3 Famous Pop Songs of the 2010s That Aged Into Pure Art

These three famous pop songs from the 2010s are artful masterpieces. Sometimes pop gets a bad rap in the art department. Many other genres are quicker to earn that term. Something about mass appeal makes art a harder description to come by. At any rate, though, these three pop hits couldn’t be described any other way.

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“Rolling In The Deep” — Adele

Adele’s voice only comes around once in a few generations. She’s an artist through and through, delivering music with an intensity and earnestness that was thought to be lost decades ago. Every song she puts out is art, or quickly ages into it. “Rolling In The Deep” is no exception.

This 2010 hit has everything you’d want out of a great Adele song: expert vocals, instantly catchy chorus, and sweeping dramatic musicality. It’s the perfect summation of Adele’s unique appeal. This is art. There is no two ways about it.

“Telephone” — Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé

“Telephone” is one of two duets performed by Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. Both exceptional artists, this song had no choice but to be a hit. In hindsight, this song was much more than that. Pulling together the combined talents of two powerhouses is enough of a feat. But this song epitomized its era in a way that feels particularly important now.

It feels like much of modern music is constantly looking back or trying to emulate something else. Nailing down the contemporary sound is hard to do without calling it the 80s 2.0 or something akin. With “Telephone”, Gaga and Beyoncé delivered a song that was shockingly current. It was fresh, in the truest sense of the word. That kind of self-assured, forward-thinking artistry is something we all need today.

“Thank U, Next” — Ariana Grande

Flashing forward to the end of the decade, we have Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next”. This power ballad saw Grande put her vulnerability on display. Sure, it’s still a fun-loving, show-stopping pop number. But the subject matter she sings about isn’t something every artist would be daring enough to cover.

Since the onset of her career, Grande has been hit with accusations of being a serial dater. It has nothing to do with her music, but it certainly has colored her career. Grande stared her bad press in the face with this track, setting the record straight. It was a bold move with even greater rewards.

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