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45 REVELATIONS

Radio programmers are grappling with a new form of music. Its dance-oriented rhythms and hiphop-derived production effects draw heavily from black styles, but the singers are usually white females (under a group moniker or a first name only) and the melodies are light, airy, pure pop.

July 1, 1987
KEN BARNES

45 REVELATIONS

KEN BARNES

Radio programmers are grappling with a new form of music. Its dance-oriented rhythms and hiphop-derived production effects draw heavily from black styles, but the singers are usually white females (under a group moniker or a first name only) and the melodies are light, airy, pure pop. Madonna is its godmother; hits from Stacey Q to Expose make up its universe. Radio stations are springing up in large markets, positioning themselves between Black/Urban and contemporary hit outlets, predominantly playing this music, which also slots itself between those two traditions.

Urban contemporary would encompass it neatly, but the radio stations won’t accept that term, because to advertisers Urban now means “Black” and they’re unwilling to buy “Black” stations as extensively. Sad fact of life. So the search goes on for the hip new description—everything from “sounds of the city” to “metrorhythmic,” with the bland “club music” perhaps the early leader.

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