Pop music lacks a strict definition. It is generally considered music that is mainstream, widely appealing, and easily accessible. The genre incorporates elements from rock, country, and rap. For years, the pop industry has been dominated by artists such as Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, and Justin Bieber. Meanwhile, Black musicians are often excluded from being recognized as pop artists and are instead mislabeled into other genres.
There are exceptions, with Beyoncé and Rihanna standing out as two of the most influential pop artists. However, Black musicians who create pop music often face criticism. Some Black audiences label them as “too white,” while music labels push them toward hip-hop or R&B. White artists like Ariana Grande and Justin Timberlake navigate both R&B and pop seamlessly, but Black artists rarely receive the same flexibility.
Record labels often deem pop music by Black artists as less marketable. Industry experts have pointed to racism within both the music industry and its audience, which has led to a separate marketing structure for Black musicians. Radio stations tend to prioritize white artists, as seen when country stations refused to play Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter despite its country influences.
Black musicians who venture into pop often face accusations of “selling out” rather than being recognized for exploring different genres. Streaming services further the issue by categorizing their music as R&B or hip-hop, even when their sound aligns more closely with pop. These genre labels restrict artists’ ability to cross musical boundaries.
Historically, instead of calling music by Black artists “pop,” the industry used the term “urban contemporary.” Introduced in 1974, this term was meant to encompass multiple genres but eventually became a catch-all label for Black musicians. Following criticism, Republic Records and other labels phased out the term, acknowledging that “urban” had become a generalization for Black artists.
Being a Black musician often means being automatically labeled as an R&B or hip-hop artist, even when the music does not fit those genres. Singer SZA has spoken out on this issue, saying, “The only reason I’m defined as an R&B artist is because I’m Black. It’s almost a little reductive because it doesn’t allow space to be anything else or try anything else.”
Many of pop music’s most iconic artists, including Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, were Black. Today, mainstream pop includes names like Tate McRae, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sabrina Carpenter, yet artists like Tyla are often excluded from the pop conversation. The industry must evolve to allow musicians to explore genres freely without restrictive labeling. Black artists deserve to be recognized as pop musicians when their music aligns with the genre. Among today’s emerging Black pop artists, Rachel Chinouriri, Cat Burns, and Leonie Biney stand out as examples of talent breaking through these barriers.
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