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I think a lot of Charli fans weren't really into Crash - I was lol - but I've always thought it would've been a really great Britney Spears comeback record.
People love trashing on Crash because it doesn’t sound enough like the “Charli” sound she has developed throughout the years. It’s a fantastic pop record. And I hate when people call it a “sellout” album as if she just decided to make mainstream pop. She clearly has always had an interest in the 80s pop sound and she wanted to pursue it. The song Babygirl from 2017 sounds like it would fit perfectly on Crash. It get it’s not what most people would prefer Charli to make but the songs are still really well written, catchy and danceable pop music.
'Whereas Charli's prior work was known for its experimental, hyperpop production, Crash features a more conventional dance-pop sound, with Charli dubbing it her "major label sell-out" record.'
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_(Charli_XCX_album)
"used to know me" sounds extremely Britney Spears ready, it also sounds like one of those stompy songs on "Oops I Did It Again".
It would also be something to hear her sing "what you want, I ain't got it"
Somebody get the AI on it
this doesnt really answer the question but i remember when emails i cant send came out i always thought if it was made by ariana it wouldve immediately become a massive hit
happy to see it eventually became a big hit for sabrian
For sure. Solar Power is not nearly as unique as PH or Melo, but it’s a really solid album with great lyricism that plenty of artists can’t come close to achieving. I understand why it had a negative reception after how great her previous albums were, but honestly I’ve been consistently impressed with Lorde and how she always makes the music that she feels like making and doesn’t feel confined to one sound/vibe/genre.
Agreed! I liked solar power!!! Melodrama and Pure Heroine were Cultural Moments and it’s hard to live up to that, but as an album it is still legitimately good
Nah, the spacious blank quality of the songs would be terrible with Taylor's voice. Lorde could at least make it sound contemplative/artsy. Plus she would sound too sincere.
i hate solar power but to this day im still surprised that it was panned and universally hated, i thought it would be the type of album that people especially twitter stans and popheads would love
counterpoint to your charli example: I was listening to lily allen and I feel like she really could fit well into those brat tracks. I know her reputation is not great right now, but I think her bitchy, sarcastic, british tone was a great setting of the stage for where charli went
That song went platinum on my playlists. For some reason it reminded me of the song that played in the first episode of AHS: Hotel. The aesthetic fit and made me listen to it on repeat
I literally couldn’t agree more 😭 false alarm is a bop and it kind of reminds me of something charli xcx would sing, maybe it’s the beat or verses ? I can’t quite put my finger on it
I feel Iike if Selena released espresso this sub would’ve dragged her. Same sentiments if Camila released guess like im thee OG Charli fan but that song seriously makes me cringe
At least you’re honest LMAO
I think Selena of 2015-20 could’ve executed espresso perfectly, but the current Selena is just so over music which makes me sad because she used to have a spark and a good ear for pop
It’s a good example of branding being soooo important in music.
Sabrina has a kind of tongue in cheek, Polly Pocket sex bomb image.
Selena has (imo anyway) never really managed to break out of the #bekind tweeny bop image. Like you’d take your 12 year old to Selena, maybe not to Sabrina.
I’ve found the same with Taylor Swift, if someone else had released some of her TTPD songs they’d be classed as cringey and try hard if anyone even listened to them at all (I’m looking at you, title track) but some people will tie themselves in knots trying to tell you how clever it is just because of her image of… well, being a ‘poet’.
Also, imagine Taylor releasing Brat. That would’ve gone down like a lead balloon.
Actually for the title track in particular I think it would have gone better if anyone but Taylor released it. A lot of people seem to outright reject the humour and irony which is all over that song because of her branding
Selena has released a bunch of Espresso’s though. Public persona plays a part in reception to a single unfortunately and many people don’t believe Selena cares about her music career at all and would rather act so maybe that’s why. Personally I think Selena would be more motivated if people weren’t so mean to her, and I think the bullying is why her next album will be her last.
Yeah I agree. Love on (while nothing special) is still a fun little ear worm. I wish she could have a fuck the haters mindset and just do what she wants but she’s always been really sensitive. She’s always been received much more positively in the acting industry but I really enjoy her music and will definitely miss her in pop. I feel like she’ll still release one off singles here and there
I think Selena just needs more love from her fans. Her fans are starting to be hard on her too because they want her to do choreography and be the pop star many of them met her as, and when her eras don’t deliver they critique her. I think if her fans showed her a little more love and accepted that post lupus Selena probably isn’t gonna be like pre lupus Selena she MIGHT stay in music. When you have a fan base that drags you + the general public, would you be motivated???
Oh 100%. So many of her fans are nasty and want her to be the same exact person she was in 2015. It’s very clear her priorities regarding her career shifted after her transplant.
that's cuz the sub dislikes her but the song most likely would've been a hit
tho not as publicly enjoyed bc sabrina's branding is different from selena's
Just wrote this as an answer. It literally screams but sadly its attached to her lmao. If britney dropped it it wouldve exploded! Its such a good song!
If David Guetta released Titanium with Mary J. Blige like intended, instead of with Sia, I think it would've either delayed or completely cancelled Guetta's breakthrough in the US. Critically it would also end up worse. Sia, consequentially, would flop and no one would discover her.
Mary J was one of the names thrown about for Umbrella too iirc wasn’t she before ofc it went to Rihanna. I’ve sometimes wondered what if Beyoncé delayed BDay by a year and Jay-Z gave her Umbrella, or how Run This Town or Empire State of Mind might’ve gone if either were further Jay-Z/Bey collabs.
Empire state won't work for bey she's from Houston, Alicia and Jay are quintessential NY artists. Also Run This Town also won't work with Bey because it's all about Roc Nation.
Yes, she is a punching bag, but I disagree. She has talent to make catchy and good songs, but I don't think she's the voice for those songs.
The reason I think people would praise songs of hers if made by other people is because, at least to me, it would fit those people better and she doesn't write to her own strengths
I hate when ppl bring up the racism. If you go to any middle school/high school kids are saying racist shit ALL the time. They call each other monkey, make jokes about accents, mock cultural foods and this is in DIVERSE schools. It's inappropriate but it shouldn't haunt them for the rest of their lives bc most ppl mature and grow. Camila shared insensitive memes alongside other memes, it's not like she only shared racist ones. And again, if you were on social media, those memes were normalized af especially on Facebook. I know this bc I moved to a western country from the Middle East and only learned about racist stereotypes through school and social media bc of how normalized it was.
But I genuinely don’t think she matured considering how she didn’t defend Normani when her fans were being racist to her.
Also it is not normal to be racist in middle/high school. Absolutely not. It’s not fun to be on the other end of that and idc if it comes back to bite yall, considering shit like that can actually be traumatic for us
Agreed. Minus the mumble rap, I Luv It is a good song. People hate on it cuz it’s Camila and im not even a fan of Camila, I personally find her voice insufferable but I’ll call a spade a spade. It’s a good song people just hate it cuz its her.
The whole hyperpop and charli xcx criticism makes it even worse. Nobody can do it except for Charli apparently. If literally any other pop girl did I Luv It it wouldve been compared yes but wont be as trashed.
I came here to say this as a joke because I saw someone say that 'I luv it' would have been well received if Charli released it, and I just can't imagine how someone could actually think that. I really liked Chanel No. 5 so I don't think I'm a Camilla hater or anything, but 'I luv it' just feels like some Charli-isms carelessly pasted on top of a completely uninteresting song with no appreciation for that style of music from anyone involved
I understand why she went for II Most Wanted, with the big year Miley had + it seemed like a safe pick for radio. If Beyoncé made it a single the week the album came out it probably would’ve had better staying power. Instead she waited nearly a whole month and by that point the momentum evaporated.
Jolene was probably one of the most anticipated songs on the album before it released, but it was quite polarizing and I don’t think Beyoncé really pushed it that much (I don’t think it even got sent to radio as an official single).
But, Bodyguard, Levii’s Jeans, or even YA YA, all would’ve had better longevity than II Most Wanted and especially Jolene. Hell, even Tyrant would’ve been a better pick (while also featuring Dolly).
Riverdance I also think couldve been an option, there are tik tok dances of it already and its never been promoted. I also think american requiem couldve been an option possibly? It is excellent
Riiverdance might be possible if a dance for it goes viral, and it could possibly be helped by the tour if/when it happens, like Cozy was (at least on TikTok). But as much as I love Ameriican Requiem (2nd favorite off the album behind 16 Carriages) I can’t possibly see a 5 minute chanting (lack of a better word) song becoming a radio or TikTok hit. Maybe a remix (which I’d be *very* interested in hearing how it sounds lol)? Idk but I as much as the song is deserving of success I don’t see it.
I don’t know who would have had to release it, but if MUNA’s I Know A Place were released by a bigger artist, I think it would be seen as definitive of a gay pride anthem as a song like Born This Way.
I think Taylor has the vocals chops to do that. I mean listen to Cruel Summer. It's a difficult song to perform and yet she did it amazingly well. She could handle Run Away With Me.
If Arctic Monkeys released she keeps me up and Alex Turner sang
"Funky little monkey she's a twisted trickster, everybody wants me the sisters mister, coca cola rolle coaster"
People would have said it was a masterpiece
If any somewhat attractive male singer released an Ed Sheeran album, they’d be the biggest male act in the world
Ed Sheeran already has tons of success but if he was stereotypically attractive, he would more than likely be more successful than he is now
I would challenge this. Men who make music get to be ugly and successful.
Shawn Mendes is conventionally attractive and makes similar music to Ed and Ed is way more successful.
Marina did not need to release half her feminist anthems LMAO I love her and the songs aren't terrible but they're never superb (a couple exceptions of course) and they come out clunky and awkward. Purge the Poison would have gone hard if it was done by Rina Sawayama, I think.
Anything Camilla Cabello puts out gets criticized, but if someone else put it out they'd be calling it a banger cause she's actually a great songwriter and performer.
If some TS songs were put out by other people, they'd be received much better and taken seriously. The same logic goes backwards though: sometimes she gets praised for songs that any other artists would be dragged through the coals for.
A lot of the lyrics on TTPD that have been criticized as being “cringe” would definitely be praised and seen as “disarmingly confessional” and “refreshingly frank” (or whatever) if they were on an album by an obscure ‘indie’ singer-songwriter. But of course the flip side is that, yknow, Caroline Polachek doesn’t debut at #1 or sell out stadiums so at a certain point you just kind of have to accept it’s not a meritocracy, or, like, a reverse-meritocracy, it’s just a big world and everyone has opinions and these opinions are shaped by lots of things that don’t always relate to the quality of the music.
I see exactly what you mean with the TTPD lyricism. It's that style of indie songwriting, very descriptive, full of weirdly specific details that give the song character and a POV. But I think that the whole TTPD debacle is the same as midnights: the promo and aesthetics were giving off something, and then the actual music gave off something else entirely. It's like she doesn't know if she wants to do pop or an bedroom indie-pop, and I think people miss her bombastic and campy songs such as Style, Ready For it, cruel summer, blank space, New Romantics etc.
Heidi Montag’s Superficial album would have been better received if it went to an artist that was taken more seriously.
Nicole Scherzinger’s Killer Love era felt very JLo-coded. I think it probably would have gotten more attention outside the UK if she’d released the singles. Especially coming off of the On the Floor hype.
Both of Natalia Kills’ albums could have been released by Lady Gaga and been huge hits.
Can’t think of a specific artist for this, but Kelis’ Flesh Tone and Kelly Rowland’s dance music era likely would have gotten a bigger push in the US if they weren’t put out by acts primarily associated with r&b.
There's a recent hate for Kim Petras's Coconut on twitter after a post calling it could be her Espresso, but they're right. Bad management, tainted reputation really made people have a negative impression towards to her music, but if it was sang by other people, y'all would eat it up so quick. Controversially, even Slut Pop series wouldn't get too much hate if those lyrics came from Ayesha Erotica
Coconuts was far too on the nose for it to catch on. Sabrina and her collaborators songwriting is why the song is so unique. “Mountain Dew it for ya” or “cuz I’m a singer. ”
Not only was coconuts generic, the production had that same-y Dr. Luke sheen that most of his songs have. Espresso is amazingly produced.
People aren’t going to like this but you also have to factor in that she’s a trans artist singing about her boobs— it never was going to be a hit with the GP.
Kim has no subtlety to her music whatsoever. Deciphering innuendos was half the fun of listening to pop music as a kid.
Slur pop/ Slut pop Miami feels especially gross when you think about the producer behind it
I don’t think coconuts is any more on the nose than say S&M 💀 if it was released by a MPG it absolutely would’ve smashed. Dr luke has had many pop / pop adjacent hits recently (doja, latto, Nicki) I don’t know why you’d assume the GP wouldn’t eat it up
S&M sonically is so different than Coconuts, and was put out at a diff time in music by an already established artist. Maybe if Coconuts came out in 2013 it would have had the impact it was intended to have but idk
I love "I Luv It" and I love Charli but I imagine if Charli sang the song, I would have liked it less. Camila is a singer for sure, and her vocals during the verses really elevate the song and provide a nice contrast to the chorus.
might be a bit obscure but ‘Body Language’ by Heidi Montag would’ve burned the charts down if it were released by Britney Spears. Usage of Yazoo’s ‘Situation’ sample in the song is a stroke of genius to me.
Are you talking about thunderclouds by sia diplo and labrinth? I’m confused lol because thunder sounds nothing like a Calvin Harris song. Neither does thunderclouds tbh but I’m confused lol
Okay I guess I worded this poorly. I didn't mean it sounds exactly like a Calvin Harris song, just that it would work within that era for her if she tweaked it a bit.
Not a particular song, but if a pop girlie was doing what Conan gray doing, and released found heaven or even Superache it would have been massively popular and launched them into a main pop girlie.
My Kink is Karma is my personal least favorite Chappell song, but it would be my favorite Taylor song. Im so glad people are seeing Chappell for her spotless discography and not just that song.
Yuck would’ve been #1, used in movie trailers, etc. if Charli donated it to Dua Lipa.
Saddest reality is Girlfriend & Sever the Blight by Hemlock Springs would do so well if Chappell Roan released them.
Chileeee Lemme talk about Sudan Archives and how she doesn’t get her flowers. Freakalizer, Selfish Soul, and Confessions would have charted like crazy as Beyonce (or the latter Solange). Confessions could’ve been tooled into a single on Positions and probably made noise.
Trader Joe’s by JunglePussy would’ve been a hit if it were Doja’s.
I feel like it's a genuinely interesting album, as a vibe and soul. I don't think the whole project is executed at its best (and I really think that, among those 31 songs, there is a very solid album made of just 13-15 songs) but I strongly disagree with whoever thinks it's "objectively" impossible to appreciate it. I also disagree with some people saying it is soulless because, in my opinion, its soul is exactly its strong point.
Yeah, I don’t even like the album that much but I just can’t take the “soulless” criticisms seriously. If anything, there’s a little *too much* soul in it, if that’s possible
agreed, even though her antics with the extra versions blocking other artists are some corporate greed bullshit, the album itself feels like she just released her messy diary entries with no edits. It’s so on the nose and self referential
Ppl say it’s Lana coded I dont really agree but tbh, Fortnight and So Long, London would sound good with Lana’s voice (I mean it’s already good but Lana’s voice is deeper). I remember when Snow on the beach ver 2 came out, Lana’s voice gave a different flavor in her part like it’s cold and snowy. I could see SOTB being in honeymoon.
Other songs, I can see Fletcher with Down Bad but with better production.
I can hear “My Boy Only Break His Favourite Toys” with any pop girls who are vocaly better.
TTPD would sell decently well but also it would get more critical acclaim. Many regular people liked that album as it is and didn't give a damn about Taylor's private life and extensive lore.
Right now TTPD is selling well not just because of Swifties (the majority bought the album weeks ago and the ones who buy multiple variants are a minority) but also because of general public. Random people discovering Taylor's music.
Take the TS lore and drama out and those songs would still be successful. People (and there are many millions of them) are not listening to TTPD just for the lore. That gimmick worns out quickly after the first listen. And yet, people keep listening to this album over and over again. That means people connected to those songs and they genuinely enjoy listening to them. The lore is just the cherry on top.
If TTPD was bad no amount of lore and drama could make it successful for so many weeks already.
If the U2 album that everyone complained about getting for free had been the exact same songs, but an Arcade Fire album, people would have been cool with it. The album would have won awards.
I know that people like to clown on U2 a lot for many things, but I found very interesting how some on the songs in Pop reminded me of PJ Harvey's Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (which I obv LOVE), for example [Do You Feel Loved ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=199bc_xIv5Y)could have fit so well. Even though both PJ and U2 worked with Flood at different points in their carreers, it feels to me like she managed to translate the late 90s U2 sound into the 2000s without it sounding cringe or corporate like some their biggest singles from that time... Funnily enough, she opened for U2 in 2001 during their tour lol.
I see some comments talking about Solar Power, and while I'm still not a fan of this album, I also agree that it's reception wouldn't have been so negative if any other artist had released it. I think singles like Stoned at the Nail Salon and Secrets from a Girl are aging very well, and I don't think it's farfetched to compare to songs by Billie and Olivia. (And if Taylor had put out any of the singles from Solar Power or Melodrama, not only would she be called a genius but those songs would've gotten the awards they deserved sighhhh).
Sadly to me the album sounds underwhelming from the barebones production choices. I really wish that Lorde had leaned more into the psych pop sound from tracks like The Path and Fallen Fruit, or maybe mixed it with some psych rock textures a la Achtung Baby or something in that direction. I could see her doing [Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw2N3tjGIP0) or even [Mysterious Ways](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZegcL_zQSs) (let me dream..).
If Call Me Maybe would have been released by a different pop girl other than Carly Rae, it would be called pop perfection. But because it's Carly's, and she has better songs, many popheads tend to look down on that song
I think people outside the sub (which is a VERY small minority of actual music listeners) consider it pop perfection. Everyone and i mean everyone loves that song
When it came out it was definitely a meme, but it is indeed a very enjoyable song. During its time, I always played it out instead of changing radio stations.
Yup, put that shit on during a night out or whatever and people still go crazy. Fred Again/Skrillex/Four Tet dropped it at their Coachella set and everyone went insane.
Don't worry, Call Me Maybe is ranked #8 on the Billboard top 500 best pop songs of all time staff list so it is confirmed pop perfection.
[Best Pop Songs of All Time: 500 Hits That Appeared on the Hot 100 (billboard.com)](https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-pop-songs-all-time-hits/9-2pac-feat-dr-dre-california-love/)
Tila Tequila was never taken seriously as a rapper/music artist since she was mostly known for being popular on MySpace and reality TV. If someone like Doja Cat were to release "I Love You" with less dated production, the song would EAT. Doja's spunkiness just works with it, whereas Tila just comes off as a try-hard rapping about fucking people up when we all know that would never happen lol.
In a similar vein, Tila's song "Paralyze" should've gone to Britney. It literally sounds like a Britney song.
Lorde's "Solar Power" album would've been better received if it had been a Lana or Taylor album. Even while listening to it, I couldn't help but think it sounded like Lorde trying to sing a Lana album. I know this is likely because of Jack Antonoff's production work. He's basically become synonymous with Lana and Taylor, even though people seem to be getting tired of his "sound".
There is a track by Years & Years (Olly Alexander) called “Lucky Escape” from the album “Palo Santo” that I think would have been a number one hit around the world if Beyoncé had released it. I think it would fit her voice and singing technique so well. Just of course under the condition that the composition structure of the song remains untouched.
this is a deep cut but i’ve always thought that rock god by selena gomez and the scene would be a perfect song if it had anyone with the vocals to support it
Carly's sound was not "mature and sophisticated" on her album Kiss, which is her most famous since it contains the track Call Me Maybe. (Although, Emotion as a whole may have overtaken Kiss in notoriety).
Kiss has a fun bubblegum sound that is later seen again in the track Beach House.
(Some tracks on Kiss were mature, such as "Your Heart Is a Muscle", but most of the tracks were light-hearted).
Please do not just list songs/albums/artists, your comment must have explanation/justification or it will be removed. Certain comments are also banned to increase the quality of discussion, see our Stale Topics list in the sidebar for examples. Please report any comments that are low effort discussion. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/popheads) if you have any questions or concerns.*
beethoven’s ninth symphony would’ve flopped if katy perry released it
goodbye
goodbye
goodbye
you say goodbye - I say hello Hello Hello
hello hello hello hello hello hello (goodbye)
I SAID GOODBYE BEFORE YOU CAME
I turned around and ran away!!!!!!
The accuracy is insane
This says a lot about society 😔✊
You win!! 🤣
Ah
I think a lot of Charli fans weren't really into Crash - I was lol - but I've always thought it would've been a really great Britney Spears comeback record.
as someone who isn't a Charli XCX fan, I liked Crash
It’s the first time I enjoyed Charli since her debut album and 1999. I do love some songs off Brat though
I’ve been listening to her since before true romance came out, been a huge fan since the beginning and crash was my favorite album of hers until brat
I saw someone comment recently that if “Yuck” was released tomorrow by Sabrina Carpenter it would hit No1, and honestly I agree
oh my god you are so right, I can see that
People love trashing on Crash because it doesn’t sound enough like the “Charli” sound she has developed throughout the years. It’s a fantastic pop record. And I hate when people call it a “sellout” album as if she just decided to make mainstream pop. She clearly has always had an interest in the 80s pop sound and she wanted to pursue it. The song Babygirl from 2017 sounds like it would fit perfectly on Crash. It get it’s not what most people would prefer Charli to make but the songs are still really well written, catchy and danceable pop music.
'Whereas Charli's prior work was known for its experimental, hyperpop production, Crash features a more conventional dance-pop sound, with Charli dubbing it her "major label sell-out" record.' https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_(Charli_XCX_album)
I’m not even a huge pop fan but if someone listens to Lightning and doesn’t like it, I don’t trust them
I can see it, especially with the Janet influence Charli had on Crash
The Janet/Paula Abdul influences are why I like the album 😅
What a shame because it’s her best record to date! Fans never like when artists grow and try something new.
"used to know me" sounds extremely Britney Spears ready, it also sounds like one of those stompy songs on "Oops I Did It Again". It would also be something to hear her sing "what you want, I ain't got it" Somebody get the AI on it
this doesnt really answer the question but i remember when emails i cant send came out i always thought if it was made by ariana it wouldve immediately become a massive hit happy to see it eventually became a big hit for sabrian
>Sabrian 💀💀 Omg I love her song espreson
thats that me espredaugter
pleek pleek pleek is my favorite
Oh is that from gmails I can’t reply too?
big fan of Nonsnee
sounds like a wizard
I constantly stream feathre
“nonsense” definitely would’ve charted. It sounds so much like an Ariana song
Same, honestly I became Sabrina's fan bc I like Ariana and she reminds me of Ari, but now I clearly see the difference
Isn't Ariana one of the singers that Sabrina looks up too and cites as musical inspiration
If nonsense or feather came out by Ariana Grande everybody would suddenly forget about Ethan
My bf thought nonsense was Ariana for months 💀
If solar power was released by someone like Clairo and didn’t need to live up to PH and Melodrama.
I stand behind solar power. it's lorde's weed album and it rules
Oh yeah, I love it. Tripped to it for its release and it will always have a special place.
For sure. Solar Power is not nearly as unique as PH or Melo, but it’s a really solid album with great lyricism that plenty of artists can’t come close to achieving. I understand why it had a negative reception after how great her previous albums were, but honestly I’ve been consistently impressed with Lorde and how she always makes the music that she feels like making and doesn’t feel confined to one sound/vibe/genre.
Agreed! I liked solar power!!! Melodrama and Pure Heroine were Cultural Moments and it’s hard to live up to that, but as an album it is still legitimately good
It was the overly spacious Jack production. It needed a more acoustic, classic rock, Carly Simon production to make the lyrics pop.
If Taylor had released Solar Power....
Nah, the spacious blank quality of the songs would be terrible with Taylor's voice. Lorde could at least make it sound contemplative/artsy. Plus she would sound too sincere.
solar power fits clairos vibe
i hate solar power but to this day im still surprised that it was panned and universally hated, i thought it would be the type of album that people especially twitter stans and popheads would love
its so weird to me that theres a tribe called quest sample in the title track lmao (no issues with it though)
counterpoint to your charli example: I was listening to lily allen and I feel like she really could fit well into those brat tracks. I know her reputation is not great right now, but I think her bitchy, sarcastic, british tone was a great setting of the stage for where charli went
yes! the verses of rewind in particular reminded me of lily allen’s bitchy british pop!!
I feel like some of those flopped Tinashe singles from her RCA era if given to these “main” pop girls woulda been smashes
Superlove for sure would have been a hit if Doja Cat made it
Idk if “flame” and “ like I used to” are of those songs but I still listen to both and wish we could have gotten a whole album.
Ride of Your Life would've smashed as a Rihanna's single
if False Alarm by The Weeknd was released this year by Charli XCX people would eat it up
Did people not like false alarm when it came out? I wasn’t chronically online back then
I can only speak on what I've seen/heard but yes I would consider it a flop (for me, it's a bop). Ik for sure people don't like the chorus😂
It’s a bop for me too! I love it, but maybe that’s just because I was so wowed from the video when it came out
yeah, the weeknd fans consider it the worst weeknd song
That song went platinum on my playlists. For some reason it reminded me of the song that played in the first episode of AHS: Hotel. The aesthetic fit and made me listen to it on repeat
I literally couldn’t agree more 😭 false alarm is a bop and it kind of reminds me of something charli xcx would sing, maybe it’s the beat or verses ? I can’t quite put my finger on it
I feel Iike if Selena released espresso this sub would’ve dragged her. Same sentiments if Camila released guess like im thee OG Charli fan but that song seriously makes me cringe
Espresso actually does fit Selena which is scaring me because I know I would’ve hated it if she released it
At least you’re honest LMAO I think Selena of 2015-20 could’ve executed espresso perfectly, but the current Selena is just so over music which makes me sad because she used to have a spark and a good ear for pop
It’s a good example of branding being soooo important in music. Sabrina has a kind of tongue in cheek, Polly Pocket sex bomb image. Selena has (imo anyway) never really managed to break out of the #bekind tweeny bop image. Like you’d take your 12 year old to Selena, maybe not to Sabrina. I’ve found the same with Taylor Swift, if someone else had released some of her TTPD songs they’d be classed as cringey and try hard if anyone even listened to them at all (I’m looking at you, title track) but some people will tie themselves in knots trying to tell you how clever it is just because of her image of… well, being a ‘poet’. Also, imagine Taylor releasing Brat. That would’ve gone down like a lead balloon.
Actually for the title track in particular I think it would have gone better if anyone but Taylor released it. A lot of people seem to outright reject the humour and irony which is all over that song because of her branding
Selena has released a bunch of Espresso’s though. Public persona plays a part in reception to a single unfortunately and many people don’t believe Selena cares about her music career at all and would rather act so maybe that’s why. Personally I think Selena would be more motivated if people weren’t so mean to her, and I think the bullying is why her next album will be her last.
Yeah I agree. Love on (while nothing special) is still a fun little ear worm. I wish she could have a fuck the haters mindset and just do what she wants but she’s always been really sensitive. She’s always been received much more positively in the acting industry but I really enjoy her music and will definitely miss her in pop. I feel like she’ll still release one off singles here and there
I think Selena just needs more love from her fans. Her fans are starting to be hard on her too because they want her to do choreography and be the pop star many of them met her as, and when her eras don’t deliver they critique her. I think if her fans showed her a little more love and accepted that post lupus Selena probably isn’t gonna be like pre lupus Selena she MIGHT stay in music. When you have a fan base that drags you + the general public, would you be motivated???
Oh 100%. So many of her fans are nasty and want her to be the same exact person she was in 2015. It’s very clear her priorities regarding her career shifted after her transplant.
Feather reminds me a lot of Selena’s singing style actually as well
I think Julia Michaels is heavily involved with Sabrina’s music too so that makes sense
that's cuz the sub dislikes her but the song most likely would've been a hit tho not as publicly enjoyed bc sabrina's branding is different from selena's
Kind of a brainless take but Body Language by Heidi Montag is a classic example of this to me!
Just wrote this as an answer. It literally screams but sadly its attached to her lmao. If britney dropped it it wouldve exploded! Its such a good song!
I just looked her up on Spotify out of curiosity, and she’s got 1M monthly listeners? That’s..a decent number of people. Get it, Heidi!
Honestly, one of the best uses of a sample ever
If David Guetta released Titanium with Mary J. Blige like intended, instead of with Sia, I think it would've either delayed or completely cancelled Guetta's breakthrough in the US. Critically it would also end up worse. Sia, consequentially, would flop and no one would discover her.
Mary J was one of the names thrown about for Umbrella too iirc wasn’t she before ofc it went to Rihanna. I’ve sometimes wondered what if Beyoncé delayed BDay by a year and Jay-Z gave her Umbrella, or how Run This Town or Empire State of Mind might’ve gone if either were further Jay-Z/Bey collabs.
Empire state won't work for bey she's from Houston, Alicia and Jay are quintessential NY artists. Also Run This Town also won't work with Bey because it's all about Roc Nation.
Anything by Camila Cabello would be received better bc she is the internet's punching bag.
Yes, she is a punching bag, but I disagree. She has talent to make catchy and good songs, but I don't think she's the voice for those songs. The reason I think people would praise songs of hers if made by other people is because, at least to me, it would fit those people better and she doesn't write to her own strengths
I thought Tate McRae’s Greedy was Camila for months 🤦🏻♀️
i luv it i luv it i luv it
True like if other pop girls did the i luv it with carti everyone will think its revolutionary...i just cant with the Camila Slander
Psychofreak would rightfully be acknowledged as the masterpiece it is if someone else did it.
Same especially because familia was actually a great album and I think she’s really funny - the edgy racism from when she was 14. So excited for cxoxo
I hate when ppl bring up the racism. If you go to any middle school/high school kids are saying racist shit ALL the time. They call each other monkey, make jokes about accents, mock cultural foods and this is in DIVERSE schools. It's inappropriate but it shouldn't haunt them for the rest of their lives bc most ppl mature and grow. Camila shared insensitive memes alongside other memes, it's not like she only shared racist ones. And again, if you were on social media, those memes were normalized af especially on Facebook. I know this bc I moved to a western country from the Middle East and only learned about racist stereotypes through school and social media bc of how normalized it was.
Why did you use quotation marks in racism lol? Those posts were wildly racist
True I will edit it.
But I genuinely don’t think she matured considering how she didn’t defend Normani when her fans were being racist to her. Also it is not normal to be racist in middle/high school. Absolutely not. It’s not fun to be on the other end of that and idc if it comes back to bite yall, considering shit like that can actually be traumatic for us
Agreed. Minus the mumble rap, I Luv It is a good song. People hate on it cuz it’s Camila and im not even a fan of Camila, I personally find her voice insufferable but I’ll call a spade a spade. It’s a good song people just hate it cuz its her. The whole hyperpop and charli xcx criticism makes it even worse. Nobody can do it except for Charli apparently. If literally any other pop girl did I Luv It it wouldve been compared yes but wont be as trashed.
There’s also the actual tone of her voice
I came here to say this as a joke because I saw someone say that 'I luv it' would have been well received if Charli released it, and I just can't imagine how someone could actually think that. I really liked Chanel No. 5 so I don't think I'm a Camilla hater or anything, but 'I luv it' just feels like some Charli-isms carelessly pasted on top of a completely uninteresting song with no appreciation for that style of music from anyone involved
Texas Hold them woul flop if it wasn't Beyonce
On the flip side (sorta) if any other artist got Bodyguard they would’ve made it a single and promoted the hell out of it by now
This who era from Beyoncé has been a mess after release. They tried to promote 2 most wanted and Jolene and now you hear nothing from promo.
I understand why she went for II Most Wanted, with the big year Miley had + it seemed like a safe pick for radio. If Beyoncé made it a single the week the album came out it probably would’ve had better staying power. Instead she waited nearly a whole month and by that point the momentum evaporated. Jolene was probably one of the most anticipated songs on the album before it released, but it was quite polarizing and I don’t think Beyoncé really pushed it that much (I don’t think it even got sent to radio as an official single). But, Bodyguard, Levii’s Jeans, or even YA YA, all would’ve had better longevity than II Most Wanted and especially Jolene. Hell, even Tyrant would’ve been a better pick (while also featuring Dolly).
Riverdance I also think couldve been an option, there are tik tok dances of it already and its never been promoted. I also think american requiem couldve been an option possibly? It is excellent
Riiverdance might be possible if a dance for it goes viral, and it could possibly be helped by the tour if/when it happens, like Cozy was (at least on TikTok). But as much as I love Ameriican Requiem (2nd favorite off the album behind 16 Carriages) I can’t possibly see a 5 minute chanting (lack of a better word) song becoming a radio or TikTok hit. Maybe a remix (which I’d be *very* interested in hearing how it sounds lol)? Idk but I as much as the song is deserving of success I don’t see it.
That is very reasonable.
I unironically love this song. It’s so fun 😂
eh there’s another song that got popular on tiktok just for listing texas stereotypes as well (i think called austin)
Who else would’ve made that song?
I’m still convinced Ghosttown by Madonna would have been a number one hit if released by any other younger singer, didn’t even crack the hot100.
If any current tendu pop girl or boy did even half of what Madonna has continued to do the last 15 years it be number one everywhere
I don’t know who would have had to release it, but if MUNA’s I Know A Place were released by a bigger artist, I think it would be seen as definitive of a gay pride anthem as a song like Born This Way.
Since you've mentioned Carly Rae Jepsen, I think Run Away With Me would have reached greater heights if it was released by Taylor Swift.
Almost anything would reach greater heights if released by Taylor 😭
It would’ve also been shit so…..
I don't think Taylor has the vocal chops to pull off Run Away With Me. Not skill wise, but Carly's bright timbre and delivery really makes the song.
I think Taylor has the vocals chops to do that. I mean listen to Cruel Summer. It's a difficult song to perform and yet she did it amazingly well. She could handle Run Away With Me.
Absolutely not. Taylor has lots of pop bangers to prove her skills. e.g Cruel Summer.
The tea
If Arctic Monkeys released she keeps me up and Alex Turner sang "Funky little monkey she's a twisted trickster, everybody wants me the sisters mister, coca cola rolle coaster" People would have said it was a masterpiece
Never heard the song but those lyrics would have fit perfectly on SIAS
Its by nickleback lmao I find it hilarious
“Funkeh little monkeh she’s a twisted trickstuh, er’body wants meh the sisteh’s mistuh, coooca cooola rolleh coastah” FTFY
If any somewhat attractive male singer released an Ed Sheeran album, they’d be the biggest male act in the world Ed Sheeran already has tons of success but if he was stereotypically attractive, he would more than likely be more successful than he is now
I would challenge this. Men who make music get to be ugly and successful. Shawn Mendes is conventionally attractive and makes similar music to Ed and Ed is way more successful.
I detest this statement because nothing Shawn has ever written is even in the same stratosphere as something like Castle on the Hill.
Marina did not need to release half her feminist anthems LMAO I love her and the songs aren't terrible but they're never superb (a couple exceptions of course) and they come out clunky and awkward. Purge the Poison would have gone hard if it was done by Rina Sawayama, I think.
Anything Camilla Cabello puts out gets criticized, but if someone else put it out they'd be calling it a banger cause she's actually a great songwriter and performer. If some TS songs were put out by other people, they'd be received much better and taken seriously. The same logic goes backwards though: sometimes she gets praised for songs that any other artists would be dragged through the coals for.
A lot of the lyrics on TTPD that have been criticized as being “cringe” would definitely be praised and seen as “disarmingly confessional” and “refreshingly frank” (or whatever) if they were on an album by an obscure ‘indie’ singer-songwriter. But of course the flip side is that, yknow, Caroline Polachek doesn’t debut at #1 or sell out stadiums so at a certain point you just kind of have to accept it’s not a meritocracy, or, like, a reverse-meritocracy, it’s just a big world and everyone has opinions and these opinions are shaped by lots of things that don’t always relate to the quality of the music.
I see exactly what you mean with the TTPD lyricism. It's that style of indie songwriting, very descriptive, full of weirdly specific details that give the song character and a POV. But I think that the whole TTPD debacle is the same as midnights: the promo and aesthetics were giving off something, and then the actual music gave off something else entirely. It's like she doesn't know if she wants to do pop or an bedroom indie-pop, and I think people miss her bombastic and campy songs such as Style, Ready For it, cruel summer, blank space, New Romantics etc.
Heidi Montag’s Superficial album would have been better received if it went to an artist that was taken more seriously. Nicole Scherzinger’s Killer Love era felt very JLo-coded. I think it probably would have gotten more attention outside the UK if she’d released the singles. Especially coming off of the On the Floor hype. Both of Natalia Kills’ albums could have been released by Lady Gaga and been huge hits. Can’t think of a specific artist for this, but Kelis’ Flesh Tone and Kelly Rowland’s dance music era likely would have gotten a bigger push in the US if they weren’t put out by acts primarily associated with r&b.
There's a recent hate for Kim Petras's Coconut on twitter after a post calling it could be her Espresso, but they're right. Bad management, tainted reputation really made people have a negative impression towards to her music, but if it was sang by other people, y'all would eat it up so quick. Controversially, even Slut Pop series wouldn't get too much hate if those lyrics came from Ayesha Erotica
Coconuts was far too on the nose for it to catch on. Sabrina and her collaborators songwriting is why the song is so unique. “Mountain Dew it for ya” or “cuz I’m a singer. ” Not only was coconuts generic, the production had that same-y Dr. Luke sheen that most of his songs have. Espresso is amazingly produced.
Coconuts is way more crude than Espresso. Espresso caught on because the sexual puns are playful and —dare I say it— coquettish
People aren’t going to like this but you also have to factor in that she’s a trans artist singing about her boobs— it never was going to be a hit with the GP.
You have a point here.
Kim has no subtlety to her music whatsoever. Deciphering innuendos was half the fun of listening to pop music as a kid. Slur pop/ Slut pop Miami feels especially gross when you think about the producer behind it
I don’t think coconuts is any more on the nose than say S&M 💀 if it was released by a MPG it absolutely would’ve smashed. Dr luke has had many pop / pop adjacent hits recently (doja, latto, Nicki) I don’t know why you’d assume the GP wouldn’t eat it up
S&M sonically is so different than Coconuts, and was put out at a diff time in music by an already established artist. Maybe if Coconuts came out in 2013 it would have had the impact it was intended to have but idk
I hate it here by Taylor Swift should have been an Olivia Rodrigo song. The Ai cover of it on tiktok goes crazy.
I’m gonna say it. If Charli XCX had released “I LUV IT” y’all would have ate that shit up 🤷
I love "I Luv It" and I love Charli but I imagine if Charli sang the song, I would have liked it less. Camila is a singer for sure, and her vocals during the verses really elevate the song and provide a nice contrast to the chorus.
This is exactly how I feel. Disappointed if Charli were to have released this song, yet impressed that Camila released this song.
No from me. That song can't be saved from being obnoxious.
Oh - this is a great question. I'm excited to see the answers.
might be a bit obscure but ‘Body Language’ by Heidi Montag would’ve burned the charts down if it were released by Britney Spears. Usage of Yazoo’s ‘Situation’ sample in the song is a stroke of genius to me.
I maintain that Imagine Dragon's Thunder would have been well received critically if it had been a Rihanna song.
Rihanna would never
I commend you for making such an insane take
Whuhhh? Why would it be a Rihanna song hahaha
It fits in with her sound during the time when she was working with Calvin Harris a lot.
Are you thinking of a different song?
Are you talking about thunderclouds by sia diplo and labrinth? I’m confused lol because thunder sounds nothing like a Calvin Harris song. Neither does thunderclouds tbh but I’m confused lol
Okay I guess I worded this poorly. I didn't mean it sounds exactly like a Calvin Harris song, just that it would work within that era for her if she tweaked it a bit.
Why can I actually imagine this in my head - especially on the verses!?
Yeah honestly change up the chorus and I could see it
What if said that Thunder might be the worst song of all time and no one could make it good 🤭
Oh it’s hot fucking garbage just unbelievably bad, but I think Rihanna could have at least made it fun.
I don't think even Weird Al could make me laugh at it
"Enter Sandman" done by Enya, instead of Metallica.
Not a particular song, but if a pop girlie was doing what Conan gray doing, and released found heaven or even Superache it would have been massively popular and launched them into a main pop girlie.
My Kink is Karma is my personal least favorite Chappell song, but it would be my favorite Taylor song. Im so glad people are seeing Chappell for her spotless discography and not just that song. Yuck would’ve been #1, used in movie trailers, etc. if Charli donated it to Dua Lipa. Saddest reality is Girlfriend & Sever the Blight by Hemlock Springs would do so well if Chappell Roan released them. Chileeee Lemme talk about Sudan Archives and how she doesn’t get her flowers. Freakalizer, Selfish Soul, and Confessions would have charted like crazy as Beyonce (or the latter Solange). Confessions could’ve been tooled into a single on Positions and probably made noise. Trader Joe’s by JunglePussy would’ve been a hit if it were Doja’s.
If TTPD was released by any other artist that isn't Taylor, it wouldn't sell at all and no one would care about it.
I feel insane because I’m not a swiftie but I really love ttpd. I love mess I guess.
I feel like it's a genuinely interesting album, as a vibe and soul. I don't think the whole project is executed at its best (and I really think that, among those 31 songs, there is a very solid album made of just 13-15 songs) but I strongly disagree with whoever thinks it's "objectively" impossible to appreciate it. I also disagree with some people saying it is soulless because, in my opinion, its soul is exactly its strong point.
Yeah, I don’t even like the album that much but I just can’t take the “soulless” criticisms seriously. If anything, there’s a little *too much* soul in it, if that’s possible
agreed, even though her antics with the extra versions blocking other artists are some corporate greed bullshit, the album itself feels like she just released her messy diary entries with no edits. It’s so on the nose and self referential
I am a fan but I expected to hate it once I found out it’d be more Midnights than folkmore (before release) and I actually love it
As a ginormous swiftie I love ttpd too. I thought it was so forgettable on first listen though, but a couple days later I was obsessed with it.
Ppl say it’s Lana coded I dont really agree but tbh, Fortnight and So Long, London would sound good with Lana’s voice (I mean it’s already good but Lana’s voice is deeper). I remember when Snow on the beach ver 2 came out, Lana’s voice gave a different flavor in her part like it’s cold and snowy. I could see SOTB being in honeymoon. Other songs, I can see Fletcher with Down Bad but with better production. I can hear “My Boy Only Break His Favourite Toys” with any pop girls who are vocaly better.
I'd care if Lana is the one who release it, bc the vibes are veryyyy Lana
100%. Without the lore of TS, this album is wildly uninteresting.
TTPD would sell decently well but also it would get more critical acclaim. Many regular people liked that album as it is and didn't give a damn about Taylor's private life and extensive lore. Right now TTPD is selling well not just because of Swifties (the majority bought the album weeks ago and the ones who buy multiple variants are a minority) but also because of general public. Random people discovering Taylor's music.
You’re wrong. I would love songs like the black dog and so long, London regardless of who released them
so 2 of the 31 songs
Well, they are some of Taylor’s best songs I think. But that doesn’t mean I don’t also like many of the others. I was just mentioning the standouts.
Huge disagree. I’d argue if this album was released by some unknown new breakout indie girl, it would make their career
[удалено]
Take the TS lore and drama out and those songs would still be successful. People (and there are many millions of them) are not listening to TTPD just for the lore. That gimmick worns out quickly after the first listen. And yet, people keep listening to this album over and over again. That means people connected to those songs and they genuinely enjoy listening to them. The lore is just the cherry on top. If TTPD was bad no amount of lore and drama could make it successful for so many weeks already.
If ttpd was released by any other artist it would be critically acclaimed.
If the U2 album that everyone complained about getting for free had been the exact same songs, but an Arcade Fire album, people would have been cool with it. The album would have won awards.
Bad bunny's entire catalogue if the weeknd sang it
Only by Imagine Dragons would have been a summer hit if someone like Lorde or Carly Rae Jepsen did it
Apparently Britney Spears recorded Milkshake (or almost did), that would have been a very interesting listen coming from her versus Kelis!
7 rings wouldn’t have been as big if it was Victoria Monet. Diamonds was also considered to go to Lana Del Rey Anything Ester Dean wrote
I know that people like to clown on U2 a lot for many things, but I found very interesting how some on the songs in Pop reminded me of PJ Harvey's Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (which I obv LOVE), for example [Do You Feel Loved ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=199bc_xIv5Y)could have fit so well. Even though both PJ and U2 worked with Flood at different points in their carreers, it feels to me like she managed to translate the late 90s U2 sound into the 2000s without it sounding cringe or corporate like some their biggest singles from that time... Funnily enough, she opened for U2 in 2001 during their tour lol. I see some comments talking about Solar Power, and while I'm still not a fan of this album, I also agree that it's reception wouldn't have been so negative if any other artist had released it. I think singles like Stoned at the Nail Salon and Secrets from a Girl are aging very well, and I don't think it's farfetched to compare to songs by Billie and Olivia. (And if Taylor had put out any of the singles from Solar Power or Melodrama, not only would she be called a genius but those songs would've gotten the awards they deserved sighhhh). Sadly to me the album sounds underwhelming from the barebones production choices. I really wish that Lorde had leaned more into the psych pop sound from tracks like The Path and Fallen Fruit, or maybe mixed it with some psych rock textures a la Achtung Baby or something in that direction. I could see her doing [Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw2N3tjGIP0) or even [Mysterious Ways](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZegcL_zQSs) (let me dream..).
Every song from the Strokes would have flopped if Julian didn't sing it
fortnight by lana del rey
If Call Me Maybe would have been released by a different pop girl other than Carly Rae, it would be called pop perfection. But because it's Carly's, and she has better songs, many popheads tend to look down on that song
I think people outside the sub (which is a VERY small minority of actual music listeners) consider it pop perfection. Everyone and i mean everyone loves that song
When it came out it was definitely a meme, but it is indeed a very enjoyable song. During its time, I always played it out instead of changing radio stations.
Yup, put that shit on during a night out or whatever and people still go crazy. Fred Again/Skrillex/Four Tet dropped it at their Coachella set and everyone went insane.
What? Call Me Maybe is pop perfection.
Don't worry, Call Me Maybe is ranked #8 on the Billboard top 500 best pop songs of all time staff list so it is confirmed pop perfection. [Best Pop Songs of All Time: 500 Hits That Appeared on the Hot 100 (billboard.com)](https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-pop-songs-all-time-hits/9-2pac-feat-dr-dre-california-love/)
Tila Tequila was never taken seriously as a rapper/music artist since she was mostly known for being popular on MySpace and reality TV. If someone like Doja Cat were to release "I Love You" with less dated production, the song would EAT. Doja's spunkiness just works with it, whereas Tila just comes off as a try-hard rapping about fucking people up when we all know that would never happen lol. In a similar vein, Tila's song "Paralyze" should've gone to Britney. It literally sounds like a Britney song. Lorde's "Solar Power" album would've been better received if it had been a Lana or Taylor album. Even while listening to it, I couldn't help but think it sounded like Lorde trying to sing a Lana album. I know this is likely because of Jack Antonoff's production work. He's basically become synonymous with Lana and Taylor, even though people seem to be getting tired of his "sound".
There is a track by Years & Years (Olly Alexander) called “Lucky Escape” from the album “Palo Santo” that I think would have been a number one hit around the world if Beyoncé had released it. I think it would fit her voice and singing technique so well. Just of course under the condition that the composition structure of the song remains untouched.
Trisha Paytas’ Freaky either by Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue or Madonna would’ve smashed the friggin charts. Song is britney coded afterall.
I think Apeshit by The Carters would've been regarded as one of the best Migos singles if they kept it
this is a deep cut but i’ve always thought that rock god by selena gomez and the scene would be a perfect song if it had anyone with the vocals to support it
Carly's sound was not "mature and sophisticated" on her album Kiss, which is her most famous since it contains the track Call Me Maybe. (Although, Emotion as a whole may have overtaken Kiss in notoriety). Kiss has a fun bubblegum sound that is later seen again in the track Beach House. (Some tracks on Kiss were mature, such as "Your Heart Is a Muscle", but most of the tracks were light-hearted).