Electropop. Originally a name for pop music in the same vein as The Human League and Depeche Mode. Nowadays it primarily refers to synthesized pop-music the later 00's, generally revolving around artists who take musical and visual cues from the 00's "electro-scene". Which is not really a "scene," its just more of an "aesthetic" revolving around eighties synths,"artificiality", futurism, roboticness and neon colors.

The modern concept of electro originates in the Electroclash movement in late 90's NYC, which blended 80's electronica, disco, and new wave with modern dance music and arts. Its lovechild electro house, emerging mostly in the early 2000's France, gave us its a big break on Daft Punk's hit album "Discovery" in '01.

Inspired by Thom Yorke's solo work, Kanye West started electro and house influencess on his groundbreaking 2007 release, Graduation. Soon after, many pop stars were following that trend, and they became the electro-pop wave.

Or course, the definition of "electropop" is mostly just "agreed upon." No artist defines themself as such, and the term has never earned a news story in any major magazine. There is no real reason why we must assume electropop must connect itself to other electro genres. After all, "electro" is usually just misused slang for "electronica?" Hadn't "techno" been used similarily? Couldn't electropop mean whatever you want it to mean?

Instead of dismissing as a non-genre incapable of being pinned down in any way, I think it may be better to use the universally agreed upon method for identifying electropop artists - they all sound like other electropop artists. Whle it may not really boil down to one sound or style, there is one common connection; they were all cashing in on the post-Kanye boom in 80ish synth-music. Regardless of whether the degree of musical influencing , all electropop in some way acknowledges electro's pop culture relevance in the 2000's.

Its prevalence could explain why post-2008 music is seen as the "electropop era" despite only a minority of hits being electropop songs.

But what happens when electro stops being the focus of major pop artists? Neither Rhianna, Katy, or Gaga are putting out new wave style hits anymore, and even electro-oriented DJ's like Calvin Harris and David Guetta are mostly producing/releasing mostly un-electro type club music.

Electro seems to have started going out of style following the turn of the decade, many fads that associated with it seem to have rapidly lost their popularity as well(pop-locking, eighties neon designs.) Electro has been loosing as its novelty value seems to be disappearing at roughly the same speed as its been fading out of music. If that is true, is the genre name "electropop" still accurate? Is there any reason why modern dance-pop should still be described as such?

I know I'm probably starting more questions than I'm answering. I'm by no means an expert on this, I'm just working with what I know. Just wanted to hear some other opinions.

To be honest, I really only see the term Electropop being thrown around all the time on here.  I've never heard the term used in-person before, ever.

To be honest, I really only see the term Electropop being thrown around all the time on here.  I've never heard the term used in-person before, ever.


I've heard it.

Electropop is just another name for Synthpop. It's just the Synthpop of today just with added Autotune. Synthpop was popular in the 80's as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthpop

Electropop is just another name for Synthpop. It's just the Synthpop of today just with added Autotune. Synthpop was popular in the 80's as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthpop


And today:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_You_Want_It by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - released 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credo_(The_Human_League_album) - releaed 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brilliant_(Ultravox_Album) - released 2012

Most of the music that is popular in the early '10s would actually fall under the electro-house category, I see a lot more late '90s/early '00s euro-trance, late '00s Ed Banger style "blog house", R&B, and dubstep influences than '80s synthpop influences in today's music.

Some of it might possibly be looked at the same way the first wave teen pop of the late '80s was different from the wave of teen pop of the late '90s/early '00s.

I think it was The Postal Service, not Radiohead and Kanye West that could be credited with the Synthpop revival.

Personally I think synthpop and electropop are different. Electropop has more of an urban influence, synthpop is more of a rock orientation. Lady Gaga and Robyn are Electropop, Lights and M83 are synthpop.

Most of the music that is popular in the early '10s would actually fall under the electro-house category, I see a lot more late '90s/early '00s euro-trance, late '00s Ed Banger style "blog house", R&B, and dubstep influences than '80s synthpop influences in today's music.

Some of it might possibly be looked at the same way the first wave teen pop of the late '80s was different from the wave of teen pop of the late '90s/early '00s.


That would bring up the question of whether "electropop" is a legitimate contraction of "electro-house" and "pop" or just a slang mash-up of "electro" and "pop."  Most common usage points to the latter though...

I think it was The Postal Service, not Radiohead and Kanye West that could be credited with the Synthpop revival.

Personally I think synthpop and electropop are different. Electropop has more of an urban influence, synthpop is more of a rock orientation. Lady Gaga and Robyn are Electropop, Lights and M83 are synthpop.


I'm actually kinda in the "Can't Get You Out of My Head"-started-electropop camp myself. The reason I put Kanye up there is that he was the one who made it "the new black," as in he was literally the one who gave electronica and artsy styles the hip status held until then by "acting black".

Synthpop was probably the best definition Wikipedia could give, since it implies that it must have some unique connection to the eighties synthpop, without having to say what.

I'm actually kinda in the "Can't Get You Out of My Head"-started-electropop camp myself. The reason I put Kanye up there is that he was the one who made it "the new black," as in he was literally the one who gave electronica and artsy styles the hip status held until then by "acting black".

Synthpop was probably the best definition Wikipedia could give, since it implies that it must have some unique connection to the eighties synthpop, without having to say what.


That's true, I could definitely credit Kanye for making electronic music and metrosexuality acceptable in hip hop. I actually would of anything consider "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" part of the tail-end of the House music fad which lasted from about 1988 to 2002, it sounds pretty 90's to me I'd put it in the same category as "Around The World (La La La)".

Yes electropop is fading  there is no argument for this 

Yes electropop is fading  there is no argument for this


Are sure we're on the same wavelength here?

I was talking about dance-pop still being dance pop, THE SAME DANCE-POP, but having a different sound (more trance) that by our current standards, cannot really be called "electropop". Nothing to do with indie or neo-60's.

Yes electropop is fading  there is no argument for this


I disagree. I think electropop is the future. I don't think acoustic pop is ever going to come back, it will have its place though as a niche.

I disagree. I think electropop is the future. I don't think acoustic pop is ever going to come back, it will have its place though as a niche.


no trend can last forever

Are sure we're on the same wavelength here?

I was talking about dance-pop still being dance pop, THE SAME DANCE-POP, but having a different sound (more trance) that by our current standards, cannot really be called "electropop". Nothing to do with indie or neo-60's.


Its no longer Dance pop if it is trance    four on the floor beats is Dance pop    if trance is added it gets slowed down making it
Electronic pop

Its no longer Dance pop if it is trance    four on the floor beats is Dance pop    if trance is added it gets slowed down making it
Electronic pop


Where'd you get that idea?

And by "(more trance)", I meant more prog house/Euro-dance/rave type songs eg We Found Love, International Love etc.