Music artists who changed genre mid-career
For many artists, changing their genre of music can be challenging, but for some, a simple genre change has paved the way for record success.
Many moons ago, it used to be the case that artists picked one genre and stuck at it. However, today, many artists are fleeting from one genre to the next and don’t necessarily want to be classified within a particular genre.
Here are some artists who have struck a chord with their genre change mid-career.
Katy Perry
Before she lived her ‘teenage dream’ and floated on cotton candy clouds, Katy Perry was known as Katy Hudson and released her debut gospel album in 2001.
She later found fame in 2007 after signing with Capitol Records and dropped Hudson for her mother’s maiden name, Perry. She arrived on the pop rock scene with her debut single, ‘Ur So Gay’ before later releasing her 2008 album that would put her on the map – One of the Boys. Perry’s 360 turn in her music career may even remind you of the wheel in crazy time found at Platin Casino Ireland.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga has gone from an electro-popstar to a genre-bending superstar! Stefani Joanna Angelina Germanotta first captured attention in 2008 with her debut album, The Fame. Her electronic beats brought her five Grammy nominations and two awards with tracks such as ‘Just Dance’ and ‘Poker Face’. In 2016, she released her sixth studio album, Joanne, whereby the star took on a multitude of sounds from contemporary pop, soft rock, country-funk, R&B and soul; this was mirrored in the movie, A Star is Born. Over the years, Gaga has proved that she is far from a one-trick pony!
Taylor Swift
In 2006, Taylor Swift released her self-titled debut album on Big Machine Records, Taylor Swift. She quickly became the new country sweetheart who spoke to women with broken hearts. Since then, Taylor’s sound has hugely transformed, and she has quickly become receptive to the ever-changing pop culture trends with albums such as Red. Some songs, such as ‘I Knew You Were Trouble‘, were purely pop-infused. In contrast, others took on a country style, such as ‘Stay Stay Stay‘. Swift came of age in 2014 with her fifth studio album, 1989, which was described as the star’s rebirth from country to pop.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg has been described as the master of genres! His most famous cross-genre experiment saw the artist change his name from Snoop Dogg to Snoop Lion with a refreshed reggae sound.
The star took a pilgrimage to Jamaica and reemerged with a documentary film and a reggae album titled, ‘Reincarnated‘. However, this isn’t the first time the artist has switched things up. Whilst Snoop Dogg is predominantly known for his contemporary R&B sound with masterpieces such as ‘California Roll‘, the artist took a foray into disco in 2008 with the track, ‘Sensual Seduction‘. He also assisted on the title track for the Bollywood movie Singh is King, a mix of hip hop and bhangra.
Conclusion
These artists haven’t just revolutionised the music scene; they’ve proved that being musically fluid can pave the way for long-term success! Which artist’s genre change is your favourite?