Chapter 43: Popular Music in the 2000s
Chapter 43: Popular Music in the 2000s follows the changes in how music was made, distributed, discovered, and consumed as the internet, file sharing, social media, YouTube, digital downloads, and streaming became increasingly important. At the same time, artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Outkast, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, and several singer-songwriters moved across hip-hop, R&B, pop, rock, electronic music, and other styles, while television programs such as American Idol and mash-up culture created additional routes for artists and recordings to reach audiences.
Important Terms
Digital Music - Music stored, distributed, or played as computer data rather than through physical formats such as CDs.
Digital Download - A music file transferred from the internet to a listener’s device for storage and playback.
MP3 - A compressed digital audio format that made music files smaller and easier to download, store, and share.
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) File Sharing - A system that allows users to exchange digital files directly between computers.
File Sharing - The distribution of digital music files between internet users, including both authorized and unauthorized copying.
Digital Rights Management (DRM) - Technology used to restrict how purchased digital files can be copied, transferred, or played.
Streaming - Listening to music through an online service without permanently purchasing and storing each recording.
On-Demand Streaming - Streaming that allows listeners to select specific songs or albums whenever they choose.
Subscription Streaming - A system in which listeners pay a recurring fee for access to a large online music catalog.
Personalized Radio - A streaming format that selects songs for individual listeners according to their preferences.
Playlist - A collection of songs organized by a listener, artist, or streaming service.
Music Genome Project - Pandora’s system for analyzing musical characteristics and using them to recommend recordings.
Algorithmic Recommendation - Computer-based selection of music according to information about songs, listeners, or previous listening behavior.
Social Media - Internet platforms where users create profiles, communicate, and circulate material such as music, photographs, and videos.
Social Networking - Building and maintaining online connections through platforms such as Myspace and Facebook.
Online Music Discovery - Finding new music through websites, social networks, video platforms, recommendations, or shared links rather than relying only on radio or record stores.
Viral Video - An online video that spreads rapidly as users share it with others.
Online Fandom - Fan communities that communicate and circulate material through social media and other internet platforms.
Home Recording - Recording and producing music outside a professional studio using personal computers and affordable software.
Digital Distribution - Releasing and circulating music through online services instead of relying entirely on physical recordings.
Mash-Up - A recording constructed by combining recognizable material from two or more existing recordings.
Sampling - Taking a portion of an existing recording and incorporating it into a new recording.
Remix Culture - Music-making based on altering, combining, or rearranging existing recordings.
Sample Clearance - Obtaining permission from copyright holders to use protected material in a new recording.
Copyright - Legal protection giving creators or rights holders control over reproduction and distribution of their work.
Fair Use - A legal doctrine permitting some limited uses of copyrighted material without permission under certain circumstances.
Public Domain - Creative material that is no longer protected by copyright and may generally be used without obtaining permission.
Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 - Federal law that extended the length of U.S. copyright protection; critics also called it the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act.”
Hustler Persona - A hip-hop identity centered on ambition, economic independence, survival, and entrepreneurship.
Chipmunk Soul - A hip-hop production technique using sped-up soul vocal samples, strongly associated with Kanye West’s early production.
Beat Programming - Creating rhythmic patterns electronically rather than recording an acoustic drummer.
Auto-Tune - Software that adjusts vocal pitch and can also create an intentionally processed vocal sound.
Roland TR-808 - Electronic drum machine known for its deep bass drum and synthetic percussion, heavily used in hip-hop and electronic music.
Crunk - Southern hip-hop based on shouted vocals, repetitive electronic beats, heavy bass, and audience participation.
Trap - A Southern hip-hop style associated with sparse electronic production, heavy TR-808 bass, rapid hi-hats, and lyrics concerning the drug economy and its dangers.
Dancehall - Jamaican popular music built around strong rhythms and vocal performance that influenced artists such as Rihanna.
Neo-Soul - R&B that draws from older soul, gospel, jazz, and hip-hop production.
Contemporary R&B - Modern rhythm and blues incorporating elements of soul, hip-hop, pop, and electronic production.
Dance-Pop - Pop music built around electronic dance rhythms, synthesizers, and repetitive hooks.
Electronic Dance Music - Electronically produced music centered on dance rhythms and club performance.
Singer-Songwriter - A performer who writes and performs their own material, often placing greater attention on lyrics, voice, and relatively sparse instrumentation.
Artists Discussed
Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) - Producer behind The Grey Album, which combined Jay-Z vocals with Beatles samples.
Gnarls Barkley - Duo formed by Danger Mouse and CeeLo Green.
CeeLo Green - Singer who worked with Danger Mouse in Gnarls Barkley.
Kelly Clarkson - Singer who entered the recording industry through American Idol.
Carrie Underwood - Country singer whose career began through American Idol.
Lily Allen - Singer who circulated demos through Myspace.
Soulja Boy - Rapper who used social networking and online music sites to build an early audience.
Owl City - Electronic pop project created by Adam Young.
OK Go - Band whose inexpensive choreographed videos became early examples of viral music videos on YouTube.
Justin Bieber - Singer discovered after home performance videos were posted to YouTube.
Scooter Braun - Manager who discovered Justin Bieber through YouTube.
Esmée Denters - Singer who attracted record-industry attention through YouTube covers.
Jake Zyrus (Charice Pempengco) - Singer whose performances gained an international audience through YouTube.
Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) - Rapper, producer, executive, and entrepreneur whose career connected hip-hop with business ownership.
Kanye West (Ye) - Producer and rapper whose albums moved through soul sampling, electronic production, Auto-Tune, gospel, and other styles.
Outkast - Atlanta hip-hop duo that combined Southern rap with funk, soul, electronic music, rock, and pop.
André 3000 (André Benjamin) - Outkast rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer.
Big Boi (Antwan Patton) - Outkast rapper and songwriter.
Three 6 Mafia - Southern hip-hop group associated with early crunk.
Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz - Group that brought crunk into mainstream hip-hop.
Ying Yang Twins - Atlanta duo associated with crunk.
Goodie Mob - Atlanta group associated with early references to the “trap.”
Beyoncé - Singer who moved from Destiny’s Child into a major solo career combining R&B, hip-hop, pop, choreography, and visual performance.
Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty) - Barbadian singer who combined R&B, dancehall, electronic pop, and Caribbean vocal styles.
Alicia Keys (Alicia Augello Cook) - Singer, songwriter, and pianist who combined R&B with gospel, blues, jazz, classical piano, and hip-hop.
Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta) - Pop singer whose electronic dance music, costumes, videos, and theatrical stage persona became closely connected.
Norah Jones - Singer and pianist whose music combined jazz, folk, country, and pop.
Jack Johnson - Singer-songwriter known for acoustic folk-rock.
Jason Mraz - Singer-songwriter who mixed acoustic pop with jazz, R&B, and reggae-influenced rhythm.
John Mayer - Singer-songwriter and guitarist who moved between acoustic pop and blues.
Maroon 5 - Pop-rock group that increasingly incorporated R&B, funk, and electronic pop.
Coldplay - British rock band associated with melodic and atmospheric pop-rock.
Songs Referenced
“Baby” – Justin Bieber
“Big Pimpin’” – Jay-Z featuring UGK
“99 Problems” – Jay-Z
“Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” – Jay-Z
“Takeover” – Jay-Z
“’03 Bonnie & Clyde” – Jay-Z and Beyoncé
“You Don’t Know My Name” – Alicia Keys
“Get By” – Talib Kweli
“Stand Up” – Ludacris
“Through the Wire” – Kanye West
“All Falls Down” – Kanye West
“Jesus Walks” – Kanye West
“Slow Jamz” – Twista featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx
“Gold Digger” – Kanye West
“Stronger” – Kanye West
“Heartless” – Kanye West
“Coldest Winter” – Kanye West
“Runaway” – Kanye West
“Power” – Kanye West
“Crazy” – Gnarls Barkley
“Git Up, Git Out” – Outkast
“B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)” – Outkast
“Ms. Jackson” – Outkast
“The Way You Move” – Outkast
“Hey Ya!” – Outkast
“Gette’m Crunk” – Three 6 Mafia
“Player’s Ball” – Outkast
“Salt Shaker” – Ying Yang Twins featuring Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz
“Crazy in Love” – Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z
“Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)” – The Chi-Lites
“Irreplaceable” – Beyoncé
“If I Were a Boy” – Beyoncé
“Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” – Beyoncé
“Pon de Replay” – Rihanna
“SOS” – Rihanna
“Umbrella” – Rihanna featuring Jay-Z
“Hard” – Rihanna
“Rude Boy” – Rihanna
“Only Girl (In the World)” – Rihanna
“We Found Love” – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
“Work” – Rihanna
“Fallin’” – Alicia Keys
“A Woman’s Worth” – Alicia Keys
“If I Ain’t Got You” – Alicia Keys
“Let Me Prove My Love to You” – The Main Ingredient
“No One” – Alicia Keys
“Empire State of Mind” – Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
“Just Dance” – Lady Gaga
“Poker Face” – Lady Gaga
“LoveGame” – Lady Gaga
“Paparazzi” – Lady Gaga
“Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga
“Telephone” – Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé
“The Edge of Glory” – Lady Gaga
“Government Hooker” – Lady Gaga
“Die with a Smile” – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
“Shallow” – Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
“Flake” – Jack Johnson
“Bubble Toes” – Jack Johnson
“Upside Down” – Jack Johnson
“The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)” – Jason Mraz
“I’m Yours” – Jason Mraz
“No Such Thing” – John Mayer
“Your Body Is a Wonderland” – John Mayer
“Daughters” – John Mayer
“Gravity” – John Mayer
“Waiting on the World to Change” – John Mayer
“Harder to Breathe” – Maroon 5
“This Love” – Maroon 5
“She Will Be Loved” – Maroon 5
“Makes Me Wonder” – Maroon 5
“Yellow” – Coldplay
“The Scientist” – Coldplay
“Clocks” – Coldplay
“In My Place” – Coldplay
“Viva la Vida” – Coldplay
“A Moment Like This” – Kelly Clarkson
“Catch My Breath” – Kelly Clarkson
“Home” – Daughtry
“Whataya Want from Me” – Adam Lambert
“Smells Like Teen Booty” – Soulwax
“Bootylicious” – Destiny’s Child
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana
“United State of Pop” – Earworm
“99 Problems” – Jay-Z / The Grey Album mash-up
“Helter Skelter” – The Beatles
“What More Can I Say?” – Jay-Z / The Grey Album mash-up
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – The Beatles
Television Programs
American Idol
America’s Got Talent
The Voice
The X Factor