Music has been around for centuries. It is an art that does not lose value through years; it only gains value with memories. Music can bring you back to your favorite moment in your life to your saddest. In two thousand fifteen, all types of music genres due to hit radio stations influence us but I believe that amongst all the genres of music, Pop and R&B are the most influential to our society today. As different as these two genres might be, the similarities over rule them. Our generation is beginning to confuse the two genres immensely because of their similar beats, style and publicity/marketing strategies of these tunes.
Pop music as of right now is based off of hits from Justin Bieber to Taylor Swift. Pop is what radio stations now call their ‘Hits 100’. It’s the most listened to songs, with beats that make you get up and get on your feet. The definition of pop according to Google “commercial popular music, in particular accessible, tuneful music of a kind popular since the 1950s and sometimes contrasted with rock, soul, or other forms of popular music.”
“You know, jazz is the mother of all American music. R&B and pop and rap and everything are the branches on the main tree of the life of music, American music, which is jazz.”(Burdon)
Pop is a mix of all genres put together to make one sound. R&B on the other hand is a harsher with deeper lyrics. People dislike R&B for this reason due to the fact it has more vulgar language and uses slang that not many people feel is appropriate. R&B is a branch off of soul music and funk. It’s the beat that makes you want to sway! Pop and R&B are becoming confused today because of their similar beats. With artist who do not even know what genre they fit into they begin to start using both in all their music. Artist like Justin Bieber differ in every song. This creates a mindset to all fans that if Justin has one song Pop all his music must fall into the pop category when that is not the case. In the past artist were more placed into one category and one category only but now a days all artist want to get the fan base of as many fans possible so they branch off of different genres to create the affect of them being a well rounded artist.
In the music industry, it is not all about the music. At one point in time it was but in two thousand fifteen it is more about the person you show to the world, the persona of fashion that describes you and your music. All artist want to ‘WOW’ their audience, their style is where they do so without their vocals. Big Pop music names like Lady Gaga sparked gossip while her albums were dropping. She would wear outfits such as bubbles, meat and garbage. No human ever would wear something like that but. Lady Gaga did. She sparked people’s minds with the question of “ What is next?” “What will she wear?” Gaga knew how to ring in her fans and haters by being the talk of Hollywood by doing this. In both industries this is acceptable. We have Rihanna, R&B singer, dressing in more revealing clothes near her new single coming out. Magazines and tabloids are being rushed to write an article of what just happened and paparazzi’s are begging to a get moneymaking shot.
With style being a huge impact for both industries of Pop and R&B so is the marketing plans behind every artist. All artists have a plan, yes they do it for their fans but they also have to make money off of it as well. Celebrities are the easiest way to market anything to be sold to the public. People believe if this celebrity has it, I have to! This is where companies sponsor tours and albums and donate to certain causes to make sure this celebrity can help them in return. Companies such as Cadillac went from an elderly base car to the ‘hottest’ wheels on the street. They began to put it in R&B music videos. This showed fans, “Hey this car is awesome cause (insert name) has it!” Not only did the music industry help tremendously by showing off products but on commercials. “Today, our consumerist culture has fallen in love and married our most popular art form — and the old arguments about using pop music to sell a product don’t seem to matter in an era when profits for musicians have fallen away.” (Sanburn) On every commercial if you hear it or not is a song and in that song is a reminder to buy a product. R&B music is used less for this marketing strategy because it is not as known as Pop and not culturally liked as much.
The two genres are alike in more ways than they are different. At the end of the day they are both a form of music that relives stress, puts smiles on peoples face and becomes an escape. As our culture continues to grow, music will continue as long as our Earth is spinning. Despite the belief of R&B and Pop being basically the same genre to some, they are not. They are like music genre twins so similar but if you really learn about them not so similar at all. I personally like R&B more than Pop because I feel like it is more moving than anything I have heard a pop singer sing. It really states how you feel rather than in Pop I feel artist say certain lyrics to be remembered instead of being felt. “Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die.” (Simon)

References
"Paul Simon Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

Sanburn, Josh. "Advertising Killed the Radio Star: How Pop Music and TV Ads Became Inseparable | TIME.com." Business Money Advertising Killed the Radio Star How Pop Music and TV Ads Became Inseparable Comments. TIME3, 3 Feb. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

"Eric Burdon Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.

""The Choice of a New Generation": "Pop" Music, Advertising, and Meaning in the MTV Era and Beyond." EScholarship. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2015.