Adele, Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Eminem, Pitbull, Nicki Minaj, Coldplay
5. Skrillex.
I thought I'd include an up-and-coming public figure. He's been around quite a while, in the remix and dubstep scene. Recently, he broke the top 20 albums and is the first DJ/remix artist to be nominated for a Grammy award as Best New Artist. He also contributed heavily to Korn's new album. He also sports half of his head shaved, which is quickly becoming a cultural symbol.
4. Justin Bieber.
It pains me to write anything about him. However, it's hard to avoid mentioning him in a column about current pop artists. He's the biggest thing to come out of the frozen north since Nickelback. I think that his start, becoming a sensation on YouTube, is a great rags-to-riches story. Becoming a masturbation fantasy, though, for teen girls, is a bit much. He's sold millions of records worldwide and is an absolute machine. If patterns follow, he probably only has another few years left in him before his talent is milked dry and he's relegated to only guest spots as killers.
3. Katy Perry.
Katy Perry is heralded as the most successful pop artist of the last year. In 2011, she had five singles Teenage Dream hit go to the top of the charts. She also got married, and, of course, divorced. Magically, she was picked as one of Barbara Walter's 10 Most Fascinating People. All of this while headlining a successful world tour. Perry's biggest moment, of 2012, will be a probably Grammy win. Move over, Madonna.
2. Lady Gaga.
Speaking of Madonna, Lady Gaga had quite a good few years for herself. Somehow, her sophomore album was critically-acclaimed and not just written off as pop-fluff. On top of that musical success is the persona that she has carved out for herself. She's created a brand and has stuck to it quite well. She's also up for a Grammy and will be heading out, across the continents.
1. Britney Spears.
How much needs to be said about the Queen of Pop? She delivered, what some said, the best album of 2011, propelled by her dance-tracks "Till The World Ends", "Hold It Against Me", and "I Wanna Go". Short of having her own choreographed dance, she's one of the biggest artists in the club.
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. Artist: Why you chose it 4. Artist: Why you chose it 3. Artist: Why you chose it 2. Artist: Why you chose it 1. Artist: Why you chose it
