If you Google "Queen of Pop" you'll be greeted with a link to Madonna's Wikipedia page as well as hundreds of pictures of her on the images page. In my mind, Madonna definitely still wields the pop crown, but for some reason people are all too eager to dethrone the pop staple and replace her with another blond starlet.
Britney Spears fans are convinced that the 2003 VMA performance was a ritual in which Madonna passed the title over to the "I Wanna Go" singer. Rolling Stone seems to think Lady Gaga created pop music and controversy. Beyoncè fans, well, we all know they think she is the greater than the oxygen we breathe... but who's right? Which pop idol is more deserving of the pop crown.
I did a little research and decided that the Queen of Pop is too complex of a title to just throw around to whichever blond is hot at the moment. Oh yeah, I'm totally ready for the battle that will ensue in the comment section.
Britney Spears - "The Obvious Choice"
Britney, in my opinion, is the obvious choice for the title. She's been the most consistent artist of the past decade plus and has already survived a mental breakdown that would have killed any other star. Britney will always have numbers on her side. Whether it's her "Highest Female Opening Week Of All Time" title, couple of RIAA Diamond Plaques, television ratings or concert receipts, Britney has sure done a bang up job of creating a hell of a fan base over the years. Her fans have become such a force that they we able to give Brit-Brit two #1 debuts on the Hot 100 based merely on single sales!
Problem: Britney has seemingly lost her spark over the last few years, a problem that would get any real queen booted from the throne and replaced. On top of that, Britney hasn't put out a powerhouse album since 2003. Sure, Blackout is the fan favorite, but Spears mental state blocked proper promotion attempts and the album sank down the Billboard charts like the Titanic.
Beyoncè - "The Prince of the New Millennium"
Whether you call her Queen Bey or King B, it's not a stretch to say Bey has become what Britney Spears once was, which is the top performer amongst her peers. Some call her the next Michael Jackson, but I feel like she is more like the Prince of the new millennium. Beyoncè is extremely involved in every aspect of her art and has gained the respect of everyone in the music industry, while humbling her peers with her flawless performances and ever-improving vocals. The cherry on top for Beyoncè is that she seems to be the only person who can outdo herself. With every album she sets a goal to improve her artistry and does so racking up Grammys and astounding album sales on the way. Did I mention she's everywhere? If she's not on a television ad, she's on YouTube, a billboard, a newspaper or your box of hair dye.
Problem: Does not compute. However, Beyoncè has not really lived up to the careers of her "pop queens" before her like Madonna and Janet Jackson. Sure, she outdoes them vocally, but Beyoncè doesn't really have any iconic live performances or an eye-popping amount of sales in any arena. I could easily say Beyoncè is the best female performer out right now, but that's not saying much with her current competition. Spears, who was set up to be as big as Michael Jackson, can't keep her eyes all the way open through an entire performance. Rihanna can barely make it across stage without falling. Lady Gaga is more of a odd spectacle... and then there's Katy Perry who I'm not even sure performs.
Lady Gaga - "A Fame Monster"
Lady Gaga almost literally took the music industry by storm, stirring up havoc on the Billboard charts with her record breaking airplay, single sales and album sales. Even though her first album was uber successful, the sudden rise of popularity she experienced with her Born This Way album took everyone by surprise. Gaga put a nice little dent in the history books with her platinum debut. Along with that goes the controversy. What's a true queen without controversy? Her outfits, making out with chicks in videos, talking a little **** on Twitter and then there was the whole penis thing. She really became a fame monster. Lady Gaga pretty much has the music industry on its knees and she isn't showing any sign of letting up her reign of hail fire singles smashing the top 10 on the Hot 100.
Problem: Gaga hasn't paid her dues. As of now, she's still just another hot pop gimmick with a string of hits. I feel like Gaga hasn't proven that she can withstand the test of time just yet. She's certainly on the right track, but you never know. One bad album and the world can be completely over you. Plus, how many more outrageous outfits can you possibly come up with to help this chick make headlines? She still has a long way to go before she can be considered a Queen of anything but controversy.
Rihanna & Katy Perry - "Chart Topping Hot Mamas"
These two are pretty similar when it comes to success. Together they have more #1 singles than you can shake a stick at. Katy Perry is well only her way to making history for having five on one album while Rihanna is setting her eyes on having the most ever. It's insane how they've become these chart topping hot mamas. Plus, these two are constantly on "hottest women" lists by magazines and blogs like Maxim and Esquire.
Problem: Neither of these girls are performers. I can't even remember a Katy Perry performance I've seen. Rihanna's performances are more known for her busting her ass constantly. Also, neither one of them have really put out classic albums. Rihanna came damn close with Good Girl Gone Bad, but when we're talking making history, almost doesn't count. In essence, they're singles artists, which are artists that rarely make it out of their first decade.
What about others? Yeah, there are other contenders, but none that match up to the four listed above.
Christina Aguilera had all the makings of a pop queen but disappeared for a little bit too long and then came back as Lady Gaga had tightened her grip on the music industry's balls. Ke$ha is probably just under Katy Perry and Rihanna when it comes to hits but she doesn't really have anything that attracts you to her personality aside from her celebrity. Mariah Carey should have the crown but she's a little pushed to the side like Janet and Kylie Minogue because she's been out of the limelight for so long. You could make an argument for any artists, I'm sure, but we have to be a little more careful of how we label our pop stars. We can't just go around calling everyone the Queen. Madonna worked her ass off for decades to get that title. Half of these chicks haven't even been alive that long. Hell, I don't even really care for Madonna, but I think it's a bit silly that every time someone has a hit single or album, MTV and Rolling Stone are trying to come out with a new list and labeling a new queen of pop.
The ones who will report this thread are the pressed ones with argument and will stay mad.
BEYONCE ALWAYS HAVE EYE POPPING AND ICONIC PERFORMANCES AND SHE DOES LIVE UP TO HER NAME
She still has some good music with FF though, catchy beats nothing really more than that though
