5 Moments From the 2010s That Changed Pop Music
Seven months into a new decade, and the 2010s feel like a distant dream. As artists such as Lady Gaga and The Weeknd kick off the 2020s by recalling old styles in their latest hits, it’s a great time to revisit pop music’s groundbreaking moments from those ‘good old days’: the 2010s.
Written by Myah Taylor
Photos courtesy of Billboard, NME, and Variety
Characterized by technological innovation and shifting social norms and attitudes, the 2010s saw the music industry transform as it adopted new sounds, platforms, and stars. Check out these five definitive moments from last decade that altered pop music’s landscape:
Skrillex popularizes EDM
Electronic dance music has been around since the ‘80s and ‘90s, when raves and club culture became popular in Europe. In the 2000s, the sound gained some mainstream footing, thanks to acts such as Daft Punk. However, EDM didn’t emerge as a pop music staple until the 2010s, when it served as the basis for some of the biggest hits of the decade. When California DJ Skrillex burst onto the scene with his EP Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (2010), the world became acquainted with dubstep in all its digitized, distorted glory. Skrillex’s unorthodox sound caught on at just the right time.
Technology reached new heights, and with it, more pop tracks began featuring computerized sounds and the famous bass drop. New DJs and EDM artists such as Calvin Harris (“Feel So Close,” “This is What You Came For”), the Chainsmokers (“Closer,” “Roses,” “Don’t Let Me Down”), and the late Avicii (“Wake Me Up,” “Hey Brother”) produced some of the biggest hits of the decade . Meanwhile, established acts such as Coldplay (“A Sky Full of Stars,” “Something Just Like This,” “Midnight”), Taylor Swift (“I Knew You Were Trouble”), and Mike Posner (“I Took a Pill in Ibiza”) also blended their styles with the trend. Many music connouisers questioned the legitimacy of EDM music, but the masses loved it; not a summer passed during the 2010s when an EDM hit wasn’t burning up the charts.
Drake and other hip hop artists become pop stars
Initially defined by bravado, word play, and tales of hardship, hip hop music started to adopt pop sensibilities in the 2010s, thanks in part to Canadian rapper Drake, who debuted with Thank Me Later in 2010. Of course, Drake spit rhymes (he may or may not have written) on his early work; however, his songs were also inundated with singing, upbeat hooks, and plenty of “feels.” Still considered a rapper by most, Drake became a bonafide pop star throughout the decade with hits such as “Best I Ever Had,” “Hold On We’re Going Home,” “Hotline Bling,” “God’s Plan,” and “Nice For What.”
Drake’s Young Money contemporaries Lil’ Wayne (“How to Love”) and Nicki Minaj (“Super Bass,” “Starships,” “Right By My Side,” “Moment 4 Life”) would also go on to pop success, with Minaj being featured on some of the biggest hits of the 2010s (“Bang Bang,” “Beauty and a Beat,” “Side to Side”). Toward the end of the decade, pop-inclined hip hop acts such as Post Malone, Travis Scott, Rae Sremmurd, and rappers of the Soundcloud variety made hip hop the most popular sound on the radio . Drake said “Thank Me Later” in 2010 — maybe he was referring to his popularization of rap music.
Psy’s “Gangnam Style” showcases the Internet’s power
Okay, so maybe Psy’s “Gangnam Style” wasn’t the first song to be popularized by its accompanying dance — some could argue Soulja Boy’s “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” and similar late 2000s tracks predate the viral song/dance phenomenon. But the Internet’s power in pop music was on full display (and subsequently here to stay) with the arrival of “Gangnam Style” in the fall of 2012. Was the song great? No, not really. However, the galloping dance featured in “Gangnam Style’s” video kept music fans and the world entertained throughout the latter half of 2012. The music video became the first video on YouTube to reach the 1 billion views milestone, and the song skyrocketed to No. 2 on the charts above established acts such as Taylor Swift (“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”), P!nk (“Blow Me (One Last Kiss)”), and Justin Bieber (“As Long As You Love Me”).
The days when songs became hits on MTV or the radio were replaced by a world where YouTube, Vine, Tik Tok, and other social media platforms created stars. The Internet became the final frontier where novelty or hip hop dance songs such as “The Harlem Shake,” “The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?),” “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae), “Black Beatles,” and “Old Town Road” have become lasting global pop hits. Heck, even Drake’s “Hotline Bling” got a boost from Internet meme culture, not that the famous rapper needed any help.
Lorde slows things down and simplifies
Perhaps Lana Del Rey pioneered the moody pop trend, but Lorde popularized it. The New Zealand songstress proved that a more subdued pop sound and aesthetic could be profitable, especially as younger generations grew more downtrodden and nihilistic. This “muted” pop and its introspective lyrics would embody the cynicism and hopelessness that has come to define young Millennials and Generation Z (because who has time to party and dance when the world is falling apart?) Then only 16, Lorde catapulted to No. 1 on the charts in 2013 with the hit single “Royals” — the most anti-pop pop track out there. Lorde didn’t utilize the popular EDM trend in her platinum-selling single; instead she used snaps and a simple hip hop beat. To make her more of an anomaly, Lorde mostly dropped lyrics about love, partying, and other topics featured in dominant pop songs at the time like “We Can’t Stop,” “Blurred Lines,” and “Come and Get It.” Instead, she penned scathing critiques of popular music and society at large on “Royals” and other tracks from her debut album Pure Heroine.
As for Lorde’s videos and live performances at the beginning of her career? Not a dance number or flashy costume in sight. Thus, Lorde became the anti-pop pop star who also didn’t dance, at least not conventionally, and opted for an avant-garde look. This sound and aesthetic resonated, and pop music entered a doldrums of sorts to counter all the dance music. By the end of the decade, this pop haze only intensified with the wave of bedroom pop by DIY artists such as Rex Orange County and Dayglow. Hushed, understated vocals, minimalist production, and darker lyrical content would characterize subsequent pop hits from Billie Eilish (“Bad Guy”), Khalid (“Location”), and Clairo (“Bags”).
Spotify & other streaming services challenge the music industry
Long before COVID-19 ever threatened the music industry, Swedish streaming service Spotify had musicians and label executives hoping for its demise. Streaming service Pandora existed long before Spotify exploded in the early 2010s, revolutionizing music in its own right by spurring platforms such as iHeartRadio and Last.fm. But all of these were radio stations — Spotify is an entirely different animal. The app not only has a cooler aesthetic, but its format mimics what it would be like to own songs or albums without having to actually buy them. All users have to do is pay $9.99 each month or listen to advertisements. This setup is great for music fans, but more detrimental to artists who now receive just a fraction of a cent per stream and no longer benefit from fans buying their songs.
The 2010s saw the Internet democratize everything further ,including music. Should music, a seemingly non-concrete entity, be free? Taylor Swift said no. In a 2014 Wall Street Journal op-ed, Swift wrote, “Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for.” Swift has since put her catalogue back on Spotify, but the question no one had to ask until last decade still remains. Additionally, Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services changed chart algorithms, song lengths, and the album cycle in general. Songs can now reach No. 1 on charts based on their streams, songs are shorter to maximize the number of plays, and artists no longer have to heavily promote their work anymore because they can just upload to streaming services, then tweet about it (ironically, just as Swift did with her latest album, folklore). Streaming services made music less of an event in the 2010s, but in the aftermath of this industry shift, it’s never been more accessible.
In the 2010s, sad pop, introspective rap, and computers took over a world that to many was — and still is — plagued by unending doom. Industries began to “die,” and sometimes, meme culture ruled the airwaves. This decade in music was a foray into genre-bending, technology, and the minds of younger generations. Or maybe, these revolutionary music moments from the 2010s just acted as a mirror of society.