A musician’s sound is their calling card. It is just as identifiable as their name and their likeness. Defining that sound is something many artists spend their whole careers searching for. Then there are others that have found that sound two or three times over.
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An artist reinventing their sound is not an everyday occurrence. It takes a special musician to be able to pull off that tightrope act. Below are five musicians that have pulled off a genre change and become musical chameleons.
1. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is one of the most famous genre switchers in recent memory. The “Karma” singer got her start in Nashville, penning country tunes with a knack for lyricism. Swift owes the country music world for her start, as it latched onto her first few albums with open hearts and ears.
Soon, Swift would transcend genre. For millions of preteens in the ’00s, Swift’s country status was nothing more than a label used by industry heads to put the young singer in a box. It was so inconsequential, that Swift made a hard turn into pop in 2012 and had minimal questions raised. The world quickly began to accept Swift’s new popstar status – which she has only bolstered throughout the years.
2. Kid Rock
With a stage name like Kid Rock, you’d assume that Robert James Ritchie would always have been dosing out hard-hitting, guitar-led anthems. Nevertheless, the controversial artist started out his career with a brief stint in rap. For his second record, Rock adopted a more suitable genre for his name.
By the time his third album rolled around, he had his sound down pat, securing hits like “Bawitdaba” and “Cowboy.” Though glimmers of his rap roots still show through, Kid Rock has more than lived up to his name.
3. Bob Dylan
The moment Bob Dylan switched genres was like a shot heard around the world. Few people have caused more of a ruckus by plugging a guitar into an amplifier than Dylan. It was one of the most devil-may-care, pure rockstar moments of all time and it was done by a folkie!
Dylan does both the introspective singer/songwriter and the impish rock star thing exceptionally. Nowadays, Dylan isn’t even bogged down by a genre–he’s in a league all his own.
4. Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell has gone through a number of sonic evolutions. She started her career as a golden-voiced folk singer. While that period of her career spawned some truly timeless gems, it seems Mitchell wasn’t interested in staying in her comfort zone.
In the mid-’70s, Mitchell started teaming up with jazz producers to create a new sonic direction. Instead of simple acoustic guitar-led songs, Mitchell opted for experimental dirges with off-kilter chord structures.
Flash even more forward, Mitchell has become a certified crooner over the last few decades. Her deepened vocals pair well with lush, orchestral instrumentation. Mitchell’s many sonic evolutions prove she is a talent like no other.
5. David Bowie
Last, we have the king of switching up his sound, David Bowie. Bowie ventured from glam rock icon to post-rock hero and everything in between. Each of his sonic evolutions was accompanied by complete aesthetic changes. The Thin White Duke holds little resemblance to Ziggy Stardust, but each evolution was just as affecting as the last.
Right up until the end of his life, Bowie was constantly switching things up. No other artist can boast the same track record.
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