Pop Music "Fantasy Draft," Part 1- The Ladies!

Yesterday I promised you an epic new post would be coming soon.  Well, here it is.  Here's a quick reminder of the premise:

You are a record exec and you have to sign two artists this year- one male solo artist and one female solo artist.  Any and all acts are potential “free agents” who could be signed.  Who do you pick and why?  Rank your top ten choices for each gender from 10-1.

 Today I present part one- the ladies.  Check back tomorrow for the guys' list, and feel free to comment and disagree with me vehemently.

10. Jennifer Lopez

     

Part of the original “Big Three” of late-90s bubblegum pop, J-Lo has proven herself to have lots of staying power, continuing to chart with both Spanish and English-language hits throughout the past decade.  The massive success she had with her most recent hit, “On The Floor,” makes me believe she still has a couple of years left in her.  But she is now on the “wrong” side of 40, which means she would be far from my number one spot.

9. Nicki Minaj

After toiling for years appearing on a seemingly endless number of obscure hip-hop remixes, Nicki Minaj is finally reaching her moment in the sun.  At this point, every music fan in America knows who she is, and many think she is the best female rapper in the game, if not the best overall.  She also finally has a Top 10 hit under her belt with “Super Bass” and a successful album in Pink Friday.  However, despite a lot of potential, it remains to be seen just how bankable Minaj really is, so I would still consider her a bit more of a “prospect” than a certifiable superstar.  This is a risky pick but one with a lot of upside.

8. Britney Spears

A lot of things have been said about Britney Spears (some of them very frightening) but one thing that cannot be denied is her impact on pop culture and her continued ability to make hit records.  She may be a bit over the hill in terms of sex appeal, but if you think about it she’s actually a surprisingly safe bet to make some money because no matter how bad her product is, lots of people will still buy it just because it says Britney Spears.  This is of course ignoring all the people who would never buy it for the exact same reason, but those people aren’t the point of this premise anyway.

7. Ke$ha

Can Ke$ha really sell millions of albums?  Probably not.  Can Ke$ha really sell out stadiums?  After seeing her on “Saturday NightLive,” almost definitely not.  But can Ke$ha sell untold boatloads of singles?  Absolutely.  She has already (her first six singles have reached the top 10) and thus it holds that she can continue to do so.  And in today’s singles-driven music industry, that’s often all you need to be a successful artist.  So, I have no doubt that Ke$ha would be a very valuable artist to have on your label, although she’s not as well-rounded as some of the ladies higher up on the list.

6. Adele

After the absolutely stunning runaway success of Adele’s sophomore album 21, and its lead single “Rolling in the Deep,” you would think she would be even higher up on this list.  And I admit I thought about it, given how well she’s done.  But I just can’t justify putting her any higher because she hasn’t proven that she can sell concert tickets, or that she can have another single anywhere near as successful as “Rolling in the Deep,” at least in the U.S.  And without those things, she lacks the bankability that the truly top stars have.  So she’s a bit like Nicki Minaj in that she could someday be at the top of this list, but for right now I have to see her as a bit more of an up-and-comer based on lack of evidence.  Which hurts, because she’s certainly the most talented vocalist on the list, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes.

5. Beyoncé

Since leaving Destiny’s Child almost a decade ago, Beyonce has produced a steady stream of hits and become an African-American icon.  She has sold 75 million records as a solo artist and earned hundreds of millions on tours.  She is absolutely rock-solid.  However it’s worth mentioning that her fourth solo album, appropriately titled 4, has not performed nearly as well as her first three to this point.  Because of this, she comes in at number five, although at age 29 she should have another good decade ahead of her.  But it would be hard for her to top her first decade as a solo performer, so I can really only see her downslide from here.

4. Lady Gaga

Right off the bat it has to be pointed out that Gaga’s latest album, Born This Way, is a warning sign.  Sure it sold phenomenally well in its first week, and its title track spent six weeks at #1.  But the album has not proven to have the staying power that Gaga’s first album, The Fame, did.  But while this drop-off can’t be ignored, neither can the jaw-dropping and historic figures of her first tour.  And with the fanaticism shown by her legions of fans, and her icon status within the LGBT community, Lady Gaga is an industry presence you absolutely want on your side.

3. Katy Perry

Katy Perry has spent over 14 consecutive months in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.  Her sophomore album, Teenage Dream, has exceeded all expectations and produced four #1 singles and a fifth currently peaking at #3.  There is no doubt that if it’s hugely successful singles that you want, you go out and get Katy Perry for your record label.  There’s nobody better than her right now.  Both of her albums have gone 5x platinum as well, so she clearly has some depth.  But again, I have to consider the future here, and I feel like Katy Perry is peaking right now, and it’s all downhill from here.  Certainly her upcoming tour will be a profit bonanza, but after that, does she have another standout album left in her, or will her act get stale?  Ultimately her future may not be as bright as the top two ladies on the list.

2. Taylor Swift

Here are the basics: Taylor Swift is the top-selling digital artist in music history, has sold over 20 million albums worldwide, has had 9 Top 10 hits, and is a role model to millions of teenage girls around the world.  Yet she’s never had a number one hit, and she’s only 21 years old!  What amazes me the most about T-Swift is how well she’s handled going from a teenager to a young woman, both in her personal life and musically.  She seems to be the real deal- no scandal, no changes in genre, just top-notch songwriting and authentic musical talent.  And she basically prints money.  I have zero doubt that she will continue to be a superstar for at least the next decade.  The only thing holding her back from the number one spot is the relative lack of diversity of her fanbase.  First, many guys can’t stand her (although there are many that love her as well).  Also, let’s face it, blacks and Hispanics don’t like country or occasionally-corny pop songs.  Maybe that doesn’t matter, but just for argument’s sake, I say you need to take someone who can truly appeal to just about everyone.

1. Rihanna

Rihanna is the youngest artist to ever reach ten Number 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.  She has already released five albums that have combined to sell over 20 million albums worldwide, and she’s only 23.  These numbers are staggering, but by themselves do they warrant a number one ranking?  I don’t think so.  Luckily, there are some other reasons why Rihanna deserves to be chosen.  Yes, she tours well and can guarantee you lots of money that way, but more importantly she has proven already to be remarkably versatile musically.  Rihanna doesn’t write her own material, and that makes her extremely malleable.  Giver her reggae-dancehall pop and she’ll make it great, give her midtempo R&B and she’ll sell that, and as we’ve seen recently, give her an island-flavored house beat and she’ll make it legendary.  No matter what type of music is popular in the next decade, you can bet that Rihanna’s take on it will hit #1.  Because of that versatility, she has to be my top female choice.