What Trends Will We See In Pop Radio in 2013?

[moore746]

Will Dr. Luke and David Guetta-style dance-pop maintain its dominance, or will 2013 serve as a transitionary year (like 2008) to a new prominent sound? Will indie pop (e.g. We Are Young; Somebody That I Used To Know; Ho Hey) continue to find its niche, petter out, or take over as the driving force in top 40? Is there a different trend on the horizon you see making a splash in the next year?

Please, share your thoughts!

[Lozzy]

dubstep

[Agent Yoncé]

Dec 7, 2012 15:05:40 GMT -5 Lozzy said:

generic dubstep

[josh]

If pop is going to keep on doing dance music, I agree I would like to see more variety, like dubstep, trance, trip hop, idk just more variety.

[Cody Wants Out...]

I'd actually like more "indie" pop or crossovers from other formats like Alternative, Urban, or even Country. A small pop-rock revival would be nice, too (lookin' at you, Katy). I may not pay that much attention to the Pop format next year, honestly.

[Kurt]

The only two things I'm ready to predict right now:

• Indie-rock/pop crossovers à la fun. and Gotye will continue, but won't become mainstream--it'll be about the same as this year. I think R&B crossovers are going to increase as well, including a big hit in Frank Ocean's "Thinkin Bout You."
  
• 80s-style production is going to become more prominent--we're already seeing it with artists like Carly Rae Jepsen, Bruno Mars, and Neon Trees (along with a bunch of non-mainstream artists like Twin Shadow), and I think that's going to continue.
  

[josh]

Oh I'd also like to see more songs incorporating strings/orchestration into them. lol

[Au$tin]

I definitely think a more poppy/alternative mix is coming. I mean, since 2011, we've had Adele, Gotye, fun., The Lumineers, Alex Clare, Phillip Phillips, and Imagine Dragons all reach nice positions on the pop chart. Granted all but Gotye's were used in a commercial before the blew up, but it's still a trend worth looking at.

But while that is going on, I think the dance trend will continue and head more into a house/dubstep direction.

[Lozzy]

Dec 7, 2012 15:05:40 GMT -5 Lozzy said:

dubstep

To expand upon this lazy one-word post;

• I think mainstream pop producers/artists will continue to incorporate dubstep elements into their songs, like we've seen this year with songs such as "As Long As You Love Me", "I Knew You Were Trouble" and "Beauty And A Beat". I expect one or two more 'authentic' dubstep style tracks (as opposed to the 'popstep' style of the aforementioned songs) to break through on CHR sometime during the year, but I don't think the genre will last long enough for more than that.
  
  
• 2012 and 2011 had more variety than the previous years, and I think 2013 will continue on this trend. I'm expecting some more alternative crossovers, and possibly a slight comeback for R&B, in the shape of songs like "Adorn". I don't really expect dance-pop to phase itself out, but I think artists/producers may abandon the generic sounds of the last three years for 'harder' sounds like dubstep or 'pure' dance/house/EDM/whatever.
  
  
• We didn't really have a huge new popstar this year, did we? 2011 had Adele, 2010 had Ke$ha, 2009 had Gaga, 2008 had Katy ... but unless I'm forgetting someone, the closest 2012 had was Carly Rae Jepsen, who isn't doing too well at the moment. I actually think this may continue next year, with many new artists coming in with one big hit but failing to leave a lasting impression as an artist, like Ellie Goulding, Cher Lloyd, Gotye and such did this year. Greater variety opens more doors for artist who have that one great song to break through with one hit and then disappear again, whereas a generic pop-driven scene makes it easier for artists to get a second hit by working with the right producers and utlizing their name recognition from that first hit - which is basically what Carly did with "Good Time".
  
  
• I think the heavy backlash Nicki received for 'going pop' will continue with any other artists doing so, and possibly even extend to Taylor Swift. As a result of this, I'm expecting less genre-based (by that I mean any genre but pop) artists to record pop music and attempt pop success, which may halt the increase of alternative crossovers I suggested earlier. In general I hope this doesn't happen though, because it'd just take us back to a few years ago when the lines between pop and other genres were heavy, whereas in my ideal music scene artists would be free to experiment with different genres without receiving backlash for it.
  
  
• And lastly, One Direction will release "Rock Me" and slay the world.

Now let's see how wrong I am.

[Au$tin]

Could the new artist from this year to basically be a new staple to pop be... fun.? It's a long stretch, but who knows? If "Carry On" becomes a hit, they might be the big new artist of 2012. I would've bet money on Carly, but with what's going on with "This Kiss," that doesn't appear to be happening. Unless she can bounce back from that like nothing ever happened.

[Deleted]

^It could be fun. And that would actually be sort of a refreshing change of pace after the newest big thing always being a solo female star. It may just be that the market finally has met its point of saturation in "needing" new female pop staples, and that is why Carly has struggled with "This Kiss" (so far, she may bounce back with the next single). With this thought, I will tentatively guess that if there is a breakout star of 2013 it will be a group or solo male artist.

I will not speak to the crossover potential, but I think 2013 will finally be the year that mature r&b music moves back onto urban radio with a vengeance. Urban listeners are beyond ready.

(If I'm correct on this I'm going to go even further and call the odd-numbered decade pattern now: r&b will rule the rest of the 10's, go mainstream toward the end of the decade, get watered down/overexposed and fall out in the early 20's, and then come back again in the 30's.)

[Ballroom Blitzed]

I can't imagine a substantial sea change in the shape of popular music, the sort of cataclysmic shift in trends that essentially wipes out once-bankable stars; there's obviously no Disco Demolition Night or Nevermind on the horizon. However, what's very likely to onto us is a sort of percolation of indie or alternative sleeper hits into the mainstream consciousness which, in the long run, could conceivably encourage the radio stations to take more risks regarding what they're willing to play.

[K.]

I think 2013 is a little difficult to predict because I think we are entering the end of a music era. Electro/dance pop first snuck into the U.S. around 2006-07 with the Timbaland group and Rihanna, really exploded in 09-11 with Gaga, Ke$ha, Britney, Guetta and then the rest of the major CHR and rhythmic acts tagging along. But I think it is winding down now.

I think next year we will hear more indie-alternative music bleeding into CHR (I expect Tegan & Sara to be one of the breakouts) and also more candy-pop from acts trying to follow in the footsteps of Carly and One Direction. It should be interesting.

[Pink Pvssy]

Cece will be the star to watch in 2013 :)

[horchata]

Trap music.

[Deleted]

Dec 8, 2012 14:25:23 GMT -5 horchata said:

Trap music.

Please no! :'(

[Pink Pvssy]

We might be getting more ballads next year. Rihanna will release Stay and Kesha will also promote Wonderland. Good news for Xtina's Blank Page :)

[icefire9]

I predict 3 things:

1) More alternative/alternative influenced acts will acheive sucess this year.

2011: We had Pumped Up Kicks in addition to Rolling in the Deep having influences and even charting on Alt. radio.

2012: Somebody I Used To Know, We Are Young, Some Nights, Too Close, Everybody Talks, and Ho Hey hit top 10 on both Alternative and the Hot 100. There were also several other Alternative influenced songs like Lights.

Who knows what will have next year. I'm keeping my eye on Little Talks, It's Time, and Thrift Shop in the near term.

2) A resergence of R&B. There wasn't any evidence of this until just the past month. With Adorn being a decent sized top 20 hit on the Hot 100 and Girl On Fire jumping to #11 this week, I'm pretty sure that there's more where they came from. I don't even like R&B but it was only a matter of time before it made a comeback.

3) While pop will become more diverse, the mainstream of pop will become more dance/dubstep oriented. By that I mean, more and more of the pure pop hits will have more and more dubstep/dance influence.

[p0isonparadise.]

Rave or Acid house.

[Deleted]

Dec 8, 2012 14:25:23 GMT -5 horchata said:

Trap music.

Harlem Shake and Dark Horse. Two number ones predicted (lbr Dark Horse is going #1 when released, though probably in 2014)