sadmanbarty
Well-known member
It's very very difficult to exclude timblaland from a discussion of r&b although granted the bulk of his output comes from the 00s. The 90swas more the decade of new jack swing and later, hip-hop soul. What's quite interesting is that r&b doesn't become global pop music until timblaland and missy arrive. Here it is the most innovative form of the genre that finds mass success. I don't know what that means. I don't know how to fit it into whatever argument might be taking shape here.
'you really got me', 'i feel love', 'tomorrow never knows', 'one in a million', etc. are all innovations that happened in the mainstream.
so again saying 'pop' isn't innovative is wrong. instead it goes back to this top down thing. georgio moroder trying to appeal to dancers or satisfying his own interests in krautrock. timbaland indulging his rhythm nerdery. etc. there's a bottom up impulse for all these things even if they're pop.