No, I don’t only listen to attractive singers. However, so much of Lana Del Rey’s aesthetic is reflected in her music. The common themes of excess, beauty, nostalgia, summertime, lust, heartbreak and the American Dream are expressed over and over again in “Born To Die.” All of those things can also be seen in Lana Del Rey. That’s what makes her so captivating.

What Lana lacks in vocal talent, she makes up for in intrigue. She certainly doesn’t have a commanding stage presence, but there’s just something about her. She’s the only one who can deliver the music she does in the way that she does.

Lana also has something so many artists don’t–a story. What’s even better, no one seems to know whether it’s real, fabricated, or a combination of both. Are those lips real? Is daddy a millionaire? Who exactly is Lana Del Rey? I, for one, am going to keep watching (and listening) until I find out.

So, Lana, keep awkwardly twirling and petting your hair on stage. It doesn’t phase me. I mean, as long as you look hot while doing it.

Kelly Clarkson’s relationship with RCA has been a point of fan contention since her public battle with the label during the controversial “My December” era. Following the 6x Platinum “Breakaway,” Clarkson decided to ditch the radio friendly writers and producers (Max Martin, Dr. Luke, John Shanks) and go the singer-songwriter route, penning the entire album herself. Although the album was personal, it didn’t contain any smash hits. However, Clarkson fought for its release and RCA fought back—releasing and promoting only one single off the album.

After an underperforming album, it’s not uncommon for an artist to go back to what made them popular in the first place. However, the damage control following “My December” was blatantly obvious. Clarkson ditched the dark image and came back with the Max and Luke-produced single “My Life Would Suck Without You,” which almost instantly hit number one on the Hot 100. The album, “All I Ever Wanted” attempted to recreate the glory days of “Breakaway,” but felt more like a collection of rehashes than a cohesive offering. It was also released at the height of the electropop explosion, which didn’t coincide Clarkson’s more traditional pop/rock sound. Although the first single was a chart-topper, “I Do Not Hook Up,” the Katy Perry-penned second release derailed the project’s momentum. Shockingly, pop radio’s average listener wasn’t looking for the hottest new abstinence anthem. The album also didn’t connect with the public, only selling marginally better than “My December.” It was clear, this wasn’t all Clarkson (or her fans) ever wanted.

It’s been somewhat of a rough ride for Clarkson since 2007, but with the release of Clarkson’s fifth album, “Stronger,” it seems like the singer and her label are finally back on the same page. Although the first single, “Mr. Know It All,” was a slow grower, it helped push the album to nearly 500,000 sold and became another top 10 hit on the Hot 100 for Clarkson. The song helped reestablish Clarkson on her core formats (pop and adult contemporary) and paved the way for the release of “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” Not since “Since U Been Gone” has Clarkson had such a surefire hit on her hands. It’s in the same empowering vein of “you are who you are born this way like a perfect firework,” but with a typical Clarkson post break-up twist. It’s also retains her pop/rock sound and classic sing your lungs out vocals, but with electropop hints. Approaching the top 5 on iTunes and top 30 on pop radio before its official adds date, it doesn’t look like “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) will be another “I Do Not Hook Up.” While RCA could have gone with this right out the gate, they most likely would have ended up with another “All I Ever Wanted”-esque era. However, instead of copying “Breakaway’s” sound for this album cycle, they copied its release schedule and promotion. A slow burning first single, followed by an anthemic smash will give this album legs and ensure the success of future singles.

Also, in a stark contrast to the “My December” era, RCA’s confidence in “Stronger” can be seen in terms of its promotion. Since the album’s release, Clarkson has had several high profile appearances, including: The X-Factor, Vh1 Divas, and American Music Awards. Not to mention, she has the Superbowl and Grammys on deck. Her participation in the iHeartRadio concert and several holiday radio shows, also helped set up the song nicely for early radio play. There’s also the inescapable Toyota commercial that features Clarkson and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” Unlike Jennifer Lopez’s Fiat ads, it has done wonders for her downloads.

This was an opportune (and pivotal) time for Clarkson to make her return. Not only is the recent wave of female artists on pop radio starting to wane, but fellow pop-rockers, P!nk, Katy Perry, and Avril Lavigne are currently wrapping up their albums or off the scene. At almost 30-years-old and after a decade in the business, RCA and Clarkson had to make sure this album was a success for the sake of her longevity. For a while, people were asking, “What happened to Kelly Clarkson?” Well, after the likely ubiquitous success of “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” it looks like people will finally have the answer.

Up-and-comers Frankmusik and Colette Car released their video for “No I.D.” today, a glossy pop duet produced by Space Cowboy (Lady Gaga, The Saturdays). While the track is reminiscent of Ace of Base’s signature brand of breezy, 90s pop, the video takes it back to the 50s in a Grease-inspired remake. The video is fun, colorful and basically everything a pop video should be. Given the song’s lyrical content, they could have easily gone for a typical club video, but thank goodness they didn’t. Hopefully this clip gives the song the push it needs (and deserves) to become a breakthrough hit for both artists. With Cherrytree behind them, let’s see what this can do…

Does this sound like a combination of a few other songs thrown in a blender and mixed together? Sure. Will that stop it from being a hit? No. The lyrics are reminiscent of Clarkson’s other bitter, man-hating singles, but the production is more subdued. Instead of giving us “Since U Been Gone” (Pt. 3), “Mr. Know It All” tones things down. Clarkson’s still angry, but the instrumentation lets the lyrics shine. The song’s not instantly catchy, but the lyrics are Facebook status ready–an important quality for this generation’s top 40 listeners. It also fits in nicely with the other pop divas’ mid tempo fall releases (think “Cheers” and “Yoü And I”). This one’s an earworm that you may not “get” instantly, but after a few listens it’ll grown on you–believe me. With that said, hopefully “Mr. Know It All” will be followed by “What Doesn’t Kill You,” a catchy, empowering anthem that leaked a few months ago and should be the big hit off the album.

With the early success of Pistol Annies, will more solo artists connect with their friends and collaborators to try something different? Miranda Lambert joined country music songwriters Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley to form Pistol Annies, a country trio with a more traditional sound. Lambert has her own solo album coming in November, but Pistol Annies gives her a chance to explore a grittier, more classic country sound—without alienating her fan base. It’s a nice bonus if her fans like it. If they don’t, the Miranda Lambert they’ve all come to know and love will return to form in a few months.

Similarly, Kelly Clarkson recently joined her backup singers to form the group Already Famous. Clarkson’s battle with RCA over the release of edgier (and more self-penned) material has been well documented. A vocal chameleon, she’s expressed interest in country, folk, rock and blues. A side project like Already Famous will allow her to try on different styles, while still releasing the high gloss pop we have come to expect from her as a solo artist.

Putting a solo artist in a different format allows their already existing supporters to either become fans of the new group or still remain fans of the artist if they don’t like the new direction. Just slap a different name on the product and throw in a few other musically inclined collaborators and friends, and it’s no longer a Miranda Lambert or Kelly Clarkson record. Sure, their star power can be used to draw attention to it. But, attention can also be easily drawn away from it if need be.

It’s an option that’s safer for both the artist and the label. The artist is able to branch out and try something different, with more artistic freedom than they would normally be granted. On the flip side, the label doesn’t have to worry about the solo artist releasing an experimental album and damaging an already established brand. Side projects are a good thing—even for artists at the top of their game. A little affair on the side may even spice up their solo projects in the future.

House
Although house music is often associated with the cheesy, one-hit wonders of the early 90s, I can see it making a comeback as a natural progression from electropop. Rihanna delved into synth-heavy, house territory on “Only Girl (In the World)” and the influences are all over Lady Gaga’s new album (particularly on “Marry the Night” and “Scheiße”). Max Martin also tried it out on Britney’s “Up N Down,” only a bonus track on “Femme Fatale,” but one of the most downloaded cuts on iTunes. I’m just waiting for a big-voiced diva (think Whitney’s “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay”) to really hit it home.

Ballads
Sure, there have been a few one-off ballad hits on pop radio over the past few years, but they’re few and far between. Rihanna couldn’t even score a big hit with “California King Bed,” following a string of number ones. However, if anyone can bring them back, it’s Adele. Coming off a massive hit and the number one album of the year, “Someone Like You” should have no problem at least getting noticed. Hopefully pop radio gives “Someone Like You” a chance and Adele doesn’t follow in the footsteps of Cee Lo Green and Amy Winehouse (R.I.P.), with only one big (novelty) hit in the U.S. It will also be interesting to see how radio responds to “Yoü and I,” a very different sound for Lady Gaga and after ten singles, her first ballad.

Alternative Rock
Before it was even officially announced as a single, radio jumped on Rihanna’s “Cheers (Drink to That).” You may be wondering why I’m mentioning that under this category. I’ve seen quite a few people say “Cheers” reminds them of the alternative rock crossover hits of the late 90s. At first, I didn’t hear it either. But, after going back and listening to songs like Semisonic’s “Closing Time” and “Save Tonight” by Eagle-Eye Cherry, I get it. It’s definitely a different sound for her and I’d love to see alternative rock make a comeback as opposed to more disposable pop/rock. I don’t think Rihanna’s the artist to bring back alternative rock, but hey, you’ve got to start somewhere.

Eastern Europop
Another natural progression from electropop is the Eastern European-influenced dance sound. Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez both scored comeback hits with Eastern European dance-tinged songs (“Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)” and “On the Floor” respectively) and new artists have also recently made their debut on the pop charts with a similar sound. Romanian singers Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina had a surprise hit with “Stereo Love” earlier this year and Alexandra Stan (a fellow Romanian) is poised to break the U.S. with her international smash, “Mr. Saxobeat.” Keep it coming from Romania, because I like what I’m hearing.

R&B
R&B hasn’t gone anywhere, but it’s certainly not dominating the pop charts like it was in the early 2000s. However, songs like Nicole Scherzinger’s “Right There” and Jennifer Lopez’s “I’m Into You” are getting more attention on the pop charts now than they probably would have a few months ago at the height of the electropop craze. Most surprisingly is Kelly Rowland’s “Motivation,” which just entered the top 40. Her track record on pop radio is less than stellar and this song sounds tailor-made for rhythmic/urban radio. Is top 40 radio finally ready for more R&B jams?

Nicole Scherzinger the former lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, has been trying to land a hit solo single for years. After releasing four songs in 2007, none of which were exactly smashes, her album was shelved. So, what’s changed? Maybe the Pussycat Dolls stigma has worn off? On the flip side, maybe no one actually noticed the Pussycat Dolls weren’t the girls dancing behind her in the “Right There” video? Maybe people can finally pronounce her last name? Whatever it is, Nicole Scherzinger’s “Right There” is picking up steam on radio and iTunes. Strangely enough, Interscope followed the same pattern that led to Scherzinger’s flop in 2007. Both “Whatever U Like” (Nicole’s debut solo single, for those of you who missed it) and “Right There” are urban-leaning tracks that respectively feature rent-a-rappers T.I. and 50 Cent. Earlier this year, Nicole released a more dance-oriented album, “Killer Love” overseas. I was surprised they didn’t go for one of the RedOne produced tracks in the states as well, but it looks like they made the right decision. Now, the question is, will the X Factor do for Nicole’s career what “American Idol” did for Jennifer Lopez and “The Voice” for Christina Aguilera? We shall see.

The only person who’s released more “first singles” than Nicole Scherzinger is Kelly Rowland. The single releases for this album campaign kicked off over a year ago with “Commander.” It was a hit overseas, but failed to do anything in the states. A few other singles were released after that, but met the same fate. Similar to Nicole, I thought her label would have pushed the more dance-leaning Guetta produced tracks, but “Motivation,” a strictly R&B joint featuring Lil Wayne, has become Kelly’s first bonafide hit since her start as a solo artist in 2002.

With both of these girls moving away from the dance/electropop trend and scoring hits, it begs the question: have we reached the end of an era? We all know music comes and goes in cycles and I can see the beginnings of a change…

These two girls have a lot in common. They’re both coming from girl groups and have been floating around the industry for years, but have never scored a solo hit. They’ve also never had any sort of definable image or sound, so hopefully they take what’s working and run with it. Regardless, the moral of the story is, if at first you don’t succeed, pick yourself up and try again.

When Rihanna released her debut single, “Pon de Replay,” it looked like she was heading for one-hit-wonder-dom. It was a catchy, island-flavored ditty perfect for the summer. It was a hit, but her album sales weren’t great and her stage presence left a lot to be desired. She wasn’t as strong of a singer as Beyoncé and couldn’t move like Ciara, so did we really need another one-named entertainer? Fast forward five years and Rihanna’s one of the biggest stars in the world.

How did Rihanna go from basic island girl to international superstar? She quickly kept a stream of albums and singles coming and differentiated herself from the pack. These are two very important lessons for new artists. After you release your debut album and gain some momentum, don’t wait another two years to release something else. People will forget about you. One album and handful of it singles is not enough to solidify your spot in pop music. Rihanna released “Music of the Sun” in August 2005, “A Girl Like Me” in April 2006 and “Good Girl Gone Bad” in May 2007. This one-two-three punch helped make Rihanna a star. She kept the hits coming and remained visible in a fast paced market. Lady Gaga did the same thing by releasing “The Fame Monster” EP to hold fans over and remain relevant in-between full-length albums. Even five albums into her career, Rihanna released “Loud” less than a year after “Rated R.” When you’re a new artist, keep the albums and singles coming. Your fans won’t lose interest and you can continue touring and promoting new material. If a debut starts slow or an album underperforms, release a follow-up quickly and don’t give pop music listeners the chance to latch on to the “next big thing,” leaving you in the dust.

Even with her somewhat shaky start, Rihanna always had something different. Hailing from Barbados, the island influence can be heard in a lot of her music and many of her biggest hits. That’s not something other artists (like the aforementioned Beyoncé) can pull off, at least not convincingly. Rihanna’s hair has also been an instrumental force in her career. Yes, her hair. Ten years ago, all it took was long, blonde hair to be a pop star. Now, you have to think outside the box. Katy Perry’s career exploded when she plopped a blue wig on her head and Lady Gaga’s sported every color of the rainbow at one point or another (and sometimes simultaneously). Rihanna’s first bold hair move was chopping it all off for “Good Girl Gone Bad” and setting herself apart from all the weave-wearing pop star pack. It was a little darker and moodier than her counterparts, providing an alternative to glossier female stars. She’s currently sporting a shade of red, once again going for something different, and complimenting Perry’s smurf look quite nicely. In all seriousness, image is important and Rihanna found a definable image along the way that has matched the sound of her music for each era. In addition to developing her look, she also found her stage presence and personality.

Rihanna was not a superstar when she first came out. It took a couple years. There are some stars like Britney and Gaga that have it from the get go. Rihanna’s become a much better singer and performer over the past five years. Continuing to release material and promote allowed her to hone her craft and become more comfortable onstage. Rihanna’s gone through more transformations in five years than most artists do in double that time, constantly releasing new music and changing up her image. This makes it seem like Rihanna’s been around for much longer and has further solidified her status as a superstar. With rumors of either a “Loud” rerelease or entirely new LP this fall, it looks like Rihanna won’t be slowing up anytime soon, and why would she? She’s 23 and on top of the world. I’m just looking forward to seeing how Rihanna will reinvent herself this time around…

It’s been years since a traditional boy band or girl group have hit it big in the US. In the late 90s and early 2000s, groups like *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child, Spice Girls and TLC were dominating the charts. What happened?

There’s definitely a stigma surrounding groups, because most people see them as gimmicky. The “manufacturing” of endless boy bands in an attempt to mimic the success of *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys by other labels certainly gave prefab pop groups a bad name. In order for another boy band to girl group to breakthrough, the process of putting them together will have to be much more organic.

There have been some successful girl groups in the past decade, like the Pussycat Dolls and Danity Kane, but both groups fizzled after two albums, plagued by infighting between the members. In the case of the Pussycat Dolls, the group was obviously built to launch front woman Nicole Scherzinger as a solo star. This was pretty apparent to anyone watching or listening to them and can be off-putting for fans of the entire group. Sure, there are always inevitably one or two members that standout, but in order for a group to achieve long-term success and make an impact, each member has to have an identity and share the spotlight.

The time is also right for a group explosion. Within the past few years, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, have all proven that tween pop is still an incredibly viable marketplace. We’ve had breakout male and female solo stars and “bands,” but a good old singing and dancing troupe of teens has yet to hit it big. The audience is there, but the niche hasn’t been filled.

This fall, the X Factor debuts in the US, where unlike “American Idol,” groups are allowed to audition. Will this be the platform to launch the next boy band or girl group? Maybe. It’s certainly not organic, and the entire show will undoubtedly be gimmicky, but with millions of people watching, it’s not a bad place to start. Also, if the demographic is similar to “American Idol,” with a large tween, female audience, it’s the perfect place to do it.

Boy bands and girl groups are also pretty versatile with the kind of music they can create. They thrived during the bubblegum pop explosion and have also rode the waves of hip-hop and R&B. However, with dance and electropop still dominating the airwaves, it makes things even easier.

Pop groups are still popular overseas, particularly in Asia and the UK. One of the UK’s most popular boy bands, The Wanted, is releasing their first single stateside this month (“All Time Low”). The question is, have we recovered from the fatigue of the teen pop explosion over a decade ago and are we ready to embrace boy bands and girl groups once again? I for one am ready to hear some solid, catchy pop harmonies and hooks once again.

With almost eight million views in two days, Britney’s video for “I Wanna Go,” is quickly becoming a bigger viral hit than both “Hold It Against Me” and “Till the World Ends.” Compared to the aforementioned videos, there was much less hype leading up to it’s release. However, this video has something those two didn’t: Britney. She actually looks like she’s enjoying herself and not doing something because someone’s holding a gun to the back of her weave.

Director Chris Marrs Piliero got it right. Instead of building a spectacle around Britney, the focus is on her. Yes, there’s no dancing. But, there doesn’t need to be. The video shows off a cheeky, fun Britney and is a perfect fit for the song. It also doesn’t try to rehash any of her past videos, but still feels like classic Britney. The styling is pure early 2000s pop princess and something only Britney could pull off.

All in all, I think people want to see Britney looking great and genuinely having a good time and that’s what this video accomplishes. There are some obscure references (see: “Crossroads 2: Cross Harder”) and things that make you go “WTF” upon first viewing, but that’s all the more reason to watch it again (and again).