King and Queen Of Pop - Has Pop Royalty Died?

For years now, Michael Jackson and Madonna have been named the King and Queen of Pop. These titles have never been so much as doubted but through the various long winded internet articles and arguments over on-line forums, a recurring theme arose: Who will replace the the current Queen and King of Pop? 

Madonna has dominated the music scene or the last 30 years, inspiring males and females alike - some more than others - yet we cannot help but feel like her time is coming to an end; the ill fated Hard Candy being testament to that. But is their any female who can fill her shoes? Can any female directly shape and influence pop music as drastically as Madonna did in her prime? Can the females who are running the pop industry be remembered in 30 years, never mind individual performances and with anywhere as big a following as Madonna?

So is Rihanna fit for such a title? Despite being the most "liked" artist on Facebook and a handful of number one songs across the world, she still is yet to have a number one album in the United States and is one of the most untalented performers of our time: the scratchy vocals, the inability to dance, the lack of writing and production credits on all of her albums to name a few. The question is not so much will Rihanna be the new Queen of Pop but will Rihanna even have a legacy? Yes, she has tied the record for the most number ones on the Billboard Hot 100 chart alongside Janet Jackson but as far as we are concerned, Janet was holding onto Michael's coat-tails for dear life. So will Rihanna be taking charge of the throne? No.

Criticizing Pop's most hated: Katy Perry. Can she be considered in line to the Queen of Pop throne? No. Katy Perry is unable to sing, dance, write a song without Dr Luke and co, produce a song but she is rather good at throwing shade at those more talented than her. And may we also add that despite a hectic and laborious promotional schedule in the United States, her album sold 192,000 in it's first week. Is that Bad? Lady Gaga a year later sold six times that. So to reply to our above question again, no. She cannot be in the running for such a title. To even consider her is an insult.

The next contender is Beyonce. She can sing, she can dance, she can write some good music, she produces some good music, she looks good. Surely, we have found our replacement? But what has actually done? Yes, she will be remembered in years to come as one of the best of our generation but has she had any major culturally impact? Not from where we can see. The "Single Ladies" video and a handful other things may be remembered but in twenty years, will people be inspired by it? Where people even inspired by it in the last 3 years? We would beg to differ. Our verdict? She will be remembered but not as Queen of Pop.

The obvious choice, Ms Britney Spears, current Princess of Pop. With some of the best pop songs and videos of the last decade to her name as well as countless number one songs, albums and having one of the most influential albums of the current wave of electro pop, Britney Spears really is the obvious choice but we cannot simply rely on numbers and statistics to help us decide. A career filled with 13 years of lip syncing, little writing and production credits since "In The Zone" dropped in 2003 and the tragic breakdown in 2007. Certainly, she will be forever a member of Pop Royalty but after the career tarnishing breakdown, it is doubtful she will ever be able to reach the highest position on the pop hierarchy. 

Finally, Lady Gaga. Queen of YouTube, Twitter and until a month ago, Facebook. The highest selling album of the year after the Adele, the most successful digital album ever, one of the highest grossing tours ever despite being for a début album? The list goes on and on. Lady Gaga is undoubtedly the ruler of the roost right now. Setting trends, pushing limits to the extreme, all while singing live, dancing and writing all of her songs and producing the majority of them. Directing videos, designing stages and performances pieces, she would obviously be the new Queen of Pop. But there is one little problem; Madonna. Plagiarism or inspiration? It is a fan line and Lady Gaga sits right at the centre. But regardless, that isn't the main issue. Lady Gaga's bid for the throne can only be stopped by her longevity as an artist. 

So who else is there? Ke$ha? Her success is already wavering. Adele? Although slaying her cultural impact is unnoticeable. Kylie? For the sheer fact that she barely broke into the American market hinders her. Christina Aguilera? Ever star has their bad moments but Bionic was so awful, it puts her out of the game. Nicki Minaj? As cute as she is, she isn't really a competitor.

So once more? Who will be the new Queen of Pop? We are undecided. Not as their are so many excellent competitors for the crown but due to simple fact that the music industry has changed. Is their space for pop royalty in today's music industry? Is there one person who's feats outshine all others, effortlessly slaying their peers? No. Lady Gaga and Britney Spears are the closest thing to pop royalty in today's business but still, they cannot rival Madonna's success and cultural impact but who knows when someone new will change the pop landscape forever? Watch this space