Teen Pop is a subgenre of pop music aimed at youths (primarily adolescent girls). Despite its name, it isn't exclusively aimed at teenagers. A lot of it is aimed at preteens/tweens (10-12 year olds). The genre is also not inherently pop as R&B, Hip-Hop, Pop Punk, Country Music, Emo Music, and Rock are also staples of the genre. Boy Bands and Girl Groups are band sub-trope of this genre.
The genre is generally characterized by choreographed dancing, an emphasis on visual appeal, and repeated chorus lines, though it varies depending on the style of music. Singers in this genre often give off the appeal of "everyday" teens or the Girl Next Door. Teen pop songs are themed around issues preteens and teens deal with, such as growing up, fashion, friendship, first loves, teenage rebellion, and self-image. They tend to lack much sexuality compared to pop aimed at adults.
The genre as it currently is began in the late 1980s and codified in the late 1990s, but it has its origins in mid-20th century "teen idol" artists such as (early) Frank Sinatra in the 1940s and Ricky Nelson, Paul Anka, Lulu, and Frankie Avalon in the 1950s and early '60s, and the Bubblegum bands of the '60s and '70s like The Jackson 5, The Partridge Family, and The Osmonds. Teen Pop really began to change during the 1980s.
The first wave of teen pop as we know it didn't appear until the 1980s with bands and singers such as Menudo, New Edition, New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson, and Tiffany. It hit its "golden age" in the 1990s with the rise of *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera.
Most teen pop singers are females in their teens, though males (especially when it comes to boy bands) and older women exist in the genre too. Being a teen pop-star is a fleeting thing. As teens are drawn to those who are similar to their own age and many artists wish to expand outside of the demographic, artists outgrow the genre by their mid-20s and get replaced by new artists. That point is when many artists break out of their Contractual Purity and become Hotter and Sexier.
Super-Trope to Boy Band and Girl Group. Related to Child Pop Star, Teen Idol, and Idol Singer.
Artists:
- 3LW
- 5 Seconds of Summer
- Christina Aguilera
- Aly & A.J.
- Paul Anka
- A-Teens
- B5
- Backstreet Boys
- Joshua Bassett
- Beyoncé
- Justin Bieber
- Big Time Rush
- Corbin Bleu
- Brandy
- Chris Brown (early in his career)
- Dove Cameron
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Aaron Carter
- The Click Five
- CNCO
- Miley Cyrus
- The DeFranco Family
- Destiny's Child
- Hilary Duff
- Billie Eilish
- Fabian
- Fifth Harmony
- Leif Garrett
- Andy Gibb
- Debbie Gibson
- Selena Gomez
- Lesley Gore
- Mckenna Grace
- Ariana Grande
- Hanson
- Vanessa Hudgens
- The Jackson 5
- Michael Jackson
- JoJo
- The Jonas Brothers
- Avril Lavigne
- LFO
- Maggie Lindemann (her early work)
- Dua Lipa
- Little Mix
- Pixie Lott
- Demi Lovato
- Jesse Mc Cartney
- China Anne McClain
- Shawn Mendes
- M-Kids
- Mandy Moore
- Ricky Nelson
- Ross Lynch
- New Edition (early in their career)
- New Kids on the Block
- *NSYNC
- One Direction
- Keke Palmer
- The Partridge Family
- P!nk (early in her career)
- Katy Perry
- Rihanna
- Olivia Rodrigo
- Jacob Sartorius
- Neil Sedaka (his early work)
- Ashlee Simpson
- Jessica Simpson
- Daniel Skye
- Britney Spears
- Spice Girls
- Skye Sweetnam
- Taylor Swift
- Ashley Tisdale
- The Veronicas
- Westlife
