View source for Dance-pop

{{Short description|Music genre}}
{{not to be confused|Disco-pop}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Dance-pop
| other_names       = {{hlist|Club-pop|EDM-pop}}
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|[[Pop music|Pop]]|[[Dance music|dance]]|[[disco]]|[[post-disco]]|[[synth-pop]]<ref name="apell423">{{Cite book |last=Glenn Appell, David Hemphill |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YCwYAQAAIAAJ |title=American popular music: a multicultural history |publisher=[[The Thomson Corporation|Thomson Wadsworth]] |year=2006 |isbn=0155062298 |location=Belmont, CA |page=423 |quote=The 1980s brought the dawning age of the synthesizer in rock. Synth pop, a spare, synthesizer-based dance-pop sound, was its first embodiment. |access-date=12 May 2012}}</ref>|[[electropop]]|[[House music|house]]|[[bubblegum pop]]}}
| cultural_origins  = Late 1970s to early 1980s, United States and United Kingdom
| derivatives       = {{hlist|[[Eurobeat]]|[[diva house]]|[[vocal trance]]}}
| subgenres         = 
| fusiongenres      = {{hlist|[[Teen pop]]|[[house-pop]]|[[Italo disco]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/italo-disco-guide | title=All About Italo Disco: Origins and Notable Italo Disco Artists - 2025 }}</ref>}}
| other_topics      = {{flatlist|
*[[Europop]]
*[[K-pop]]
*[[J-pop]]
*[[disco-pop]]
*[[Stock Aitken Waterman]]
*[[List of dance-pop artists|list of artists]]
}}
}}
{{Electronic music top}}

'''Dance-pop''' (also known as '''club-pop''' and '''EDM-pop''') is a [[Music genre|genre]] of [[electronic dance music]] that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dance Pop 101: From the 1970s to Today|url=https://www.altwire.net/dance-pop-explained/|website=AltWire
|date=5 December 2023 |language=en}}</ref> It is generally uptempo music intended for [[nightclub]]s with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for [[contemporary hit radio]]. Developing from a combination of [[Dance music|dance]] and [[Pop music|pop]] with influences of [[disco]],<ref name=AMDancePop/> [[post-disco]]<ref name="post">Smay, David & Cooper, Kim (2001). ''Bubblegum Music Is the Naked Truth: The Dark History of Prepubescent Pop, from the Banana Splits to Britney Spears'': "... think about Stock-Aitken-Waterman and Kylie Minogue. Dance pop, that's what they call it now — Post-Disco, post-new wave and incorporating elements of both." Feral House: Publisher, p. 327. {{ISBN|0-922915-69-5}}.</ref> and [[synth-pop]],<ref name="apell423" /> it is generally characterised by strong beats with easy, uncomplicated song structures<ref name="AMDancePop">{{Cite web |date=30 October 2011 |title=Dance-pop |url=http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/dance-pop-ma0000004548 |publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> which are generally more similar to pop music than the more free-form dance genre, with an emphasis on melody as well as catchy tunes.<ref name=AMDancePop/> The genre, on the whole, tends to be [[Record producer|producer-driven]], despite some notable exceptions.<ref name=AMDancePop/>

Dance-pop is highly eclectic, having borrowed influences from other genres, which varied by producers, artists and periods. Such include [[contemporary R&B]], [[House music|house]], [[Trance music|trance]], [[techno]], [[electropop]], [[new jack swing]], [[funk]] and [[pop rock]].

Dance-pop is a popular mainstream style of music and there have been numerous artists and groups who perform in the genre. Notable artists include [[Cher]], [[Madonna]], [[Britney Spears]], [[Rick Astley]], [[Kylie Minogue]], [[Christina Aguilera]], [[Spice Girls]], [[Paula Abdul]], [[Backstreet Boys]], [[Michael Jackson]], [[NSYNC]], [[Jennifer Lopez]], [[Janet Jackson]], [[Rihanna]], [[Katy Perry]], [[Lady Gaga]], [[Dua Lipa]], [[Years & Years]], [[The Weeknd]], [[Justin Bieber]], [[Taylor Swift]], [[Carly Rae Jepsen]], and [[Ava Max]].

==History==
===1980s===
[[File:Madonna Confessions Tour Boombox-2.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Madonna]] has been credited for popularizing dance-pop music, since her debut in the early-1980s.<ref name="Kaplan">{{harvnb|Kaplan|2012|pages=31–32}}</ref>]]
As the term "disco" started to go out of fashion by the late 1970s to early 1980s, other terms were commonly used to describe disco-based music, such as "post-disco", "club", "dance" or "dance-pop" music.<ref name=AMDancePop/> These genres were, in essence, a more modern variant of disco music known as [[post-disco]], which tended to be more experimental, [[electronic music|electronic]] and [[Music producer|producer]]/[[DJ]]-driven, often using [[Music sequencer|sequencer]]s and [[synthesizer]]s.

Dance-pop music emerged around the early 1980s as a combination of dance and pop, or post-disco, which was uptempo and simple, club-natured, producer-driven and catchy. Dance-pop was more uptempo and dancey than regular pop, yet more structured and less free-form than dance music, usually combining pop's easy structure and catchy tunes with dance's strong beat and uptempo nature. Dance-pop music was usually created, composed and produced by record producers who would then hire singers to perform the songs.

Since the beginning of the 1980s, disco was an anathema to mainstream pop. According to prominent [[AllMusic]] critic [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]], [[Madonna]] had a huge role in popularizing dance music as mainstream music, utilizing her charisma, chutzpah and sex appeal. Erlewine claimed that Madonna "launched dance-pop" and set the standard for the genre for the next two decades.<ref>Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Madonna (Madonna album) at AllMusic. Retrieved September 4, 2009.</ref> As the primary songwriter on her self-titled debut album and a co-producer by her third record, Madonna's insistence on being involved in all creative aspects of her work was highly unusual for a female dance-pop vocalist at the time. The staff of ''Vice'' magazine stated that her debut album "drew the blueprint for future dance-pop."<ref>"The 99 Greatest Dance Albums of All Time". Vice. July 14, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2016.</ref>

In the 1980s, dance-pop was closely aligned to other uptempo electronic genres, such as [[Hi-NRG]]. Prominent producers in the 1980s included [[Stock, Aitken and Waterman]], who created Hi-NRG/dance-pop for artists such as [[Kylie Minogue]], [[Dead or Alive (band)|Dead or Alive]] and [[Bananarama]]. During the decade, dance-pop borrowed influences from [[funk]] (e.g. [[Michael Jackson]] and [[Whitney Houston]]), [[new jack swing]] (e.g. [[Janet Jackson]] and [[Paula Abdul]]), and [[contemporary R&B]].

Other prominent dance-pop artists and groups of the 1980s included the [[Pet Shop Boys]], [[Mel and Kim]], [[Samantha Fox]], [[Debbie Gibson]], and [[Tiffany Darwish|Tiffany]].

===1990s===
By the 1990s, dance-pop had become a major genre in popular music. Several dance-pop groups and artists emerged during the 1990s, such as the [[Spice Girls]], [[Britney Spears]], [[Christina Aguilera]], [[Jessica Simpson]], [[Backstreet Boys]], and [['NSYNC]]. During the early 1990s, dance-pop borrowed influences from [[house music]] (e.g. [[Right Said Fred]]'s "[[I'm Too Sexy]]", [[Taylor Dayne]]'s ''[[Soul Dancing]]'', and [[Madonna]]'s "[[Vogue (Madonna song)|Vogue]]", "[[Rescue Me (Madonna song)|Rescue Me]]" and "[[Deeper and Deeper]]"), as well as [[contemporary R&B]] and [[new jack swing]] (e.g. [[Shanice]]'s "[[I Love Your Smile]]").

By the late 1990s, [[electronic music|electronic]] influences became evident in dance-pop music; Madonna's critically acclaimed and commercially successful album ''[[Ray of Light]]'' (1998) incorporated [[techno]], [[trance music|trance]] and other forms of electronic dance music, bringing [[electronica]] into mainstream dance-pop. Additionally, also in 1998, [[Cher]] released a dance-pop song called "[[Believe (Cher song)|Believe]]" which made usage of a technological innovation of the time, [[Auto-Tune]]. An [[audio processor]] and a form of pitch modification software, Auto-Tune is commonly used as a way to correct pitch and to create special effects. Since the late 1990s, the use of Auto-Tune processing has become a common feature of dance-pop music.

[[Celine Dion]] also released a midtempo dance-pop song, "[[That's the Way It Is (Celine Dion song)|That's the Way It Is]]" by the end of 1999. Also during this period, some British bands connected with [[Britpop]] and [[alternative pop]] experimented with dance-pop as a form – examples include [[Catatonia (band)|Catatonia]] single "[[Karaoke Queen]]," [[Bis (Scottish band)|Bis]]'s top 40 hit "[[Social Dancing|Eurodisco]]", [[Kenickie]]'s final single "[[Stay in the Sun]]" and [[Romo]] band [[Orlando (band)|Orlando]]'s major-label debut single "Just For A Second." Another Britpop band, [[Theaudience]] was fronted by [[Sophie Ellis Bextor]] who went on to a successful solo career primarily in artist-driven dance-pop.

===2000s===
[[File:Kylie Minogue Cropped Sliver Spoon Awards 2012.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Kylie Minogue]], a popular and successful dance-pop musician from the late-1980s until present]]

At the beginning of the 2000s, dance-pop music was still prominent, and highly electronic in style, influenced by genres such as trance, house, techno and [[electro (music)|electro]]. Nonetheless, as R&B and [[hip hop music|hip hop]] became extremely popular from the early part of the decade onwards, dance-pop was often influenced by [[urban contemporary|urban]] music. Dance-pop stars from the 1980s and 1990s such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Janet Jackson and Kylie Minogue continued to achieve success at the beginning of the decade. Whilst much dance-pop at the time was R&B-influenced, many records started to return to their [[disco]] roots; Kylie Minogue's albums such as ''[[Light Years (Kylie Minogue album)|Light Years]]'' (2000) and ''[[Fever (Kylie Minogue album)|Fever]]'' (2001) contained influences of disco music, or a new 21st-century version of the genre known as [[nu-disco]]; hit singles such as "[[Spinning Around]]" (2000) and "[[Can't Get You Out of My Head]]" (2001) also contained disco traces.<ref name=AMDancePop/> In Madonna's case, her album ''[[Music (Madonna album)|Music]]'' (2000) contained elements of [[Euro disco]], especially the successful [[Music (Madonna song)|eponymous lead single]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=17 June 2011 |title=100 Best Songs of the 2000s: Madonna, 'Music' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-songs-of-the-aughts-20110617/madonna-music-19691231 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=2014-02-05}}</ref>

Nevertheless, it was not until the mid-to-latter part of the decade when dance-pop music returned greatly to its disco roots; this can be seen with Madonna's album ''[[Confessions on a Dance Floor]]'' (2005), which borrowed strong influences from the genre, especially from 1970s artists and bands such as [[ABBA]], [[Giorgio Moroder]], the [[Bee Gees]] and [[Donna Summer]]. Britney Spears' album ''[[Blackout (Britney Spears album)|Blackout]]'' (2007) contained influences of Euro disco.
[[File:Britney Spears.jpg|thumb|180px|[[Britney Spears]] is among the main faces of the 2000s and 2010s dance-pop music.]]
The mid-to-late 2000s saw the arrival of several new dance-pop artists, including [[Rihanna]], [[Kesha]], [[Katy Perry]] and [[Lady Gaga]]. This period in time also saw dance-pop's return to its more electronic roots aside from its disco ones, with strong influences of synthpop and [[electropop]]. Lady Gaga is frequently considered one of the pioneers of this evolution, notably with her singles "[[Just Dance (song)|Just Dance]]" and "[[Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)|Poker Face]]" which were heavily influenced by synthpop and electropop.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bogart |first=Jonathan |date=2012-07-10 |title=Buy the Hype: Why Electronic Dance Music Really Could Be the New Rock |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/07/buy-the-hype-why-electronic-dance-music-really-could-be-the-new-rock/259597/ |access-date=2019-04-29 |website=The Atlantic |language=en-US}}</ref> Rihanna's singles in the dance-pop genre, including "[[Don't Stop the Music (Rihanna song)|Don't Stop the Music]]" and "[[Disturbia (song)|Disturbia]]", contained electronic influences, the former of which has elements of house music,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lamb |first=Bill |title=Rihanna - Don't Stop the Music |url=http://top40.about.com/od/singles/gr/rihannadontstop.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303223904/http://top40.about.com/od/singles/gr/rihannadontstop.htm |archive-date=2012-03-03 |access-date=2014-02-05 |website=Top 40 / Pop}}</ref> the latter electropop. Kesha's debut single, "[[Tik Tok (song)|Tik Tok]]", was also highly electronic in style and employed a [[video game music|video game]] beat. Katy Perry's "[[Hot N Cold (song)|Hot N Cold]]" (2008), "[[California Gurls (song)|California Gurls]]" (2010), and "[[Firework (song)|Firework]]" (2010), which were major commercial hits, also showcased influences of electropop and house music.

===2010s===
[[File:Glasto17-132 (34777101343) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Katy Perry]] has been notable in dance-pop since the 2010s.]]
The 2010s, similarly to the late 2000s, saw strong electronic influences present within dance-pop; there is also a strong emphasis on bass-heavy drum beats. Artists such as [[Britney Spears]], [[Lady Gaga]], [[Taylor Swift]], [[Katy Perry]], [[Madonna]], [[Kesha]], [[Christina Aguilera]], [[Usher (singer)|Usher]] and [[Rihanna]] remained very popular, while newer recording artists such as [[Ariana Grande]], [[Justin Bieber]], [[Rita Ora]], and [[Dua Lipa]] joined the dance-pop charts within the decade.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Year-End Charts: Dance Club Songs |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2019/dance-club-songs |url-status=dead |magazine=Billboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114200155/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2019/dance-club-songs |archive-date=14 November 2020 |access-date=5 August 2021}}</ref>

Some music journalists noted the popularity of dance tracks, particularly those with narratives about clubbing and feeling positive during hard times, in pop music in the early 2010s. This was considered a response to the [[2008 financial crisis]] or [[2012 phenomenon]], with the colloquial term "[[recession pop]]" used to define some of the popular songs of this decade.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kiefer |first1=Amanda |title=Recession Pop: Dancing Through The Pain |url=https://thecurrentmsu.com/2023/07/06/recession-pop-dancing-through-the-pain/ |website=The Current |date=6 July 2023 |access-date=10 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Vaidya |first1=Akhil |title=Towards a Theory of Recession Pop |url=https://www.hotknifemag.com/read-1/towards-a-theory-of-recession-pop |website=Hot Knife |access-date=10 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Slater |first1=Bailey |title=Dance Music Saves Us From The Exhausting Business Of 21st-Century Living |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/dance-music-recession-financial-hardship |website=[[Refinery29]] |access-date=10 February 2024}}</ref>

American singer-songwriter [[Taylor Swift]]'s albums ''[[Red (Taylor Swift album)|Red]]'' (2012), ''[[1989 (Taylor Swift album)|1989]]'' (2014) and ''[[Reputation (Taylor Swift album)|Reputation]]'' (2017) contain more of a pop-influenced sound, which features production by dance-pop record producers [[Max Martin]] and [[Shellback (record producer)|Shellback]]. [[Ariana Grande]]'s single "[[Problem (Ariana Grande song)|Problem]]" featuring [[Iggy Azalea]] was a big hit in 2014 and reached combined sales and track-equivalent streams of 9 million units worldwide the following year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IFPI publishes Digital Music Report 2015 |url=https://www.ifpi.org/news/Global-digital-music-revenues-match-physical-format-sales-for-first-time |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414194629/http://www.ifpi.org/news/Global-digital-music-revenues-match-physical-format-sales-for-first-time |archive-date=2015-04-14 |access-date=2019-04-29 |website=www.ifpi.org}}</ref>

===2020s===
[[File:DuaLipaO2020522 (101 of 110) (52052470251) (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Dua Lipa]]'s disco-influenced dance-pop music received critical acclaim and accolades in the 2020s.]]

The 2020s continued to see the evolution of dance-pop with an array of artists expanding the genre's boundaries while incorporating elements from diverse musical styles.

In 2020, Dua Lipa's album ''[[Future Nostalgia]]'' garnered significant acclaim for its fusion of disco, funk, and electro-pop. Hits like "[[Don't Start Now]]" and "[[Physical (Dua Lipa song)|Physical]]" channeled retro vibes while offering contemporary production, helping revive interest in the dance-pop genre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/dua-lipa-future-nostalgia/|title=Review: Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia|work=Pitchfork|date=March 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/dua-lipa-future-nostalgia-review-9336448/|title=Review: Dua Lipa Makes a Brilliant Case for Disco-Pop Revival With 'Future Nostalgia'|magazine=Billboard|date=March 27, 2020}}</ref> Lady Gaga also made a notable return to her dance-pop roots with the album ''[[Chromatica]]'', which included collaborations with Ariana Grande ("[[Rain on Me (Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande song)|Rain on Me]]") and Blackpink ("[[Sour Candy (Lady Gaga and Blackpink song)|Sour Candy]]").<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/lady-gaga-chromatica-review-1006576/|title=Lady Gaga Returns to the Dance Floor in Style on 'Chromatica'|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=June 2, 2020}}</ref>

The influence of K-pop on dance-pop also grew in prominence. South Korean groups such as [[BTS]] and [[Blackpink]] achieved global success with songs that blended electronic dance beats with pop melodies. For instance, BTS's single "[[Dynamite (BTS song)|Dynamite]]" (2020) became a global hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, showcasing how K-pop artists were successfully merging dance-pop elements into their music.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53963265|title=BTS: K-pop stars become first all-South Korean act to top US singles charts|work=BBC News|date=August 31, 2020}}</ref>

Doja Cat's ''[[Planet Her]]'' (2021) and The Weeknd's ''[[Dawn FM]]'' (2022) blended R&B with dance-pop and synth-pop elements, offering new interpretations of the genre.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/doja-cat-planet-her-review-1190279/|title=Doja Cat Is a Space-Age Superstar on 'Planet Her'|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=June 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-weeknd-dawn-fm/|title=The Weeknd: *Dawn FM* Album Review|work=Pitchfork|date=January 11, 2022}}</ref>

Dua Lipa's follow-up album ''[[Radical Optimism]]'' (2024), featuring singles like "[[Training Season]]", "[[Houdini (Dua Lipa song)|Houdini]]", and "[[Illusion (Dua Lipa song)|Illusion]]", continued to push dance-pop boundaries by incorporating elements of house and disco while exploring themes of empowerment and growth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/dua-lipa-illusion-new-single-release-radical-optimism-album|title=Dua Lipa Is Releasing 'Radical Optimism' Album in 2024|work=NBC Insider|date=April 11, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://live365.com/blog/dua-lipa-releases-new-single-training-season/|title=Dua Lipa Releases New Single 'Training Season' & Shares Music Video|work=Live365|date=February 16, 2024}}</ref> Similarly, Taylor Swift's albums ''[[Midnights]]'' (2022) and ''[[1989 (Taylor's Version)]]'' (2023) showcased a continued embrace of synth-pop and dance-pop sensibilities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-midnights/|title=Taylor Swift: *Midnights* Album Review|work=Pitchfork|date=October 21, 2022}}</ref>

In 2024, [[The Recording Academy]] introduced a new category, the [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Dance Recording]], to honor the growing influence of dance-pop. The inaugural winner was Kylie Minogue for her single "[[Padam Padam (Kylie Minogue song)|Padam Padam]]", highlighting her continued influence in the genre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/kylie-minogue-padam-padam-wins-grammy-1235689239/|title=Kylie Minogue Wins Inaugural Grammy for Best Pop Dance Recording|work=Variety|date=February 4, 2024}}</ref>

The decade also saw a trend toward a more indie and alternative take on dance-pop, with artists like Rina Sawayama and [[Charli XCX]] blending hyperpop, electro-pop, and avant-pop elements into their music, as evident in albums like ''[[Sawayama (album)|Sawayama]]'' (2020) and ''[[Crash (Charli XCX album)|Crash]]'' (2022), respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/rina-sawayama-sawayama/|title=Rina Sawayama: *SAWAYAMA* Album Review|work=Pitchfork|date=April 17, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/charli-xcx-crash-review-1318318/|title=Charli XCX's 'Crash' Is a Masterpiece of Pop Maximalism|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=March 18, 2022}}</ref>

==Characteristics==
Dance-pop generally contains several notable characteristics:

*Up-tempo and upbeat music that dance-oriented or dance-centered, characterized by a fast-paced and accelerated musical tempo with a nightclub-oriented appeal
*Catchy hooks accompanied with a readily comprehensible melody and memorable rhythm, while maintaining a fast-paced and energetic tempo and conforming to a commercially viable pop-oriented song structure catered and suitable for radio airplay and appeals to a mainstream audience
*A strong emphasis on [[Beat (music)|beats]], [[Groove (music)|grooves]] and [[rhythms]] that are musically arranged within a rudimentary framework
*Prominent [[Hook (music)|hooks]].
*Simple lyrics
*Polished productions

==See also==
* [[List of dance-pop artists]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Print sources==
{{refbegin|30em}}
*{{Cite book |last=Kaplan |first=Arie |title=American Pop: Hit Makers, Superstars, and Dance Revolutionaries |publisher=[[Lerner Publishing Group|Twenty-First Century Book]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-1467701488 |author-link=Arie Kaplan}}
{{refend}}

{{Boogierock}}
{{Pop music}}

[[Category:Dance-pop| ]]
[[Category:20th-century dance]]
[[Category:21st-century dance]]
[[Category:1980s in music]]
[[Category:1990s in music]]
[[Category:2000s in music]]
[[Category:2010s in music]]
[[Category:Dance in the United States]]
[[Category:Dance music genres]]
[[Category:Electronic dance music genres]]
[[Category:Fusion music genres]]
[[Category:Pop music genres]]
[[Category:Post-disco]]