Switching genres

[Yumeko]

So recently I've been hearing some artists sort of cross over from one genre to another.  Either they've entirely switched genres or they just do it for a song or two.  For example, Takanori Nishikawa (T.M.Revolution/Abingdon Boys School).  TRAX used to be more rock until Rose left and then they got more ballady/pop.  Then you have artists like Rain who put out a rock version of one of his songs; but it was really just rock music with his regular R&B like vocals.  But then just recently I have been addicted to the song 'Are you Ready?' by Yesung who is a member of the kpop boyband Super Junior.  'Are you Ready?' is surprisingly very much like early TRAX kind of rock.  So anywho...what do you think of artists switching genres or attempting other genres? 

I think there is a lot of criticism for pop artists going rock or trying rock.  Rock fans generally just think the musician is being a poser or that their rock song isn't as good as someone who is a rock artist.  And I think in the past that was kinda true with most musicians switching around.  Like one time Britney Spears sang a rock song (christina agul...w/e too); it made me want to gag.  But lately I think artists have been getting better at this and Abingdon Boys School is a band I really like and Yesung's 'Are you Ready?' is a pretty decent rock song...so yah...I think things in with musicians are getting interesting and I hope all the experimenting will bring about some interesting and good music.

[Do As Eternity 6]

there are some really really bad times like the britney and christina aguilera you mentioned...however more times then not i like change.

[カレン]

I don't know I was always under the impression that Korean music tended to be all over the place with sound? I know that I've been trying to get into it but it's just so unsteady that I usually only like a few songs an album, and the rest is throwaway for me. I know there's a trend in K-pop especially to have like a really heavy song on an album, usually released as a single, then the rest be ballads.

As for Japan, I just say they're always 10 years behind in music in relation to the west. We had a pop phase, then we went "rock" (I guess, I really don't follow new music anymore) so I think they're just following that pattern.

[nekki_chibi]

I think it's all about drugs. Look at miyavi, and relationship of genres, heroine and methadone becomes obvious.

[Champ213]

"Rock" is often somewhat poorly defined, "pop" even more so. Some people even argue that everything that's "popular" is automatically "pop", which would include everything from Britney Spears to Metallica.

Or is everything that includes e-guitars automatically "rock"?

What about the wide, grey spectrum of "pop-rock"?

In most cases of a "pop" artist going "rock" he/she/they end up doing something I would classify as "pop-rock". (Think Robbie Williams after his departure from Take That, maybe.)

And in cases of a pop artist releasing a "rock" song it's usually just a producer adding some guitar reefs, and very poor ones most of the time. Plus, most rock fans share a deep mistrust of artists who don't write their own songs.

[Yumeko]

^ yah I agree with that last statement.  Although in the case of some songs I've heard; it's not just some guitar riffs; they're going the whole ten yards.  In my opinion rock music is defined by the type of vocals as well as the instruments used and the key they are playing in.  There's many aspects that make a song 'rock'.  But lately some songs I've heard have been pretty convincing.

[Vessicator]

"Rock" is often somewhat poorly defined, "pop" even more so. Some people even argue that everything that's "popular" is automatically "pop", which would include everything from Britney Spears to Metallica.

Or is everything that includes e-guitars automatically "rock"?

What about the wide, grey spectrum of "pop-rock"?

In most cases of a "pop" artist going "rock" he/she/they end up doing something I would classify as "pop-rock". (Think Robbie Williams after his departure from Take That, maybe.)

And in cases of a pop artist releasing a "rock" song it's usually just a producer adding some guitar reefs, and very poor ones most of the time. Plus, most rock fans share a deep mistrust of artists who don't write their own songs.

Guitar Reefer. Is that like smoking pot and strumming chords to "Boys in the Hood"?