In the 2010s, a major consensus shift took over music. Everyone started to take pop music far more seriously, with the term ‘poptimist’ springing forth to signal this shift.

At the time, it was needed. The rock-centric critical eye had become long dated, and there was now space to openly elevate and praise the significance, talent, and culture of popstars and the pop song. The pop world was now haute couture, rich in depth and worthy of endless discussion.

The results were encouraging initially. Figures from pop history saw a critical reappraisal and re-examining, with successful mainstream artists seldom taken seriously outside the commercial sphere having their skills and talents finally appreciated. The traditional ideas of the cool and hip faded, and the stuffy air was cleared. A genre unfairly reduced to mass-produced and derivative slop was, at last, being dealt with on its own terms and given a seriousness it had never experienced before.

​Perhaps it's time to rethink our ideas about 'highbrow' art

And there was plenty to shout about during poptimism’s ascendency in the 2010s: the uncompromising theatricality of Lady Gaga, the performing powerhouse that is Beyoncé, the accessible relatability of Taylor Swift. Past icons such as Madonna and Janet Jackson turned listeners into students of their craft........

© Herald Scotland