The Sia signature is easy to spot: a steady build, the dramatic vocal arc and idiosyncratic song structures. While the bombastic ‘Chandelier’ and ‘Elastic Heart’ might have been many people’s introduction to the Australian chanteuse, Sia has been crafting beautiful pop songs since ‘Breathe Me’, in 2004, and is the creative force behind some of the biggest hits of the past decade including, ‘Pretty Hurts’ for Beyoncé, ‘Diamonds’ for Rihanna and David Guetta’s ‘Titanium’. Songs: ‘Breathe Me’, ‘The Greatest’, ‘Chandelier’, ‘Elastic Heart’ Beneath the slick pastiche of her club bangers of the early 00s such as ‘Just Dance’ and ‘Bad Romance’ there lies a singer-songwriter at heart, as evidenced on her latest hit, ‘Million Reasons’. Taking a page out of Madonna’s chameleon-like playbook, Lady Gaga, aka Stefani Germanotta, stays atop of the pop diva arms race by her commitment to experimentation, both visually and musically. Songs: ‘Shallow’, ‘Edge Of Glory’, ‘Born This Way’, ‘Bad Romance’ Either as songwriters, performers or both, these artists fit the criteria of Great American Songbook standards, with memorable melodies, catchy lyrics, and enduring sentiments. But the songs with true staying power are able to use catchy, simple melodies as a vehicle for making bigger personal statements. It’s easy to fall into the “They just don’t make ’em like they used to” trap, but just remember that for every ‘Thong Song’ there’s also ‘The Crusher’ by The Novas.Īmid the dizzying array of platforms on which people consume music, and the breakneck pace of turnaround of releases, it’s become increasingly difficult for songs to sustain a more permanent shelf life in the pop industrial complex. One could even argue that the Gershwins were considered the pop music of their era. Though the term “standard” was previously reserved for pre-rock music created on Tin Pan Alley for Broadway and Hollywood, it’s been widened to include other musical watershed moments of the past 50 years, from 60s Motown to 70s singer-songwriters and 80s pop. While musical tastes change with each generation, the tradition of a well-crafted song remains steadfast, as new artists emerge to make their contributions to America’s musical canon.
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