@@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024 I wouldn’t go as far to say she’s a throwback yet… She still dominating on spotify. I think we will know (if she is) with her next album.
@@Promage2 Katy is currently ranked 81th artist for daily streams, and 64th all-time ranking. Although it is not something to snooze at, I wouldn't call it "dominating on Spotify".
@@jweeping I would say for not focusing on music that’s amazing compared to her peers. She’s currently Ranked 35th in the world on spotify monthly listeners and is currently receiving 9.5 million daily streams without any major releases since 2020. Not only that but she (recently) became one of only 5 women to reach 101 billion streams across every platform. I would say she is doing quite nice.
Yes that’s true. I should have said ‘the majority of gen-zers.’ But RU-vid & iPod emerged 04/05 & were pretty much commonplace by then so they were dealing with digital tech pretty early on.
I'm in my mid-twenties and gosh I remember the days where an hour or two a day MTV would take requests and you'd pay 20 cents to have your favourite song play on the telly. I still remember the time I finally convinced my parents to let me send in a request and have my favourite song played, such good times!!
@@jonnyharveyexactly! Google says the oldest Gen Z was born 1997 so by the time they turned 13 they had full control to content compared to 70s and 80s babies.
To me Madonna, Queen, MJ, Kylie Minogue, Prince, Witney, Britney, Cher, The Beetles, Elvis, Mariah, Celine, Beyonce, Rolling Stones are true superstars
@@lucasb9285 sorry Beyonce is great and definitely a super star. I'm sure I have missed more superstars but the ones I mentioned are usually the songs I listen on a daily basis. Beyonce is great no doubt at all! :)
Everytime I see this type of conversation I can only think about what Beyoncé said about 10 years ago on how people weren't making albums anymore and the obsession with the personal lives of artists. The internet back then wasn't even close to what we have today, and this concern was already very pertinent.
As someone who was born in the midst of the 2000s I've been dwelling on this topic a lot recently. Even though I don't hate popular music these days, I never really had the chance to witness singers excel in the music industry the way that the generations of my parents have seen. I try to stay somewhat connected to the more dated eras of music but it really doesn't have the same effect as seeing these artists evolve and perform in real time.
It’s a shame but I guess you have social media & you can interact with their art & other fans in a way previous generations couldn’t. I’m trying to be positive 😂😂
So sad to see from 10:57 that Madonna is the last one standing after Prince, MJ, George and Whitney have all left the planet 😢 amazing to hear that her tour seems to have great reviews already ❤
What about Britney Spears? Since the beginning of 2023 I’ve been watching her old performances on RU-vid and I realised how big and talented she was back in 2000. She was so big and so great at such a young age.
I am glad I grew up in a time to witness the true meaning of a superstar and a time where the focus was on the music and the pure talent of the superstar rather than the “accidental leaks”, one-trick pony podcast soundbites, twitter tweets or lame “exposed” antics where TMZ personnel just happen to be at. The only interview we got was at TRL, 106 and Park or Barbara Walters and the majority of the promo was commercials. MTV UNPLUGGED, DRIVEN, BEHIND THE MUSIC, MAKING THE VIDEO or ACCESS GRANTED showcased the true artistry without microwavable and recycable gimmicks that came along with the musicality of the artists.
I’m glad I grew up in a time where I can listen to whatever I want, whenever I want, and not have radio & tv shoving musicians down my throat to force me to listen to like sheep
as a 14 year old teen, it's pretty upseting to me how my classmates only listen to what is "huge" in tik tok at the moment, and when someone hears something that it's not "huge" anymore, they make fun of you. that's pretty sick bc they don't listen to albums, they don't have favorite artists, their musical taste it's so ridiculous. sometimes i feel like a completely stranger to my generation bc i like old songs, read about legends impact, and i can only listen to music if it is full albums.. they don't really comprehend me lol. i was called "weirdo" because i like madonna like WTF IS THIS WORLD!! + for me, tik tok is nota main priority. i still use it but i have realized thattik tok gives me anxiety and it just isn't okay to my crazy brain to receive so much information in such little time. i hate how everything is so fast, in certain aspects
Nothing about u or what u said is sad. I agree with you. Music on Tik tok is for 30-60 seconds videos and doesn’t make that artist exactly popular/relevant it just help their song in those areas like for example Drake’s song “non stop” . “Non stop” had people flip the light switch on and off lol and because a lot of people was doing it using that song made the song grow in popularity on the charts due to the song playing for 30 seconds. Although Drake is and was popular before TikTok that was the best example I could give right off top. My parents and I went to the store and actually bought an artist album or single and based on who sold the most made that artist at that time popular/relevant. Listening to Albums and or singles is still the way we as adults consume music and who’s albums/singles we buy/streamed the most mad e an artist popular/relevant. Those rules have changed numerous times and I could go on and on but I just had to let u know you’re or what u said are not sad.
Gaga really was the last true pop star. She gave everything and got the conversation going. Music, looks, fashion, videos, theatricality, controversy, iconic red carpet entrances and unforgettable award show performances. I'm glad to have witnessed all that because I think it's gonna be a really long time before we have another major superstar, if we ever do.
Not enough hits...I'd called her a big star but not a superstar. Most people can hum manybe 2 songs at most..as opposed to the beatles, queen, beyonce and her previous band, madonna, and many others. To be a superstar takes decdaes and many many albums.
I genuinely think the 90s born, late 80s, experienced a really special time growing through the years with everything. Definitely something special. Nothings focused or personal anymore. Everyone is just doing everything and people are just a flash in the pan.
I ask my nieces and they even say that they don’t have any superstars. They can tell you who Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Britney, Madonna, Michael, Janet are. They said that the superstars from the past had a different work ethic than the celebrities of today. They know that none of these new people can dance or have cultural impact like the superstars from the past because they just aren’t as hungry. Celebrity is much easier to obtain than it was in the past and celebrity is enough for them and they aren’t willing to put in the work to become a superstar like they used to be.
Your nieces no (offense) aren’t really into music then. A lot of artists put in a lot of work and creativity into their craft. It’s easier to be known but to maintain being a celebrity is a lot harder to the point where you’ll have to drop music a lot more than back then where you could take 2+ years after 1 album and still be fine. Taylor y and Bts for example are really big superstars
@@youngfish1370 they don’t know a lot about music. But people who don’t know a lot about music know those people. People who never heard Michael Jackson’s music, know who he is by just a photo. That’s a superstar.
My opinion is on this topic is that 2010s we had our last true superstars and yes they were able to do it with social media. It's just that in the 2020s tiktok is our Napster. It's too much music and too much of people having access to things. Also algorithm keeps ppl separate. The 2010s superstars use social media to be everywhere while 2020s artists are forced to fit in categories. I just feel like algorithms are much more stronger and divided then it was back then. There is also a lack of training and laziness from artists. Tiktok made artists feel like everything should be handed to them. Another thing is that ppl find something about upcoming successful artists and what they did 10 years ago and try to ruin their careers something artists form the past didn't deal with.
some really good points there - I wish I included - 'the algorithm keeps people separate/the algorithm keeps things divided/there's a public record for all eternity (the internet)with articles/video clips which can come back to haunt artists and potentially threaten their careers.
As a member of Generation Z, born in 2002, I'm old enough to witness artists' growth but young enough not to have emotional attachments to the process. Here are my thoughts: The concept of "mainstream" seems to have evolved, with everyone now having a diverse array of "content creators" to watch and listen to. I believe it's a positive change that there are no longer iconic mega-stars like Michael Jackson. It's better for us and the artists themselves. Growing up, observing people, especially parents, idolizing artists like K-pop idols felt somewhat uncomfortable and cringe-worthy. The entertainment industry has become more democratized. It's crucial to remember that many of the artists we admire today also had connections in the industry. While they may be talented, it doesn't justify sidelining unknown talents who didn't get their break because they didn't fit certain beauty standards, despite their immense talent. I value the fact that my favorite artists aren't already fully polished. It allows me to see them as human beings first and witness their more organic growth, which feels different from the past generations of artists.
I do believe that’s good, but we really do need more mega stars like MJ, Beyoncè, Mariah, Whitney, Riri, back. It’s more useful than you think and they help A LOT of social conversations come into the mainstream and public thought.
@@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024 I used to think that prior to the blm protest, until then it showed that we no longer be stars/celebrities like prior to initiate or address controversial issues, in fact they stood beside us as equals and that has not been seen in a long time Rest assured we have more power as a collective than previous generations which will come with difficulties but it’s for the better.
True, even as a millenial in his late 30s can see and agree with this state. I've met a lot of people who didn't went further their garage performances spite their talent, until now decades later with Spotify and Apple music, when they are now as old if not older than I am... That been said, the superstar icon gave also some sense of something that was intended to achieve, like a compass if you will, on ow to improve as a music artist. Yes, is nice to see not fully polished artist and see their growth from there... but the truth is, specialy in Spotify and RU-vid Music, there's a lot of crap that's getting traction to celebrity status. So things my generation (me included) uploaded as mere self entertaiment and silly playfulness, now new generations uses it as "serious content" pretend to be "unpolished artists" and have this monster numbers of replays, when haven't even try to take a single singing lesson, because their goal is not to give a good track, but a viral tiktok audio. So as we can see a noticible difference in music between the 90s and the 2000s... we're not hearing that difference between the 2010s and this first half of 2020s, because there is no deep innovation, since there is no compass to follow.
In rock and alternative music, Linkin Park was pretty much the last band to welcome newer fans of not only those genres I’ve mentioned, but also punk, metal, electronic, and rap/hip-hop all at once as a gateway with their very own diverse musical styles and not conforming the old antiquated dogmas of rockism. They were at the right time before the internet became officially prevalent, and sold over a hundred million copies worldwide. Those guys are worth mentioning. Though you could argue about Imagine Dragons being the last band to go big on an international scale, but not like LP in my mind.
Yep. Linkin Park had a very unique and accessible formula that made bank in the pop market. While most of their contemporaries from the nu metal era dissipated in popularity, those guys reached new heights of global phenomenon throughout the ‘00s. Honestly miss them (R.I.P. Chester).
Thanks for this. I don't know much about Linkin Park but I think it's sad there is so little rock/punk/metal in the mainstream. It was great seeing different genres and creativity and now there's hardly any of it.
@@jonnyharvey They’re the band you should know a lot about other than listening to all of their catalog. I think you would make a really good video about them and their massive success at their place in the pop/mainstream market.
Perfectly explained. I know I'm missing out on great artists because of the algorithmic bubbles. I used to be a huge audiophile and loved discovering the most obscure bands, and now I act like I don't have the time for it 😳.
Very true and very sad as well I guess. As a former member of a band who never got signed, I know first hand how unjust, and even corrupt to certain extent the music industry was. I was also a record store owner, so I also know how lucrative it was! It's a good thing that almost anyone can get their music out there for the world to hear. No need for any record label to sign you and put money behind you! All you need is social media platforms and hope the algorithms pick you up or somehow go viral. No chance whatsoever for something like that back in my days! That said, it's also very sad that music no longer has the social impact it had in decades past! Music WAS EVERYTHING! It pretty much defined your life! Your group of friends, the places you hung out at, the clothes you wore. Everything was directly tied to the music you liked and listened to! The bond you created with others was incredible! Music literally defined us! It was a beautiful thing! And as much as you might think that almost worshipping these artists was cringe worthy, the truth is that those superstars were extremely talented and gifted individuals! They became superstars because they really were extraordinary! Will we ever see another MJ? Of course not! Will another female artist ever come close to influencing an entire generation like Madonna did! Absolutely not! And let's go further. Will another band ever change the entire landscape of the music world like Nirvana did??? Hell no!!!!!!!!!! The industry may now be "democratized", but that is not necessarily a good thing. The end product of that "democratization" has been the horrible quality of music we get these days, the lack of truly exceptionally talented and gifted artists that transend cultural and geographical lines, language, social status, ethnic backgrounds and everything else like those Superstars from yesteryear did!!! It's all very "tribal" now. I think Bad Bunny is the closest thing to a real superstar, and that's not really a good thing! I'll leave it at that!
Taylor Swift is already doing that as a female artist currently in influencing Gen Z & Millennials especially Gen z....she literally influenced young people to vote & guess what after her tweet..new voting registration spiked high people who turned 18 decided to register to vote... Taylor may not be a sex symbol like Madonna...but had huge influence in their respective generations in different ways.
Not really. It does and it’s obvious it does. It’s just she music isn’t in the mainstream anymore if we’re being honest. It’ll enter back, but at the moment, music is not apart of the mainstream at the moment. Superstars to be more specific.
I think the future superstars could go one of two ways: 1. They’re gone for good after the generation of Gaga, Taylor, and Beyoncé start to fade. They’re superstars now because ppl know them because they got big before the social media boom that killed the mainstream. After the mainstream’s death, it’s harder to make a name for yourself and get a lot of people know who you are. 2. Superstars will not have their biggest eras during their debuts and seeing how long they can keep that press attention on them. They will pop up the longer they’re in their careers and the longer they’re on the scene, the more ppl know about them and the bigger their back catalog gets for ppl to discover and blow them up. We kinda see that happening with Taylor rn. She was never a small star but it’s undeniable that she got significantly bigger during the pandemic and climbed higher and higher with her rereleases and midnights. This could happen with the new names today.
Pop culture is dead. Tv killed the radio and streaming killed music. I think the last artists to organically become famous were the pop girls who debuted in the last 2000s like Gaga and Katy and Taylor. Like mentioned they really were dropped from labels and had to bounce around for years before successfully making it big. Nowadays you have Disney girls who were pushed as industry puppets in order to launch a career and you also have artist who rely on tik tok to gain a quick hit. Even then we can see that album cycles aren’t the same as they used too. Album cycles used to be every two to three years and had proper roll out, now you see artist release album and another one not even after a full two years.
The younger generation often lacks artistic vision, as they are more focused on attempting to create viral moments and are preoccupied with their presence on social media, rather than their artistic vision, concepts, references, and experimentation. What I've observed is that the new generation of artists, like O. Rodrigo, tend to heavily rely on aesthetics that aren't entirely their own. They essentially sample and interpolate much of their music, catering to a particular nostalgic sound, while neglecting their personal exploration of themes. In the past, pop stars possessed a strong vision and a deep understanding of their identity and representation. Consequently, only a few of the current pop acts feel authentic and compelling, while the rest are primarily concerned with churning out a slew of disposable quick singles and viral reels or TikToks.
I think to find a sense of artist identity, one needs to have influences to guide them to that point…almost like a mentor. So where do you think the line should be drawn between being influenced and exploring those influences/ideas and flat out imitating or relying on an aesthetic. Being inspired and incorporating your influences to your art isn’t a bad thing, at least I don’t think so.
@@AvaAdore-wx5ggcompletely well said!!!! And so darn true! They also had to perform basically in strip malls and parking lots around the world day after day during their artists development which made them more hardworking and attentive of the craft rather than the rewards of it.
@@AvaAdore-wx5ggWhy did you say “Not only Black Performers” then proceed to name some extremely privileged mediocre yt ladies?💀 No amount of other races or Artist had to put in the work on par with Black Entertainers AT ALL or even gone through a quarter of what they’ve gone through. Especially back then, today as well. Like no.
This is false there’s plenty of artists who put effort into their music with the criteria you listed. Examples are people like J.Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Lil Yachty, Denzel Curry, Jid, Baby Keem, Tyler The Creator, Teezo Touchdown, The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Dc The don, Juice Wrld, XXX Tentacion, Travis Scott, Aaron May, Young Thug, Sza, Joey Badass, A$AP Rocky, Lucki, Childish Gambino, Daniel Cesar, etc
Having grown up through the 80s (51 in 2023), I've always attributed the ascendancy of popular music to "monocultural touchstone" status to one factor which originated in the 80s: The portability of on-demand music. In a way that was impossible with other forms of media (television, movies, video games) music became a form of entertainment one could carry with you no matter where you went. The Walkman, The Discman, and briefly the I-Pod, allowed music to be the go-to form of entertainment anytime, anywhere. Now, however, with the advent of the smartphone, one has streaming TV or movies, RU-vid and TikTok videos, video games, social media doom-scrolling, anything and everything can be accessed, no matter where you are, through your phone. With that kind of paradigm shift, little wonder that music (and by extension, music artists) have slid a few rungs down the cultural relevancy ladder.
Yeah.your right also the barrier of entry is no longer there . You can make and record music on your phone now as well. I was born in the 90s but I grew up in an entertainment household so I was able to hijack and rig technology to record myself but it was still a PROCESS. you had to really want it if you wanted to record yourself at home. In generations past you had to come up with a months wage to record your music for a couple hours at a studio to achieve a high fidelity recording . That is no longer the case you can achieve a market ready sound with literally a phone and a few clicks of the mouse . The intrigue and mystery of the recording process itself is no longer there. And the knowledge curve to learn how to use recording equipment is non existent. Making an instrumental track used to seem like an intricate hidden science...
I definitely feel there was a lack of mention for Nicki Minaj when she completely dominates the criteria given. For example: A long series of hits: Super Bass, Starships, Anaconda, Super Freaky Girl, Moment 4 Life etc are some of the biggest hits of the 2010’s and so far 2020’s, even her deep album and mixtape cuts from over a decade ago continue to resurface and go viral on platforms such as TikTok. Pink Friday and The Pink Print are often credited as “female rap bibles” along side Lil Kim’s ‘Hardcore’ and in 2017 she broke Aretha Franklin’s record for the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and (if im not mistaken) is the woman with the second most just behind Taylor Swift. She was also the first woman in music history to have 7 songs charting simultaneously on the BB Hot 100 and lastly was the first Female Rapper since Lauryn Hill in over 20 yrs to debut #1 on the BB Hot 100 Solo Helps to define an era: Nicki Minaj is classified as a pillar of 2010’s music and has inspired many of todays star’s female rap and otherwise such as Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Latto, Cupcakke, Asian Doll, City Girls, Doja Cat etc. Her feature verses (such as Kanye West’s Monster) are classified as some of the most iconic pieces of music in the last decade. She also was the reason Vevo’s record for the most music video views in 24 hours was created Cross generational appeal: While of course her main impact was on people who grew up in the 2010’s there are many videos of people from the ages 40+ who are die hard fans of Minaj and she is someone who can surely pass the “Parent test” Sells out arenas/stadiums: Nicki Minaj was the first female rapper to headline her own solo World Tours and all 3 of her solo tours have sold out on Pre Sale day. Infiltrating pop culture: Nicki Minaj is a house hold name whether it be for her music, acting, controversy, business ventures (such as Myx) etc. she has almost made a difference in Music as an entirety as she was one of the main reasons why Artists are paid for their music streams on platforms. I hope this doesnt come across as an attack more than it was to be educational if you didnt know just how much impact she has had.
I can't say it's a bad thing. Whitney Houston, Aaron Carter, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson. Fame broke them. Let's make good music in small intimate settings and stay humble.
ONE reason only! Record company become lazy and cheap. While demanding 80% and owning all rights. They don't want to put any effort in it. No artist development. Only focussing on someone's social media views and pushing them into a very VERY short career spam. Often very young. Talent takes time. True authentic Artist and musicians don't put their stuff on social media. They'll stay independent.
This is so true. The local nightclub I go to, the djs mostly now play songs from the 00's and mid 10's cos everybody knows them. They will play a few modern songs here and there but many people will leave the dancefloor when they come on because, like you said, modern music is served in such fragmented spaces that not everyone is exposed to it/knows it. There are very few contemporary hits nowadays that reach everyone. You probably get one global smash every 2 or 3 months, whereas in the past there would be hit after hit after hit
Great video! I've had a feeling you've been building up to a video like this for a while so I'm glad you were able to make it. It's been mentioned before, I'm sure, but I'm of the mindset that, since pop culture isn't so singular anymore, it's a lot more difficult to get a firm standing in the public conscious, for better or worse. So many more avenues to receive news and music and entertainment have, in a sense, diminished the impact someone can have. It's the trade-off of having access to so much more stuff, I guess.
I feel we know far too much about 'Superstars' these days. Even Megastars of the past such as Madonna, whilst adapting to current trends, she's lost something about her. Maybe the word is 'Mystique' but then again, I'm not sure how an air of mystery would particular benefit current Stars. The notion of Stars whose work you consume, being relatable is interesting. I grew up in the late 90's but gravitated towards past stars such as MJ, Madonna, Tina Turner and ABBA; Not for a moment did I feel I could relate to them, it never even crossed my mind. xo
@@jonnyharveycompletely agree! Plus it made the wait for their next project that more exciting. Because they were keeping a low-profile. Plus the music should speak for itself. It takes away from the talent when there’s “leaked” photos or political tweets they put out.
Im so surprised Nicki wasn’t mentioned like what?? Her impact and success is wild. Her award catalog? All of her hits? All of her cross over to other genres?
@@jonnyharvey international. She’s been able to chart across the UK, Asia, and Latin America especially with her doing collaborations with artists from those regions. Going as far to even release a Japan exclusive of Pinkprint
Well if you notice that with every decade there is a decline in talent. The people from the 2010's and 2020's just dont have the talent and creativity of say MJ, Prince or Madonna. They were trendsetters. The artist of today are just a cheao imitation of MJ, Madonna, Janet and Whitney
In my country (DRC) in Congo, the only known MJ, Beyonce, lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Rihanna. The other artist like Taylor Swift , bts etc only rich kids knows them. - for many of us, the only way to know American music from radio or nightclub. - not everyone uses Spotify
In my country(India), the most known are MJ, Taylor, Rihanna, Beyonce, Madonna. There are rarely people who know Gaga, Katy etc. tbh, gaga isn't as relevant as she was back in the 2010s. I would say her last 'mainstream' hit was Shallow. Chromatica was not really a success like her previous work..
I enjoy your channel so much. You only have 8k subs as of now, but I never miss a video and they are always so professional and enganging and you are always eloquent and well spoken. Feels like a channel with 100\200k subs (which I'm sure you will get there). Keep it up, because you are doing great.
The last superstars were Miley and Gaga, after their sucess in the late 00s and early 10s there hasn't been anyone that truly dominated the world and were in everyone's mouths.... there has been stars but no one has really impacted music and left their mark in the popular culture.
@dpeon. Miley is a superstar... She gets Millions of likes on her Instagram post. And Flowers was a hit... After the 2000s, that was the death of the musical superstar...
So glad to have been born in the 90’s to have been able to experience true artist. Unlike now the artist that are out there only care about TikTok and going viral.
I agree that the music of the 90s was generally much better than now, yet there is still heaps of brilliant music still being made, just not breaking into the mainstream
@@zaneatkins1908 yeah, which is really unfortunate. There’s a bunch of underground artists that have potential and yet they’re barely given any attention.
I am so glad Beyoncé still mantains her old school appeal she is very private doesn't really give interviews she comunicates with her music and maybe a documentary ocationally ❤
@@taintedlife2618it sure was!!! An amazing album of independence, mature straight-to-the-point lyrics and lessons taught to youth growing up and dating.
@ttban1988 yasss!!! Just like how it was back then. No theatrics, just musical artwork. No need to be in her business. Let’s enjoy her talent and move on. Too many of these artists saturate us with everything but the music and if it is the music, it’s subpar.
I think the new formula is a mix between both and old, but it appears that these stars don’t understand that. Zendaya appears to understand that though and that’s why she’s THEE superstar.
As a preteen, I'd spend hours going through the stacks of CDs at my local record store, HMV, or second hand shop. There used to be listening stations at clothing stores too, where you'd put on the clunky headphones to select one of 3 music choices at places like Bluenotes or Old Navy so you could hear the entire album before committing to a purchase. Must-watch TV in middle school during the early 2000s was TRL and Much Music (for non-US viewers) to see interviews with major bands and performers, or watch hours of music videos that would also show up at your school dances. Every tween could sing-rap the lyrics to Spice Girls 'Wannabe', do the dance from Backstreet Boys 'Everybody (Backstreet's Back)' and saw triple threat actors/singers/dancers like Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, Justin Timberlake, and Usher rise to become some of the highest paid performers of their generation. Even if you didn't have access to a TV, or high speed internet, you knew vaguely who these performers were, because their presence was everywhere. Being beholden to cable tv and radio syndications really harnessed everyone's attention to singular pop culture events in ways that I am certain cannot be captured again. There's too much immediacy and too many things demanding our undivided attention that make it nearly impossible to focus on one person or performer for too long. In a way it has democratized the ability of current listeners to curate their own tastes in film, television, and music, but it has also siloed a lot of performers and their fans instead of achieving a larger cultural presence that cuts across demographic divides. Is it necessary to have superstardom? Probably not. But it does make me a little sympathetic to younger generations who cannot find those collective touchstones that really make markers for their age group to reflect on in their futures. If you can't agree on some things, you could at least reminisce over some common moment in pop culture that defined your generation. Communicating that via memes or viral clips doesn't really have the same impact.
I think I big problem/advantage for new artist is that labels want to have lots of artists instead of honing superstars, superstars have leverage (devoted fanbase and great public reception) and even if that's good for the business also it means they can take their art anywhere and flourish regardless but with lots of smaller artists they need the label support and it doesn't matter if they are not successful, other (equally smaller) artist will replace them.
I think a big part of it is that there wasn't so much else going on to distract us/detract attention from a few really big names. So when all the focus is on those couple people it makes them seem huge...what you focus on gets bigger type of thing. Now there's tons of social media platforms with tons of channels you can watch at any time of the day, you can also use your time to learn basically anything online. There is also a myriad of streaming platforms where you can basically watch anything on demand. It's the same thing that is happening in tv and film. People have other ways to entertain themselves these days.
For me, a superstar have to give a great (not just good) live performance. Be it dancing their asses off or singing their hearts out. Someone who can move the masses just from their performance. Stars like MJ, Beyonce, Mariah, and Celine. Too many from the new generation can't give a decent live performance and most of their concerts feels like a sing-along. Internet hype got these record labels pushing their artists to perform for big crowds without any experience.
Most of the mainstream artists today simply don’t have the IT factor, they don’t have stage presence which explains why they’re weak when performing live.
I’ve noticed how a lot of the artists nowadays look very unprofessional when performing live compared to the older artists. It’s a lack of training I bet.
Very interesting video as always!! Record labels probably don't want Superstars anymore bc they have to shell out buckets like Janet Jacksons four album contract of $80 million, $100 million for Mariah Carey five albums. It's too risky, so they get quick money from low-risk talent.
@@Mitch-Alex Yup, which is crazy bc It's freaking Mariah Carey i.e the best selling act of the 1990s but sometimes just one album is enough to derail your career
I think famous people are way more accessible now than they ever were to the public due to social media. You no longer need to stay tuned on tv or catch them at shows, etc. They post constantly and just feel like regular people (which isn't "bad", it's just something that previous stars definitely didn't do). Not to mention, no one has a mysterious or special personality like Prince or Michael Jackson for example. There's no one I'd drop what I'm doing for today to go see (even if they were right across the street) and that speaks volumes in itself.
Really miss those eras. Again, I’m not feeling this “quirky” and trying hard to be relatable music that comes out today. Those people don’t do anything for me and are just… there. That’s why I started to go back to the superstars of older ages and find deep cuts and underrated material. I have to say, I’m glad I was alive in that late ‘00s/early ‘10s era.
@@thalesmatheus6011 she is actually.She is untouchable in her 10th album,she completely obliterated tour grosses and caused movies to shift just to avoid heat from her concert film. Best selling album of decade as well.
Interesting that the rap category is missing from this assessment. Regarding music "superstars" and the industry in general, rap culture has been dominant for *50* years. In the context of this subject, I thought Cardi B would get a mention. I'm not a fan of hers, can't name any of her songs, but every time I turn around, I hear her name. She definitely passes the "parent test"
@@khamrhod8360They’re both superstars. You underestimate Cardi B, but it’s obvious she’s THEE superstar and breaks the internet Every time she performs and becomes the topic of conversation 24/7.
@@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024 I don’t really care about rap like that but you implying that Cardi B is still relevant is funny, doesn’t she only have 1 album and hasn’t toured🤨every time I hear about her is because of her rants on the internet, I see Nicki Minaj trending all the time about her MUSIC
I did mention Eminem. It's not a definitive ranking or anything. IMHO to be a true superstar you need to have success over at least two decades. That's probably why I didn't include her. I don't know any of her songs at all. Maybe I should have mentioned her? I don't know.
It's crazy how besides the charts and longevity Taylor Switch is not a superstar to me, I'm not gonna compare to the 90's 00' but the last superstar was Rihanna after that social media kinda killed the Superstar status , even Ariana Grande had some moments but when we talk about impact popularity and talent the last were Gaga Katy Perry and Rihanna
I think she seems like a lovely person but I've never got in her music at all. But nonetheless I do accept she is a global superstar - selling out stadiums ALL around the world, all the Grammys, one of the few artists who actually still sells albums - she's a genuine phenomenon.
Saying Taylor swift isn't superstar is wild 😂 either you are in some drugs or pure delusional. She is about to have biggest grossing and attended tour in history and has no 1 movie in the world. Not to mention she already inside top 10 best selling artist of all time. She just attended one NFL game and it was the most viewed game since last year superbowl. Pm and president all over the world inviting her to tour. That's super superstar and noone is even close at present
Justin Bieber was the last superstar. In the early 2010s he dominated pop culture and had wall to wall media coverage in a way no one has since. In the mid to late 2010s and into the 2020s he become a consistent chart topper. He was the first and last superstar to emerge from the social media era.
yes maybe I should've included him? I only know three of his songs really, from 2015 (I think). I know he's really talented. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I just don't feel his appeal was very cross-generational, or long-term & I don't think he has had a classic album.
@@jonnyharveyHe Has 1 classic album named Purpose. With that album it was suddenly approved if you were a Justin Bieber fan. Before that album it was not oke to be a fan of him. Of Course he can't beat Madonna, Mariah, Celine and others. Im going to Madonna on 2nd of December. Can't wait
He was popular but lacks the charisma of the stars of yesteryear. He’s more like the young stars we had back then for the youth but he wasn’t anywhere near an icon.
Top of the Pops stopped in 2006, that was the end of the music industry. Television was always the most important medium to promote new music, think Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Today no one under the age of 50 watches TV.
Her ERAS tour record breaking profits and the way she got the tour film into theaters are both literally unprecedented, and that's just the two things I'm thinking of right now!
@mclovinit2213 I'm not tearing others down :) I'm just saying that she just did something record breaking that's also very much a classic pop star move in terms of going to concerts/a tour in person. It's not criticizing others to share a statistical fact. There are many ways that others have done things just as groundbreaking in other ways too! I was commenting on her because the original person was, haha. There is plenty of room for lots of these superstars (or historically there has been, at least). Not a zero sum game :)
Maybe only Madonna. I definitely think that Taylor is the millennial's version of Madonna. She tops the charts, has been insanely popular for decades now, and almost all of her genre-changing experiments are successful.
I've noticed this buzzword "glocalisation"in the business lately. I was reading up on it, it suggests English music's grip on streaming is loosening, making way for local acts singing in their native languages to conquer regional charts. With Steve Cooper's take on reducing financial dependency on superstars, we'll probably witness more regional stars ruling the roost in their local languages, over superstars focused on global domination. It's a positive shift imho; budgets previously reserved for superstars can now support more artists. This change may also encourage more cross-cultural crossovers, a trend I'm all for, loving music from Korea, India, Africa, and the Spanish and French-speaking worlds. I will miss the era of larger-than-life global megastars though. They’re beginning to become an endangered species! 😬
@@jonnyharvey yes Music Business Worldwide, Billboard and the FT have written about. MBW also did a podcast about it too back on July 4th, if you’re interested 👍
I'll the same thing I said about Hollywood, it's a good thing that there are so many artists. Now it seems like more ppl have a chance to be professionals. Fame comes with a price that not everyone wants
Yeah. These days African Artists who were siloed from the mainstream can upload their music on RU-vid and Earn 200 million views. The world has changed
2010's gave us Ariana Grande, The Weeknd and Harry Styles which are in my opinion the definition of superstars. I don't personally like but I would add BTS and Blackpink. And a special bow goes to the one who came on a horse from the land of the rising Sun to make nine zeroes appear for the first time. When it comes to 2020's I got nothing. Maybe Maneskin will make it? P.S. You really forgot about Kourtney 😂
We don’t need superstars anymore. It came at the ultimate price of those artists’ privacy and humanity. The music industry had too much power and was extremely abusive and exploitative. Record Companies have had too much power and their time is up. Music decentralization is the way to go.
i'd count Katy, Ariana & Nicki as last superstars. They all had big moments and deserve that title. Each of em changed a game and for some time ruled the industry.
Bieber as well in one of the last superstars as he has survived the transition from teen idol to adult performer. Come to think of it I think teen idols are a thing of the past with perhaps the exception of K-Pop. Now here is great title for a video; "What happened to the era of teen idols"? One Direction and Bieber were the last two big teen idols, then something happened in the music industry so that we don't see teen idols anymore when they used to be a staple in the music industry going back to even before Elvis Presley burst upon the music scene in the 1950's and changed music forever.
@@jonnyharveyI know exactly what you mean. The music has to be long lasting through decades like music from the greats you mentioned and not music that wont be remembered ten years from now.
@@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024most people aren't listening to either of these people. That's what he means. Michael Jackson was for everyone. Whitney Houston was for everyone. Coldplay was for everyone. Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande only have very loyal fanbases. And Katy Perry lasted for 4-5 years at the top spots, and has been irrelevant since 2014
Justin Bieber is the obvious superstar of the 2010s He's the only pop star that my old ass never listened to, but I was exposed to his cultural impact enough as a bystander that I can recognize at least three different songs of his, I know a little bit about hist "story" and even know who he's dating.
A valid music topic. Thanks. My two cents: the 2000’s babies, like other young generations, have their own rite of passage. “Sadly” for us older folks, they’re not accepting the baton that we’ve theoretically tried to pass on to them. They like music but they don’t love it. The attention span and the genuine interest in music isn’t there. Unless it’s a Tik Tok dance challenge. At 51, it’s been interesting seeing my age group navigate this 2023 world. They’re often bewildered by Gen Z. I’m not, largely bc we’re not peers. And it’s not my place to expect/encourage them to have them same youth experience as previous generations. ✌🏽
that's really interesting - thanks for sharing. Yes that mirrors my own experience with younger generations. I guess we'll have to accept they will be doing things very differently when it comes to music.
You are also forgetting that as America PR is declining all over the world and different people from different countries embracing their cultures more coupled with globalization, people no longer view America as the holy grail anymore. Hence everything that makes America a nation of envy will also be eroded with it and unfortunately entertainers especially music stars will suffer from this. Kpop, Afrobeats, latin music etc have their stars now and they perharps dont have to look to America or the west for that anymore. Also, we may never have another MJ, Beyonce, Madona and the likes ever again. Times are changing and we just have to adapt to it.
@@jonnyharvey In their glorious days, just like the Music Industry... Ironically enough, these days, they are also struggling to fight with Social Media, Video Games, and other abundance (6:00) of media like you said made by yours truly... The Internet... Oh, how sad it is to think of that when it was young, we thought back then it could add good things in life... But as time passes, it only wrecks every good thing made by great people (especially the Music and Film Industry) of the past...
Welcome to the 21st century. As an old guy who is approaching 60 I can tell you that the 20th century paradigms are gone. It’s time to move on. I love music of every decade. The days of Beatlemania are long gone. Nevertheless, Taylor Swift just breaks all rules. Proving that there will always be a superstar performer.
@@khamrhod8360 yes them too. I just feel like the artist from the 2010s handle being a superstar with social media. It's just the 2020s it's so saturated and ppl know too much about stars. I mean you blow up and next thing you know something you did 15 years is hindering you're career,
@@Malik_7002Taylor swift is definitely a 2010’s star, idk why he puts her as a 2000’s star. Adele is barely a 2000’s star. Anyway, the 2010’s should really only include artists from 2010-2018 who were very popular.
Yes, the fame paradigm was changed by the social media. Any plain Jane or just any shmuck has a shot to stardom at the tip of their fingers. But being accessible to fame comes with a cost - the quality is compromised. Reason why influencers like RU-vidrs, TikTokers do the most silly, stupid ass things just to remain relevant and as to why the Kardashians became famous despite the serious lack of any skill or talent. It all boils down to marketing, the same way corporation market the most useless products with colorful packaging, aggressive promotion and hype.
I think the marketing is a far greater factor than in the 80s/90s definitely. The image, brand and social media following plays a far greater part. Hence why so much of the variety and character in popular music is gone.
People underestimate her. But forget just how huge The Supremes and Diana Ross were. They were the pinnacle of what a star was and personified it COMPLETELY.
Very good video! 👏 The death of the music superstar has really coincided with all the other changes in the world over the past quarter century. With social media replacing radio, TV, etc. Audiences have become so fragmented. And people don't relate to stars the way they used to. I'm surprised Eminem was not mentioned here. Because I believe he was the last truly unique superstar in mainstream music. Nothing sounded like him before him. And he represented the underclass of society. Much like Nirvana did a decade before. Also, the new music superstars of the past 20 years have mostly been targeted towards female audiences. And that trend has continued. It seems half of the population has been neglected for the most part. This is why young boys/men would rather play video games than look up to Taylor Swift or Beyoncé.
bro you forgot about Bad Bunny - he's technically a bigger superstar than Shawn Mendez or Ed Sheeran (in terms of sales and cultural impact). Shakira too.
I love your videos and opinions on music, but I feel like you never mention Hip Hop musicians enough when it comes to your individual deepdive videos or your list of superstar performers. I wish you could do a deep dive on legendary hip hop and other black musical genres and musicians more.
Thanks for this feedback - I have huge respect for hip-hop artists & I appreciate the genre has had an immeasurable influence on popular music since the 80s. But I don't think I'm the right person to make videos on hip-hop music. I don't think I know enough. Sorry.
The main reason is a glut of stuff bombarding everyone 24./7 nowadays, and less talent than the past in most ways. Years ago you barely heard from or about the superstar, they went 3-4 years between albums, sometimes longer, and it was an event when they released an album. Today it's forgotten about within a news cycle, most youth today have attention span of a gnat. So to have someone like Adelle, Lady gaga and Taylor Swift today is amazing really, they could be the true last big stars similar to the past. Time will tell
As a huge but young music lover, I want to like modern music and I do like some modern artists like Doja Cat and Billie Eilish, but superstars will never be the same as before. The media and the culture were just different. It disappoints me but this video is very well made
In the Latin music realm, recently Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro, J Balvin, Daddy Yankee, Aventura, and some others are probably up there in superstar realm. Ask anyone who speaks Spanish who they are, same with parents. Aventura is more 2000s, but these big artists are gonna be around for a while. Other than J Balvin and Daddy Yankee, most debuted in the 2015+ range.
They've mentioned that artist development is at an all time low. Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, Travis Scott and Bad Bunny are some current "superstars" I'd say in that they have huge followings. But yeah, "superstardom" doesn’t look quite like it did in the past.
Nicki Minaj is definitely a superstar who came out in the 2010s. Her name is definitely known by many ppl old/young or even ppl that don't keep up with hip-hop or music in general so...
Dude, no. Beyonce is on tour. Taylor Swift is on tour. Kylie Minogue just released new music And is on tour. Madonna is on tour, Again. Cher has just released new Christmas music. Even tho we have lost a number of great musical artists, I see, apparently optimistically, another season of Musical Superstar-ships on the horizon. Also, Katy Perry, among other (newer, albeit) artists setting a period (.) & selling their catalog(s), with hopes for a time when they can release NEW material; & hopefully, some of our other favorite musicians and & up-and-coming artists are taking notes on how to do Well from our favorite past artists. Idk what lenses you're looking thru, but bro, plz readjust your Rx.
Dude - you didn’t watch the video. Dude. All those artists you mentioned are all music veterans. The youngest being Taylor who debuted 17 years ago. Who have we had since then? I’m very much aware Beyonce & Taylor are on tour - thanks for reminding me?!?!!
You totally left out the time of napster that changed everything and brought us to where we are. You also missed out the MTV era just before that. It’s interesting how music has come full circle to being about singles like when it began. It’s about niches now and I like that personally. We won’t have huge megastars again and it’s not because of lack of talent, the platforms that people consume music on is the reason. Welcome to the fragmented era of niches.
Tbh, music being about albums is fairly new concept compared to singles which were all the rage until like Donna Summers cresting eras, then the 80s, 90s, 2000s, then it going RIGHT back to being about singles. History will repeat itself, we just have to wait.
Well Napster was the root cause of all these far-reaching problems but I didn't include any info about it, because everybody already knows that. And also the video took me two weeks - I could've been far more detailed but it would've taken me ages to get it finished.
@@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024i think albums became a thing in the 60s and The Beatles as well as many others were the ones who made the album such an important thing. (Obviously technology changing set it off)
Yes the music industry has changed a lot and not much is required to be a “celebrity”, “star” or to even get exposure these days. However, Jungkook of the K-pop group BTS is indeed a superstar. He has all of the things you stated are required to be considered a superstar. Every generation has had trash music, you just have to dig a lil deeper these days to find the treasure….I was born in NYC in ‘86…had someone told me back in the ‘90’s-‘00’s, that I would love the music catalog of seven Korean men as an adult, I would’ve told them they were crazy lol. It’s true tho, because they’re awesome.💜
As a Gen Z born in 2005 I prefer Artist like Michael Jackson, Whitney, James Brown and Stevie Wonder, because I consider them real stars and I never listen to what kids my age are listening to, I prefer music older music, because of the quality and effort that went into it, It's not fair that I wasn't born in the time When artist like Michael Jackson or Prince, Mariah Carey were rising up to fame, they put so much work and craft into their work and I wish I was born in that time to witness that
I 100% agree and I'm 19. I'm a huge fan of Michael, Prince, Funcadelic, Grace jones, Rick James, Chaka Khan, Zeppelin, King Crimson, Queen, Teena Marie, etc. It sucks that we weren't around during the golden age of music or lived in a world where technology wasn't a distraction and people interacted with eachother on the regular.
woo woo! i do love the digital album playlist though, i remember being i think, 13 with a CD player, just gotten Kylie Minogue's new greatest hits record, Ultimate, i had to skip through 17 tracks just to get to the new song. I replaced that CD once because it got worn out lol So that part i will never miss!! great videoooo
