Watching the music video for British singer-songwriter Jessie J's single "Do It Like A Dude," I could imagine the artist being compared to Lady Gaga and Rihanna as the new pop it-girl. In her video, which premiered in the U.K. in mid-November and is currently making a buzz in the states, the artist sports eclectic attire that calls contemporary pop divas to mind.
However, I hope people will not label Jessie J's music as pop just because of her style of dress and popularity. Drawing from hip-hop, rock, pop and dance influences, the artist's sound is undefinable, defying any attempt at categorization.
In fact, much of today's popular music cannot be defined by traditional genres or stereotypes.
This trend of music without a genre is relatively new in the past, most famous pop stars were also associated with another genre of music.
For example, pop sensations Shania Twain and Taylor Swift can be described as country artists. Although they transitioned into the pop genre after churning out their first number-one hits, both started out performing country music, and those influences can still be heard in their music today. Despite their "crossover pop" status, the singers have remained relatively true to their roots over the years.
However, I cannot even begin to categorize other popular artists of our day, such as Jessie J, Lady Gaga, NER*D, Lily Allen, Mark Ronson, Santigold and M.I.A.
At first, I was puzzled that these artists did not seem committed to one particular genre. After all, everyone from famous musicians to tone-deaf listeners seems to have a certain type of music they gravitate toward.
Some may argue that genre-less music is in fact its own category. However, not all music without a genre is alike in terms of influence and background. Genre-less artists are often similar in that they combine different genres to create their atypical music, but rarely do they draw from the same sources. The possibilities for deformation and play are endless, so it is inaccurate to group all genre-less artists together.
For example, the artist M.I.A. who hails from the U.K. incorporates hip-hop, world, dance, alternative and electronic influences in her music. It is hard to imagine that music that combines so many different elements could actually sound worthwhile, but M.I.A. manages to pull it off, crafting her beats into aesthetic masterpieces while also tying in serious messages about politics and social conflicts.
The easiest way to describe M.I.A.'s body of work is to say she does not have a genre. Instead of adhering to a single musical style, she has created an individual sound that is all her own.
Like M.I.A., many of the most popular genre-less artists are from outside the United States, with the exception of Lady Gaga (who might as well be from a different planet anyway).
This diversity of nationality may be explained by the fact that genre-less artists are trying to appeal to the whole world with their eclectic beats, instead of just focusing on the United States. However, these musicians do gain popularity by becoming mainstream in the states, which is why we can get away with calling their work pop music.
But even the label of pop is debatable artists like KatyPerry, Mandy Moore and Britney Spears (circa 2002) have done their part to create a trademark style for pop music. This distinct pop genre sweet as candy cannot be used to describe musicians like Jessie J and Lady Gaga.
I expect that Jessie J's debut album "Who You Are," which is set to release sometime this year, will skyrocket the artist to stardom.
However, I hope listeners will not peg the artist as a pop star just because she becomes more popular. Instead, we should notice the mix of influences and quirks at work in Jessie J's music, and appreciate her talents as an artist without a genre.
