r/popmusic • • 29d ago

Throwback Throwback to the Sexiest Moments Ever from the MTV VMAs

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4 Upvotes

Since 1984, the MTV VMAs has hosted legendary pop culture moments, from the iconic to the salacious. Feuding R&B divas Monica and Brandy. Reggaeton titans Tego Calderon, Daddy Yankee, and Don Omar bringing the genre to a U.S. stage for the first time. Playboy cover girl Karol G throwing it back in neon pink. A$AP Rocky grabbing Rihanna’s ass (which she didn’t mind) before they got married. Diana Ross greeting Lil’ Kim with a, um, jiggle.  

But who delivered the sexiest moments the VMAs has seen in 42 years of onstage antics?

Across several decades of VMA performances, Madonna returned several times to the classic wedding aesthetics. You can look as far back as the masc swagger of 1993’s performance of “Bye Bye Baby” to her first time ever taking the iconic stage with “Like A Virgin”, where she rolled around on the floor in a white dress, now married to the life of a superstar. 

Britney Spears was only nineteen when she performed “Slave 4 U” at the 2001 VMAs. Against a jungle backdrop and opening the show in a cage with a live tiger, the pop princess of the moment (scantily-clad in a blue-green ensemble) and an army of dancers threw it back, twirled and strutted the stage. 

Read more: https://www.playboy.com/read/celebrities/the-sexiest-moments-ever-from-the-mtv-vmas


r/popmusic • • 1h ago

Industry Discussion How come there aren't as many big name actors in music videos as much anymore ?

• Upvotes

With all of the most recent talk about how Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson were in Taylor Swift's most recent music video for Patient Zero, it got me thinking, how come the Main PopGirls of today don't really cast big name Hollywood celebs in their music videos to promote their music as much anymore ? And is there a certain actor that you'd love to see in a music video in the future ?


r/popmusic • • 15h ago

Lets Debate! 🔨 What's a (pop) song that would be perfect in a horror movie?

18 Upvotes

Horror movies tend to have (very) spooky soundtracks - looking at you, Backrooms and The Exorcist!

Let's reshuffle the cards and imagine what song would fit the horror movie soundtrack bill (even though it's not actually featured on one...yet!).

I'll start us off with "Walking On Air" by Kerli 😨


r/popmusic • • 2h ago

Discussion Has Lady Gaga changed what it means to be called a monster?

0 Upvotes

I've been working on something a little outside my usual academic research, and I'd really love to hear what Gaga fans think about it.

I teach psychology for Brooklyn College, and a lot of my research focuses on working mothers, gender expectations, and how people are treated when they don't fit into the roles society has created for them.

Somehow, that research led me down a rabbit hole involving Greek mythology, Lilith, and Lady Gaga. Not exactly where I expected to end up!

Here's what got me thinking.

In one of the best-known stories about Lilith, she's portrayed as dangerous because she refuses to submit to Adam. Then there's Echidna in Greek mythology, who's remembered as the Mother of Monsters. Her children include creatures like Cerberus and the Hydra.

Obviously, these are very different stories, and their histories are complicated. But I kept coming back to the same question.

Why are women, particularly women who don't behave the way they're expected to, so often portrayed as something frightening?

And then I started thinking about Gaga.

She didn't run away from the word monster. She embraced it. And somewhere along the way, being a Little Monster became something people could actually be proud of. Even the title Mother Monster fascinates me, particularly given my research on motherhood and the expectations attached to it.

I find that really interesting from a psychological perspective.

But here's the thing. I can read all the academic literature I want, and that doesn't necessarily mean I understand what being a Little Monster means to the people who actually identify that way.

So I'm curious. Do you think Gaga deliberately changed what the word monster means, or was it more about creating a place where people who felt different could belong?

Or am I reading way too much into it? That's entirely possible, too! I know this is likely not a new concept to anyone to this group. but, I am generally wanting your imput .

I ended up making a roughly 9-minute video essay exploring the connections between Gaga, Lilith, and Echidna. I used AI-assisted visuals in the production, just to be upfront about that (if you are going to be mean about that please do not comment).

Here's the link if anyone's interested:

https://youtu.be/SWToRAfe5o4

I'm not looking for subscribers or anything like that. I'd genuinely like to know what you think, especially if you've followed Gaga for years.

I have my own interpretation, but I suspect some of you have a much better understanding of what Mother Monster means than I do.

And if I've completely missed something, please tell me. That's part of the fun of exploring this stuff.


r/popmusic • • 22h ago

Discussion Do you have a wind-down album?

20 Upvotes

Do you have an album, artist, or playlist that you listen to when you’re getting ready for bed or trying to relax?

I put Taylor Swift’s albums Folklore and Evermore on one playlist. I’ll start playing it while I’m my night time shower and keep it on until I’m in bed.

I have been doing this when I’m stressed out since she released them during the pandemic, and over time I think part of the comfort is that it is so familiar.


r/popmusic • • 20h ago

Playlist Sharing My top 9 pop albums, what vibe do I give?

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7 Upvotes

r/popmusic • • 11h ago

Discussion which olivia rodrigo album is the best for you?

0 Upvotes

between sour, guts, and you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, which one takes the crown for you?

which has the strongest tracklist, best songwriting, and most replay value? has olivia gotten better with every album, or will one of her earlier releases always be hard to beat?


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

Discussion Would Rihanna's single "Russian Roulette" and its accompanying album Rated R have been better received commercially (and critically to an extent) if they hadn't been released when dance-pop was the dominant trend?

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15 Upvotes

I think it's actually a very good album and has aged well minus "Stupid in Love" and "Photographs". "Firebomb" is a particular standout and one of the best ballads of her career, imo. "Rude Boy" really saved the album commercially, at least here in the US, but that's because it was an upbeat song that fit in better with what was dominating radio at the time. Rated R did get critical acclaim from some publications, but its reception from the public was lukewarm and I don't believe it received any Grammy nominations, unlike Good Girl Gone Bad or Loud.


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

Throwback 19 Years Ago Today: Britney Spears Released Her Magnum Opus and Pop's Ultimate Bible, Blackout

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502 Upvotes

Charli XCX: Named Blackout as her favorite album of all time, frequently citing Britney Spears as a primary career inspiration and noting how the album's electronic, club-centric production influenced her own musical direction.

Macy Gray: Called Blackout "one of the best albums ever", sharing that she listens to it—specifically the track "Radar"—to give herself courage and energy before going on stage.

Jade Thirlwall (JADE): Praised Blackout as a "pop bible" and noted that lead single "Gimme More" is one of her favorite pop songs ever, stating that the project helped shape the sound of modern pop.

Adéla: Named Blackout the greatest pop record of all time, celebrating its production, self-awareness, and lasting influence on electronic pop.

Kesha: Frequently celebrated the album's legacy and its impact on the wave of electropop and celebrity-focused party anthems that followed in the late 2000s and 2010s

Slayyyter: Called the album "the blueprint for everything. For me, for everybody." In an interview with UPROXX, she noted that later defining eras of pop music—like Lady Gaga's—could not have existed without Britney paving the way with "Gimme More".

Rihanna: Expressed her love for the album right around its release, stating: "It's very European, it's very pop, and it's funky." She added that all the songs make you want to move and that there are "no boring songs on it—it’s just a good groove."

Marina (formerly Marina and the diamonds): Applauded Britney's inherent genius on the project, noting that "pop instincts are so ingrained in her brain." She pointed out that people don't give Britney enough credit as an actual songwriter and conceptual artist for what she built during that era.

Danielle Haim: Called the record "so refreshing for that time" and noted that coming off a series of meticulously managed, "prim and proper" eras, Blackout finally felt like "she was being herself and not letting anyone tell her what to do."

Britney Spears: Described it as one of the easiest and most satisfying albums she ever made. For its 10th anniversary, she told The Fader that "the magic of Blackout was actually pretty simple. It just wasn't so thought out. I just did what I felt and it worked." She also noted she loves the track "Freakshow" because "it’s sassy, and I love sassy."


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

Discussion Favorite non English albums?

7 Upvotes

I love Red Velvet’s Reve Festival Finale, Nmixx’s Blue Valentine, and f(x)’s pink tape


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

HOT TAKE 😳 My 9 top albums

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14 Upvotes

ANTI
Unapologetic
Positions
Thriller
4
Stripped
1989
Believe
Dangerous Woman


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

Discussion Thoughts on my 9 fav albums ?

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8 Upvotes

r/popmusic • • 1d ago

OTHER My Top 9, in no particular order. Let me know what you think ⬇️

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12 Upvotes

I only stuck to one per artist otherwise Madonna would’ve probably taken about 3 spots.


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

My Latest Obsession 😍 I guess I'll join the trend

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26 Upvotes

Honorable mention to Fine Line by Harry Styles and The Fame/The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga (and pretty much the rest of Madonna's discography...)


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

My Latest Obsession 😍 Any POPSTAR wallpapers? 👀

7 Upvotes

I haven’t been able to find some HQ ones, if any at all!!!
Came someone link or send a couple of pics that would work?


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

Discussion My 9. Please don’t hate me.

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69 Upvotes

r/popmusic • • 9h ago

Discussion Are bot farms being sent to r/popmusic to defend Taylor Swift from online scrutiny?

0 Upvotes

Observed pattern:

Thread is posted, within 10 minutes there are 50 comments defending Taylor Swift, thread quickly dies

It doesn’t match the pace of usual Reddit discussion.

This is something I’ve noticed. I wonder if posting about Taylor triggers some script for bots to make their way here in a limited amount of time?


r/popmusic • • 2d ago

OTHER My top pop albums

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69 Upvotes

this isn’t enough madonna and michael but hey


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

OTHER My 9 albums for theee trend.

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10 Upvotes

Hopping on the trend. Im 26 F from 🇺🇸


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

Playlist Sharing make assumptions about me baed on my top 9 albums

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4 Upvotes

r/popmusic • • 1d ago

My Latest Obsession 😍 My big 9 🤩

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2 Upvotes

r/popmusic • • 22h ago

Industry Discussion Jay Z is doing the halftime show of the Super Bowl 2027…………

0 Upvotes

Confirmed


r/popmusic • • 2d ago

Lets Debate! 🔨 Who is an artist that has "ruined'' their start in the music industry due to persistent pivots or poor management?

87 Upvotes

I'm making this post because i've been thinking about Dove Cameron's career trayectory so far. She has been releasing music since 2019 with blodshoot/waste as an ep, promises new music, releases new songs with the promise of an album, these songs end up as stand-alone singles.

The first truly baffling moment was when she deleted her entire discography right after Boyfriend blew up under the premise of "a new era". Lazybaby and We belong, you are missed to this day, rip.

On top of that, that era was never fully realized because she only released volume one of the ep, 8 songs total: Alchemical vol.1. Mental health was the reason she gave, she was in a total different headspace. Fine by me, makes sense, grace was given.

In 2025, she started releasing songs under the premise of a new album. Five songs total: Too Much, French girls, Romeo, Whatever you like and Hello, my old lover. With these songs it truly felt like she was finding her sound: lady gaga-esque and ballady all into one. I really like all of these releases and was really excited to see how they developed into a full body of work.

She usually says that her old music doesn't represents her and moves on (even for just 1-year old songs). She never dwells on old music, acording to her.

HOWEVER, she just announced her record and it has a 2021 song in it, posing as brand new, her most recent single Do the Math. WTF?? You can't excuse deleting music as "it no longer represents me",and then release a 2021 song as new. A song filled with math metaphors at that.

The album tracklist has 11 songs in it. None of the 2025 songs are in it, despite being some of her best. My only comfort is that When in Rome, her most recent, is in there. I LOVE that song. Title track Final Girl (which she sang opening for Dua Lipa) is not part of the tracklist. What is Columbia thinking?

On top of that, two more songs are already known prior to release: Inmortalize and Break Open. Both i love, but that leaves only 7 songs to be a brand new experience.

Do you know any other artist that has have such a messy rollout with constant pivots even before their debut?

Edit: spelling


r/popmusic • • 1d ago

Celebrity/Media Lana listening to Tate McRae, gives Woman $100 to escape abusive relationship

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1 Upvotes

Lana a saint with immaculate music taste. 👌


r/popmusic • • 2d ago

Music Critique 🤨 I really don't get the hype around suki Waterhouse, believe me I tried?

40 Upvotes

So many of my friends adore her and went to her

concerts . They took me once while she was on

tour, and i thought it was incredibly boring. Her

stage presence wasn't good, and many times, she

sang off tune.

However, I really like the magical vibe of "good

looking," but it's just that . I didn't vibe with her other

songs or her in person. I feel like she doesn't have

the power or aura of a rock star.