* Have at least some baseline modicum of talent
* Have access to talented songwriters
* Have access to talented producers
* Be attractive, or at least interesting to look at
* Have a stage presence
Bonus points for:
* Ability to dance
* A salacious or intriguing "private" life
Many pop stars have singing talent in spades (Beyonce, Adele, Whitney Houston), but many others have proven that extraordinary singing talent is not a pre-requisite for enormous success (Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Miley Cyrus, perhaps Madonna).
I would say talent is less important now than ever. But this could be an illusion, as history is likely to forget pop stars who leave behind nothing memorable.
The bonus points for "salacious private life" are short-term, often borrowed against the long term.
Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan are not exactly long-term success stories, even though they continue to be in the news and their popularity is still worth money.
Comments
Correct. A pop star needs a few ingredients:
* Have at least some baseline modicum of talent * Have access to talented songwriters * Have access to talented producers * Be attractive, or at least interesting to look at * Have a stage presence
Bonus points for: * Ability to dance * A salacious or intriguing "private" life
Many pop stars have singing talent in spades (Beyonce, Adele, Whitney Houston), but many others have proven that extraordinary singing talent is not a pre-requisite for enormous success (Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Miley Cyrus, perhaps Madonna).
I would say talent is less important now than ever. But this could be an illusion, as history is likely to forget pop stars who leave behind nothing memorable.
The bonus points for "salacious private life" are short-term, often borrowed against the long term.
Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan are not exactly long-term success stories, even though they continue to be in the news and their popularity is still worth money.