Can we define the career phases of FOTP faves?

[An Impossible Princess 2,357]

What I mean by this is that, we are common to the knowledge of a singer's "imperial era." Then the "flop era," and for me personally, there's also the "overrated era." Basically, an imperial era is a phase where a singer is on top of their game, seemingly invincible/undefeated. Their music can be the most determining factor of this era, but their imperial success could also be caused by other factors such as the commercialization of their image as a celebrity through becoming brand ambassadors, other ventures such as their own restaurants or products, etc.

 

The flop era is a phase where a singer has passed their finest form in public consciousness. Their commercial sales may flop slightly OR very. Maybe they could garner critical acclaims, but their bargain power has reduced massively compared to their imperial era.

 

Finally, we have the overrated era. I coined this term, since seemingly no FOTPer agreed that there was an "overrated phase" of any singers, inspired by Ariana's Positions. It's the most oblivious phase of a singer's career. They may not flop and may very well still be in their imperial era, but there's a tilt that we as consumers could feel just tiniest bit. Perhaps from the public reception of the artist's music and the artists themselves, the professional critics feedback to them, the commercial sales of the product, etc.

 

So, can we categorize the phases of all FOTP faves? In what phase would you put somebody like Lana Del Rey now? How about Katy Perry? Has Billie Eilish entered her imperial era? Where is Rihanna?

Let's discuss about that! 

[Fletch 3,054]

of course this was a another strange attempt to rag Ariana and Positions. Pack it up mr Tama you’re reaching your flop era 

[Exhale 230]

As for Katy,

Imperial era: Teenage Dream

Flop era: Smile

Debating on the overrated era phase but Prism was actually a quality era and in OOTB she was just a beginner and in Witness she wasn't even rated to become overrated 

 

Britney,

Imperia era: sales wise BOMT, status wise Britney era.

Flop era: Glory

Overrated era: Femme Fatale

 

Taylor,

Imperial era: 1989 obv

Flop era: girlie is yet to have one since we can't consider debut eras as flops but ig Lover.

Overrated era: Lover for me.

[An Impossible Princess 2,357]

9 minutes ago, Fletch said:

of course this was a another strange attempt to rag Ariana and Positions. Pack it up mr Tama you’re reaching your flop era

Nope. I don't even care about Positions anymore. I only mentioned it because it truly inspired me to coin that term.

 

Am I flopping? There's only one answer to that:

 

Bionic.....AHH!

[LittleDudeNT5 5,995]

I think Rihanna's Imperial Era would have to be 2010-2013. Obviously she was successful after that but I don't think it was quite the same as that. Her flop era is right now  (maybe jk idk)

 

I do think there should be a resurgence era, though. Especially for the old broads like Madonna and Mariah, who have the Imperial Era, Flop Era, but also a point in their career where their popularity and success resurged (though not to the point of imperialism). 

 

I honestly don't know what Mariah's overrated era is. I'm hesitant to say TEOM, honestly. Her resurgence era but beyond a few singles I think the overall output of work is overrated by lambs. 

 

Gaga: Imperial 2009-2010; Flop: 2014-2018; Overrated 2019; Resurgence: 2020

[Jjang 15,807]

Madonna's imperial phase was 1984-1991 and that's pretty much the biggest a female Pop star has ever been. 

[V For Vendetta 1,646]

Beyoncé

Imperial Era: “I Am... Sasha Fierce” 

Flop Era: “4”. But I loved that era. 

Overrated Era: I’d like to think that Bey is not overrated, she’s just talented 

 But if I absolutely had to pick an era, it would actually be the “Everything Is Love” era with Jay Z. 

[Billie Frank 12,354]

Mariah

Imperial era: The Emancipation Of Mimi, Butterfly or Daydream

Flop era: Glitter

Overrated era: Snooze Box

[An Impossible Princess 2,357]

For me, it would be this:

Mariah imperial era was immediately after Music Box was released. That must have spanned until the end of Butterfly era. Heartbreaker was when she had her overrated phase, meaning that Heartbreaker and TGIFY all became number one hits BUT there's an obvious tilt in quality of her music. Her flop wasn't Glitter imo, that was just a bridge to her resurgence era (coined by @LittleDudeNT5) a.k.a. The Emancipation of Mimi. Then, immediately after I Stay in Love was released as a single and flopped, that begun her flop era. At least until 2018/2019, where she experienced what I call a renaissance era. All I Want for Christmas Is You, despite being a single from a 1994 album, reached its highest position in main singles charts. Caution was also released to critical acclaim yet not selling much, but the public consciousness seemed to accept Mariah and her lore more positively than it had ever been.

 

I don't count her debut as part of her imperial era because that's a phase which any new artists from big record labels could achieve. Back then new artists like MC, Paula Abdul, Whitney, or even Tiffany had some of the best selling albums of their respective years. So, no, I don't include it.

[Atlantis Princess 2,815]

I don't think Britney had any overrated era since she was never a critic and general public darling so she didn't get any underserving praise. Even when she was on top of the world she had people saying shitty things about her cuz it was another time. 

[GRANDESPOV 300]

ariana 

Imperial era: tun dangerous woman and my everything 

flop era : yours truly 

overrated era : sweetener and probably positions   because she isn't doing that much to promote it and ignoring pov potential like literally one single and a surprise thrown together adultswim performance is not cutting it anymore your a main pop girl sweetie   

[GRANDESPOV 300]

also selena every era that is not revival flopped idc if she gotten her first #1 this era in the streaming era her follow up singles besides ice cream which is blackpinks song is not even seeing top twenty her acting and modeling careers should become full time because she almost 30 the industry is ageist and only on her second album flopping    i love her though and wish the best

[GRANDESPOV 300]

3 hours ago, Exhale said:

As for Katy,

Imperial era: Teenage Dream

Flop era: Smile

Debating on the overrated era phase but Prism was actually a quality era and in OOTB she was just a beginner and in Witness she wasn't even rated to become overrated 

 

Britney,

Imperia era: sales wise BOMT, status wise Britney era.

Flop era: Glory

Overrated era: Femme Fatale

 

Taylor,

Imperial era: 1989 obv

Flop era: girlie is yet to have one since we can't consider debut eras as flops but ig Lover.

Overrated era: Lover for me.

lover is nowhere near successful as 1989 and fearless so how can it be overrated never mind the music was whack  female fatale is britney's overrated era    but it had bops and as for katy her overrated era was prism for sure

[An Impossible Princess 2,357]

1 hour ago, Gravity said:

I don't think Britney had any overrated era since she was never a critic and general public darling so she didn't get any underserving praise. Even when she was on top of the world she had people saying shitty things about her cuz it was another time. 

Will you be able to see my perspective if I say that Britney's overrated phase/era was Femme Fatale? Initially, I wanted to say Circus.. but the tour was actually really massive and it was such an important comeback for her career. Musically, while not being overly praised, Circus was received positively by critics and fans. Womanizer was more celebrated than any of her previous singles sans BOMT.

 

Now, with Femme Fatale, every critics literally accused her of being robotic and lifeless. The music was praised but not because of Britney, rather the acclaim was directed at the many producers of the album. Also, before this album, 3 also debuted at number 1 on Billboard Hot 100. People had begun to view Britney in a WAY different light. During Circus she was praised for bringing warmth back into her music after the "cold" Blackout. After 3 and during Femme Fatale, everybody who still cared about her was accusing her of being a label's puppet/sex-bot more than her pre-Blackout years.

[GRANDESPOV 300]

1 hour ago, Bionic-AHHH! said:

Will you be able to see my perspective if I say that Britney's overrated phase/era was Femme Fatale? Initially, I wanted to say Circus.. but the tour was actually really massive and it was such an important comeback for her career. Musically, while not being overly praised, Circus was received positively by critics and fans. Womanizer was more celebrated than any of her previous singles sans BOMT.

 

Now, with Femme Fatale, every critics literally accused her of being robotic and lifeless. The music was praised but not because of Britney, rather the acclaim was directed at the many producers of the album. Also, before this album, 3 also debuted at number 1 on Billboard Hot 100. People had begun to view Britney in a WAY different light. During Circus she was praised for bringing warmth back into her music after the "cold" Blackout. After 3 and during Femme Fatale, everybody who still cared about her was accusing her of being a label's puppet/sex-bot more than her pre-Blackout years.

female fatale was a whole mess

[Chris Morlock 48,391]

4 hours ago, V For Vendetta said:

Overrated Era: I’d like to think that Bey is not overrated, she’s just talented 

Her entire music career is. The beyhive tends to act like she's a higher power

 

 

Do I enjoy her music? From bday - self titled, yes.

But at the same time it's annoying when stans over exaggerate her/her career. 

[LittleDudeNT5 5,995]

4 hours ago, Bionic-AHHH! said:

For me, it would be this:

Mariah imperial era was immediately after Music Box was released. That must have spanned until the end of Butterfly era. Heartbreaker was when she had her overrated phase, meaning that Heartbreaker and TGIFY all became number one hits BUT there's an obvious tilt in quality of her music. Her flop wasn't Glitter imo, that was just a bridge to her resurgence era (coined by @LittleDudeNT5) a.k.a. The Emancipation of Mimi. Then, immediately after I Stay in Love was released as a single and flopped, that begun her flop era. At least until 2018/2019, where she experienced what I call a renaissance era. All I Want for Christmas Is You, despite being a single from a 1994 album, reached its highest position in main singles charts. Caution was also released to critical acclaim yet not selling much, but the public consciousness seemed to accept Mariah and her lore more positively than it had ever been.

 

I don't count her debut as part of her imperial era because that's a phase which any new artists from big record labels could achieve. Back then new artists like MC, Paula Abdul, Whitney, or even Tiffany had some of the best selling albums of their respective years. So, no, I don't include it.

I can definitely sign off on this for the most part. Although, I think it's debatable what her flop era is. It could easily be up around the MIAMTEC era, but it's hard to ignore Charmbracelet. I mean, that shit really flopped. And although it may have sold more albums than her later albums, I think that's more because her later albums are due to her being an older artist past her commercial prime. Charmbracelet didn't have any good-charting single and the sales paled in comparison to what came before and after. 

[V For Vendetta 1,646]

10 minutes ago, Chris Morlock said:

Her entire music career is. The beyhive tends to act like she's a higher power

 

 

Do I enjoy her music? From bday - self titled, yes.

But at the same time it's annoying when stans over exaggerate her/her career. 

She is the best artist of all time! Bow down bitches!!!!! LOL 

[An Impossible Princess 2,357]

2 hours ago, Chris Morlock said:

Her entire music career is. The beyhive tends to act like she's a higher power

 

 

Do I enjoy her music? From bday - self titled, yes.

But at the same time it's annoying when stans over exaggerate her/her career. 

Tbh she herself probably don't think of her career as THAT legendary as her fans might think. She's way too respectful toward her seniors than we're led to believe. I mean, Olivia Newton-John and several other artists from back then already made "visual album," just not with the same hype that Bey had in 2013 because hers was a surprise release and, understandably, better technology.

2 hours ago, LittleDudeNT5 said:

I can definitely sign off on this for the most part. Although, I think it's debatable what her flop era is. It could easily be up around the MIAMTEC era, but it's hard to ignore Charmbracelet. I mean, that shit really flopped. And although it may have sold more albums than her later albums, I think that's more because her later albums are due to her being an older artist past her commercial prime. Charmbracelet didn't have any good-charting single and the sales paled in comparison to what came before and after. 

Well, I guess Charmbracelet was indeed a flop, but even before the success of I Know What You Want it already sold pretty much. The first-week sales was around 200,000 and it also shipped at high numbers internationally. It really was such an anomaly in her career, considering that she toured during the album's era and it was pretty successful too.

[Chris Morlock 48,391]

4 hours ago, Bionic-AHHH! said:

Will you be able to see my perspective if I say that Britney's overrated phase/era was Femme Fatale? Initially, I wanted to say Circus.. but the tour was actually really massive and it was such an important comeback for her career. Musically, while not being overly praised, Circus was received positively by critics and fans. Womanizer was more celebrated than any of her previous singles sans BOMT.

 

Now, with Femme Fatale, every critics literally accused her of being robotic and lifeless. The music was praised but not because of Britney, rather the acclaim was directed at the many producers of the album. Also, before this album, 3 also debuted at number 1 on Billboard Hot 100. People had begun to view Britney in a WAY different light. During Circus she was praised for bringing warmth back into her music after the "cold" Blackout. After 3 and during Femme Fatale, everybody who still cared about her was accusing her of being a label's puppet/sex-bot more than her pre-Blackout years.

Cos she is basically a freedomless atm in the eyes of her conservatorship/father.