By Hayden Wright
There is only one Queen of Pop—her name is Madonna, and she’s from the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Attempts to crown a successor make two faulty calculations: that Madonna is finished (and really, how dare you?) and that the contemporary pop landscape could unify itself behind a single reigning sovereign. That’s not how it works in 2016. The broadening of social and listening media has created intense pluralities of support that go dormant and erupt when something major happens. So who rules?
Four names emerge: Adele, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Rihanna. As in the Game of Thrones universe, today’s pop queens govern distinct kingdoms within the same fantasy realm. One Super Bowl Halftime appearance and Beyoncé is queen of pop…for a weekend. Then Anti drops, Rihanna’s singles record eclipses Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift is coronated at the GRAMMYs. All along, Adele’s 25 continued to smash sales records, then bam! Carpool Karaoke. And that’s just the first few months of 2016. More often, it comes down to which of these game-runners is having the best week or month: As soon as one steps back, another steps forward to fill the vacuum.
And then there are those rabid fandoms. Imagine trying to convince the Beyhive that Rihanna is the queen of pop. Tell the Rihanna Navy that Taylor Swift has her licked. These arguments are dead on arrival, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. There are loud fan covens who would call Selena Gomez or Ellie Goulding the reining queen of pop—which is just to say that term doesn’t mean what it did in 1987. It’s a crowded court.
Behold this exploration of pop queens, where they stand and what their kingdoms export. There are important, provocative women who did not make this list. Case in point: Nicki Minaj, whose unwavering dedication to the rap game frequently injects necessary life and presence into pop music. Ladies-in-waiting like Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato are shy one Fame Monster or 1989 from ascending to the pantheon—but will they? It doesn’t happen very often. Here’s a lay of the land (in alphabetical order):
Adele, Queen of Hearts. Our Lady of Tottenham is the woman on this list with the least to prove. The only stunt she’s ever pulled is ripping our hearts out in broad daylight, crushing them with a steamroller and helping us put the mangled parts back together. We’ve traced her emotional history through the (literal) ages, from 19 to 25. Most importantly, she’s captured her throne without an Instagram squad, tabloid mania or a meat dress. No one can convince us that her music is inherently valuable for purchase like Adele. Her albums are investment pieces like a sensible camel overcoat you know you’ll wear every single day. Also, Adele (the woman) is an absolute hoot, even though she doesn’t need to be. Ask Jennifer Lawrence.
Related: Adele ‘Live in New York City’ Returns with 5 Extra Songs
Beyoncé, Queen of Concept. Counting receipts is a petty, tedious business and it looks like Beyoncé gave that up a long time ago. Just as Madonna shifted away from the radio game to put touring at the core of her portfolio, Beyoncé sells events. Her work is about dimensions—personal, political, visual, musical, mythical, spiritual—and you can’t absorb them all streaming Lemonade on your iPhone. It’s like trying to admire a diamond from across the room. Beyoncé at her best requires a captive audience in the millions. If you’re counting TIDAL subscribers or checking where “Formation” peaked on the Billboard charts (#33, R&B/hip-hop), you’re missing the point.
Related: Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ Special: Everything You Need to Know
Taylor Swift, Queen of Evolution. Starting with Cher, much ado is made about “reinvention” in pop. Taylor Swift’s career looks radically different today than it did when she was a teenager singing about Tim McGraw, but not because she’s “reinvented” herself. Instead, she’s gradually evolved into an global pop force. Try to pinpoint the moment it happened—I bet you can’t, whatever Kanye West says. Swift’s shrewd focus on the changing industry, songwriting and what’s next will sustain her career’s second decade and beyond. And it will all happen on the high road.
Related: Taylor Swift’s High Road is Why She’s Successful
Rihanna, Queen of Singles. If Madonna has a single heir apparent, my money’s on Rihanna for her sheer delight in provocation for its own sake. Ri’s not teaching a women and gender studies class or business ethics 101. Her pop statements are unto themselves, not prescriptive or diagnostic. The single is her weapon of choice and #YOLO is the motto. From her perch, Rihanna can see every hook girl looking for a short lived hit—it takes an icon to turn those credits into a legacy. Heavy is the head that wears this crown.
Related: Rihanna Just Surpassed Michael Jackson…That’s Important.
What’s next for these two? It matters.
Lady Gaga. The mastermind of “Bad Romance” has the world on a string—and we’ve spent the last few years watching her play with it, just for the hell of it. Check the books from her first quarter of 2016: A Golden Globe win for Best Actress (for playing a nymphomaniac countess on American Horror Story: Hotel), a bold David Bowie tribute, an Oscar nomination, and a standing ovation from the entire United States of America when she sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl 50. This was fresh from an album of pop standards with Tony Bennett and a show-stopping Sound of Music medley at the 2015 Oscars.
In an industry that urges artists to stay in their own lane, Gaga is doing donuts on the highway because she can. Artpop didn’t set the radio ablaze, but her next triumph is always just around the corner…it’s just impossible to predict what it will look (or sound) like.
Katy Perry. Let’s be honest—Teenage Dream was ubiquitous, record-smashing, and moment-defining enough for Katy Perry to retire, but she hasn’t. Prism was released three years ago and her entry in the Super Bowl pantheon happened in 2014. Despite a quiet couple years—touring aside—momentum is enough to keep her on the bubble in 2016.
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