Top 10 Pop Musicians Who Don't Get the Credit They Deserve

MsMojo

Justice for the following musicians. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the pop artists that don’t get credit for their contributions to the genre.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to Ms Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the pop artists that don't

00:10get credit for their contributions to the genre.

00:2010. Zara Larsson A high number of streams doesn't equate

00:30to automatic mainstream success. When Sweden's Zara Larsson first came on the international

00:35scene in the 2010s, she wowed listeners with her electro-pop production and impressive

00:41vocals. Her initial releases blew up, with Lush Live

00:49racking up over a billion streams on Spotify alone. Although several tracks have been certified

00:55platinum in the U.S., they haven't made a huge splash on American charts, with Never

01:00Forget You being the exception. She's found a loyal following in her home country, but

01:11elsewhere she's often overlooked. While it may not have achieved commercial success

01:16her 2024 album Venus displays her original sound, so hopefully she'll someday find the

01:23level of success she deserves.

01:259. Janelle Monáe She isn't just an artist or entertainer,

01:38she's a tastemaker. With the ability to blend genres flawlessly, Janelle Monáe is

01:43a unique artist. They've been compared to several icons, from Judy Garland to James

01:49Brown. Yet the only time that's really been reflected on the mainstream charts has been

01:58their collaboration with Fun on We Are Young. Monáe was also ahead of the curve when it

02:04came to genderbending, making a tuxedo their signature outfit far before it was considered

02:10cool. Despite their groundbreaking moves, they've found most of their success among

02:14critics rather than the general public. She isn't even close to slowing down, so hopefully

02:25she'll soon get the credit she's deserved for over a decade.

02:358. Adam Lambert He came close to winning American Idol, but

02:48he's still criminally underrated within the scene. Adam Lambert made a huge impact in

02:53the late 2000s, with his voice wowing viewers across the nation. His debut album was also

03:04met with widespread acclaim. He did all of this while being openly gay, something that

03:10was inspiring yet risky, as he was removed from several high-profile gigs as a result.

03:21While his voice is revered, he's never been given credit for creating a perfect intersection

03:26between a modern sound and a classic theatrical style. Not all hope is lost, though. While

03:32his presence in pop has faded, he's found plenty of success supplying vocals for Queen

03:37for the past decade.

03:407. Bebe Rexha She's had some major songs since her recording

03:53debut in 2014, and yet she's not the commercial powerhouse of many of her contemporaries.

03:59Bebe Rexha has found most of her success through her high-profile collaborations. Working with

04:04performers from Florida Georgia Line to David Guetta, she's proven that she can take on

04:10multiple genres with ease. However, she hasn't been able to break through and become a household

04:19name. The talent is clearly there, as evidenced by her live performances and expertise on

04:25multiple instruments. But for whatever reason, she hasn't been

04:34able to capture the hearts of the public yet. As she keeps releasing music, we can

04:40only hope she'll get the credit for her effortless genre-bending.

04:436. Victoria Monet She's one of the best artists you may have

05:00never heard of. Monet's been in the industry since 2010 and has helped write several acclaimed

05:06hits, but they weren't for her. Her work with Ariana Grande, in particular, has been pivotal.

05:19With tracks like 7 Rings and Thank U, Next becoming cultural phenomenons, her music released

05:25under her own name has barely seen a fraction of that success. There was a shift in 2023

05:32when On My Mama suddenly blew up, revealing her greatness to a wider audience and helping

05:38her snag several Grammys. Her newfound success has been amazing to see. Let's hope it won't

05:51just be a passing trend.

05:575. Madison Beer At one point, she was set to be the next

06:09It Girl. She had a similar start to Justin Bieber and was even discovered by the star

06:14himself. Despite her amazing connections early on, Madison Beer hasn't had the most luck

06:20in launching her pop star career. She isn't acknowledged for her songwriting, which often

06:31focuses on deeper themes like mental health and lost love. Between releasing a series

06:36of singles over a period of years and focusing on other business ventures, her two full-length

06:42releases took a large hit commercially.

06:50Despite that, she hasn't allowed the quality of her output to be affected. So, hopefully,

06:55the pendulum will eventually swing back in her favor and grant her more success.

07:044. Carly Rae Jepsen If there's any artist society judged far

07:17too early, it's Carly Rae. Her debut single, Call Me Maybe, dominated upon release, becoming

07:24a guilty pleasure bop for many. Her subsequent singles failed to reach the same level, but

07:37they kept increasing in sheer quality. She has her finger on the pulse of pop, masterfully

07:43blending catchy lyrics with upbeat production. Yet, she's hardly even acknowledged outside

07:54of her most successful work. She had a brief viral moment with The Loneliest Time in 2022,

08:01but even that wasn't enough to fully revitalize her mainstream career. While she seems

08:12content having the freedom to make whatever music she wants, her fans are still waiting

08:18for the day she claims her spot on the throne.

08:243. Marina Diamandis Several alternative pop artists blew up in

08:37the early 2010s, particularly women like Lorde and Lana Del Rey. While they've gone

08:42on to see critical acclaim, not all of their peers have been quite so lucky. Marina Diamandis,

08:54sometimes known as Marina and the Diamonds, had the first part of the decade in a chokehold.

09:04Her synth-laden sound was ahead of its time, and the depth found in her lyrics has been

09:09emulated by younger artists like Billie Eilish. She struggled to amass the same recognition

09:14as her peers, though, and a sudden split from her recognizable aesthetic didn't help things.

09:20However, her work remains amazing, and fans hope that a long-deserved recognition is on

09:26the horizon.

09:292. Tori Kelly YouTube has helped give several artists a platform.

09:49While some have gone on to become global superstars, others have struggled to get the same recognition.

09:55Tori Kelly's unique voice and interesting sound helped her stand out. Her first album

10:00made it all the way to number two on the Billboard 200, and she even snagged a recurring role

10:10in the Sing! movie series. She was on her way to becoming the next big sensation, until

10:16she suddenly shifted to a new genre mid-career. While her gospel music was rewarded, it was

10:28vastly overlooked by pop fans, causing her to fade among her peers. She did return to

10:34her roots with 2024's Tori, so hopefully some of that initial praise will return.

10:43Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

10:47Rina Sawayama. Her experimental sound is more beloved online than in the mainstream.

10:57Kimbra. Everyone swooned over her duet with Gautier, but her solo work is underrated.

11:10Charli XCX. The world had a brat summer in 2024, but largely overlooked her other work.

11:24Ali X. A shout-out from Katy Perry hasn't translated into success in the US.

11:38FKA Twigs. Her unique voice and sound have yet to be appreciated by a wider audience.

12:08Robin. Robin's been a trendsetter since her debut in the 1990s, and has been influencing

12:20the soundscape for decades. Though two early singles made the US Top 10, Dancing On My

12:25Own didn't even crack the Hot 100, despite receiving widespread critical acclaim. Her

12:37influence is vast, yet hardly acknowledged. She was pivotal in pop being taken seriously,

12:44yet her sales don't reflect that. She was also unafraid to incorporate political themes

12:56in her work at a time when it was unpopular, paving the way for a new generation. While

13:02she hasn't released an album since 2018, her contributions are significant, and only

13:08now is she starting to be recognized for it.

13:17Which pop artist do you think deserves more credits? Let us know in the comments below.

13:29Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo. And be sure

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