Explore: Dance-Pop

Dance-Pop was an outgrowth of disco. Over a pounding, dance-club beat, there are simple, catchy melodies -- dance-pop has more fully-formed songs than pure dance music. Dance-pop is primarily a producer's medium. The producer writes the songs and constructs the tracks, picking an appropriate vocalist to sing the song. These dance divas become stars, but frequently the artistic vision is the producer's. Naturally, there are some major exceptions -- Madonna and Janet Jackson have had control over the sound and direction of their records -- but dance-pop is music that is about image, not substance.