What is Pop?
The name “pop music” comes from the word “popular”. It is the genre of music that produces the most hits. For the most part, pop music in different languages is very similar. Kpop, Latin pop, and pop in English all talk about love and relationships but they have different instrumental inspirations. Kpop is usually big groups of a single gender. Latin pop and pop in English have single artists, duos, and groups.
What Instruments are Used in Pop?
The most commonly used instruments in Kpop are bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electronic drums, and synthesizer keyboard. Latin pop often involves guitar, keyboard, and more classic Latin percussion instruments like bongo drums or maracas. Pop in English, which is the most common pop in the U.S., uses guitar, drums, and keyboard. Guitar is used in the different kinds of pop music because it is versatile and can play many different chords. Keyboards are used for editing and adding different components to a song.
American Pop
American pop is the original pop, originating in the 1950s with artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. At first it was rock ‘n roll but it evolved away from it in the following decades. In the 1960s teens began defining what music was the most popular around the time the portable radio became commonplace.
Madonna is the Queen of Pop since the 1980s. Her first album was Madonna, which was released in 1983. Her newest album came out this year; it is called Madame X. In about 4 decades she has sold 300 million records, making her the best selling female artist of all time. She was married twice and has a total of six children. Even though she is 61 years old but she is still touring for Madame X. Her Instagram handle is @madonna.
Michael Jackson is the King of Pop. He began his career in 1966 when he was 11 years old with the Jackson 5. In 1971 Jackson began his solo career. He won at least 17 awards throughout his career. Some of his more popular songs include Thriller, Beat it, and Smooth Criminal. He died on June 25, 2009 after going into cardiac arrest from receiving a lethal dose of propofol.
Kpop
Kpop groups are South Korean pop artists who sing and dance. Their music can be traced back to the early 90s to a type of music that used to be called “Gayo”.
The most popular group at the moment is BTS; they are also known as the Bangtan Boys. There are seven members in the group, Junkook, V , Jimin, RM, Suga, Jin, and J-Hope. BTS debuted in 2013 with their single, 2 Kool 4 Skool. One of their most popular songs is Fake Love their newest album is Love Yourself: Tear. Their Instagram handle is @bts.bighitofficial.
Another male group is MONSTA X. It also has seven members, Show, Wonho, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon, and I.M. They debuted May 14, 2015 with their EP, Trespass. MONSTA X’s official fandom name is “Monbebe”, meaning “my baby” in French. They recently finished their U.S. tour ,which started on July 24, on August 10. Their Instagram handle is @official_monsta_x.
The most known female Kpop group is BLACKPINK. They are known mainly for their dancing, singing, and rapping. BLACKPINK debuted on August 8, 2016, with their album Square One. Lisa, Jennie, Rosé, and Jisoo make up the group. One of their most popular songs is Kill This Love, and their newest album is Blackpink in Your Area. “BLINK” is their official fandom name since 2016. Their Instagram handle is @blackpinkofficial.
Latin Pop
Latin pop is similar to American pop music, but it is in Spanish and has more of a latin rhythm and instrumental influence. It began as American pop but artist began singing it in Spanish. The 80s and 90s are when Latin pop became popular in the U.S. Latin pop is sung in Spanish and Portuguese. While it is Latin, it is still more popular in the United States than in Latin America. This is mainly due to the large Latin and Hispanic population in the U.S. and people living in Latin America listening to music in English and types of music more native to their countries.
Thalia is the Queen of Latin Pop. Her career began at nine years old when she sang in a Mexican children’s singing group for Televisa in 1981. Today, she is 48 years old and is married to Tommy Mottola. Her most popular song at the moment is No Me Acuerdo, a collab with Becky G. In 2018 Thalia released her most recent album, Valiente. She has also acted in various telenovelas, the most popular one being Maria la del Barrio. Spanish is not the only language that Thalia knows, she has also sung in English, French, Portuguese, and Tagalog. Her Instagram handle is @thalia.
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish singer known as the King of Latin Pop. He began secretly writing music at 15 years old. Enrique Iglesias was his first album which he released in 1995. One of his most popular songs is Bailando, which features Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno. Over the course of 22 years he has won 190 awards out of his 526 nominations. He is currently taking a break from music to spend time with his girlfriend, Ana Kournikova, and his two kids, Lucy and Nicholas. His Instagram handle is @enriqueiglesias.
A newer latin pop group is CNCO. They are an all boy group that consists of 5 guys, Joel Pimentel, Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colon, Christopher Velez, and Zabdiel de Jesus. They formed in 2015 in the first season of La Banda. Their first album is Primera Cita, which came out in 2016. One of their more popular collabs is Reggaeton Lento (Remix), with Little Mix, a British girl group. They started their first world tour this year on January 24 in Texas and will finish March 2, 2020, in Florida. CNCO has been won over 23 awards in their short career. Fans are called CNCOwners. Their Instagram handle is @cncomusic.
