you could’t turn on the radio without hearing Taylor, Katy, Gaga, or Beyonce.
It’s official: Women rule the pop roost in 2015.
So how did the ladies come out on top?
Credit: Mick Hutson/Redferns; Buda Mendes/Getty Images; Ethan Miller/Getty Images
And will we ever see the likes of Michael again?
Women didnt always rule pop.
Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake, the platinum standard for 21st-century male pop artists, has effectively exited the stage.
JTs newborn son could well be in kindergarten before Dad turns out another record.
As for that other Justin, the 21-year-old Mr. Bieber?
They define that conversation.
Females are sort of the new rock stars of this generation, he says.
Its not that the guys arent still in the game.
Platinum singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran continues to crank out hits, and the longest-running No.
And yet, no one seems all that interested in the dudes behind the songs.
Whats gotten people talking in recent weeks?
Selena Gomez Instagramming herself in the shower.
Mileys #Instapride transgender-activism campaign.
Mariah Careys new Vegas residency.
The long-absent Janet Jacksons announcement of an upcoming fall tour.
Men in pop, on the other hand, are a bit personality-challenged, as Rudolph sees it.
Take someone like Adam Levine.
Hes good-looking, hes a good singer, good songwriter, and hes onThe Voice, Rudolph says.
I just dont think theres any real personalities among our guys.
There are numbers and then there arenumbers.
There, its the usual female suspects who rule: Ariana, Taylor, Miley, Nicki.
Among males, only Bieber has search numbers comparable to the leading ladies.
I think that makes all the difference in the world.
If we had had this talk maybe five years ago, it would have been completely different.
Its changed the game.
Bobby Campbell has seen this phenomenon firsthand.
I just think theres a bigger set of tools that women have to go out and sell their product.
Michael Jackson and Prince completely owned it in the early days of MTV, theres no doubt.
Knight himself seemed a bit flummoxed by the attention, but that teen-to-adult transition is risky business.
(In movies, at least; his music career was short-lived.)
Its like, Whoa, hold on!
But if a pop guy takes off his shirt in a music video?
Its like, Oh my God!
Stop the presses!'
Which is what makes the 2014 rebirth of Nick Jonas all the more impressive.
Jonas recently performed at Pittsburgh Pride, telling the crowd, I love you and I thank you.
You guys are the best fans.
Its a refreshingly modern career move, but as his publicist points out, it was also risky.
This next step was not guaranteed for Nick in any way, says Patrick Confrey of Derris & Company.
He sort of felt like Im gonna be myself, and I understand thats taking a huge chance.
But there was really no other option for him other than to just totally go for it.
(I honestly didnt know.)
It stands for What Would Jesus Do?'
Its just something to kind of check yourself.
So rarefied is JTs success that What Would Justin Do?
might be a better question for the young pop men of today to ask themselves.
Campbell agrees: I think that right now where male music is leaning is a greater focus on talent.
NPRs Powers remembers seeing Timberlake perform years ago and being very excited that he was playing his own instruments.
I was thinking, Look!
He is a real musician!
I was falling into that trap of defining real in a certain way.
He has all the chops.
But because hes emphasized those showman elements, people say, Oh, hes nothing but an Elvis impersonator.
Conventional wisdom holds that there is no greater imperative for pop stars in the millennial age.
Sure, to me, Miley Cyrus feels authentic; 100 percent.
Same goes for Lorde.
But is authentic a word thats ever been used to describe Beyonce?
We also like our males to have a sense of humor, even to laugh at themselves.
But has Rihanna ever demonstrated anything approaching a sense of humor?
Bitch Better Have My Money is camp fun, but its not Ri laughing at herself.
She doesnt do self-deprecation.
Then again, we dont seem to be turning to her for that.
Women: fabulous and fantastical.
Men: legit, real, and down-to-earth.
As I see it, thats a textbook double standard, and not what I would call liberation.
Who, if anyone, is a serious contender to become the next major male pop star?
Peeing in a bucket, stepping on a flag, and egging a house?
(Google this: Shark Zeppelin Seattle.
Still, maybe thats what he needed.
Maybe, like Miley, Bieber needed to blow up the old model and start anew.
If they dont make those, it makes our consumers uncomfortable.
And I think thats whats happening with Bieber.
But that doesnt mean that despite some epic bumps in the road, he wont evolve and return stronger.
Second acts are possible, especially when youre 21.
He just may make a Belieber out of you yet.
A version of this story appeared inEntertainment Weeklyissue #1370, on newsstands Friday, June 26.
