Image and Pop Fashion as Art

When it comes to classifying catchy, ‘slick’ pop music as ‘very good art,’ it is not always the music alone that gets discussed—sometimes, in fact, the music is not even the articles’ focus. This is not so unusual considering that the authors of articles in pop and rock music magazines usually lack the knowledge or interest to write detailed descriptions of the songs (nor do the vast majority of readers want this). What is striking about the articles on ‘New Pop,’ however, is that explanations about the scene in which these bands operate and about the fashionable style of the musicians are no longer just used for making remarks about rebellion or commercial conformity, but now also serve for bestowing praise, such that the music’s actual merit momentarily recedes. For quite a few ‘New Pop’ protagonists, the image aspect starts coming to the fore during this period.