What qualities do you look for in a pop star?

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Obviously musical/singing ability is required (well, most of the time) but what else?

- Eccentricity?
- Frivolousness?
- Dancing ability?
- Number of white towels in their rider?
- Appearing on Saturday morning kids' telly/Christmas specials?

Phrasing the question slightly differently: What makes you think an artist is 'pop'?

Comments

[koganbot]

Partying like a rockstar!

Hah! But I'll point out that when on the teenpop thread we had a discussion of who made the best rock star, the three names that came up were Lindsay, Paris, and Britney - girlboymusic plumped for Britney this way:

Paris and Lindsay are too apologetic. Rock stars don't play dumb and then insist they're smart, or confess to eating disorders and then take it all back. Britney comes closest to the kind of iconic, defiant rock stardom you're talking about, Dave, in that she seems to really not give a shit.

Nia was subsequently disappointed by Britney's apology for the umbrella incident, whereas the rest of us argued that the apology was merely an "apology" and as such was really quite brilliant (see discussion on livejournal here).

Anyway, this is barely beginning to answer your questions, but I just want to point out that in some instances the template for pop stardom is rock stardom; distressing as this might be for the rock haters among you, Britney and Paris have artists like Elvis and the Stones among their precursors.