What does electropop mean?
Electropop is a noun referring to a genre of popular music that fuses electronic instrumentation — particularly synthesizers, drum machines, and programmed beats — with the melodic hooks, verse–chorus structures, and vocal focus of traditional pop. The term combines 'electro' (from Greek-derived words relating to electricity) with 'pop' (a clipping of 'popular music'). First applied to the synth-driven acts of the late 1970s and 1980s such as those of the new wave era, it gained renewed prominence in the late 2000s and 2010s as mainstream artists embraced electronic production. Electropop is most often encountered in music journalism, album reviews, and casual discussion of artists' styles. It is a neutral descriptive label rather than a value judgment, though critics may use it to signal glossy, danceable production. Related but distinct terms include synth-pop, which usually denotes the earlier new wave era specifically, and EDM, which centres on club and DJ culture rather than conventional pop songwriting.
nounA genre of popular music characterized by electronic instrumentation, synthesizers, and a strong emphasis on catchy pop songwriting and hooks. It emerged from the electronic music of the late 1970s and became especially prominent in the 1980s and again in the late 2000s and 2010s.
- A genre of popular music combining electronic instrumentation and synthesizer-based production with pop songwriting, hooks, and vocals.
- (Loosely) Any pop music with a strongly electronic or synth-driven sound.
"The band's shift from guitar rock to electropop alienated some longtime fans but won them a younger audience."
"Her debut album blended electropop beats with introspective lyrics."
"By the early 2010s, electropop had become a dominant sound on mainstream radio."
Electropop is normally an uncountable mass noun naming a genre, so it rarely takes a plural. A plural form would appear only informally when counting distinct styles or instances of the genre.
"Rare/informal: 'the various electropops of the 1980s' — generally avoid; prefer 'electropop styles' or 'electropop tracks'."
Electropop is one of the rare genres named after its own equipment — the 'electro' in the name literally points to the synthesizers that define its sound.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of electropop
The word electropop is a compound of 'electro-', a prefix ultimately deriving from the Greek ēlektron (amber, source of 'electric'), and 'pop', a shortening of 'popular (music)'. It arose in English during the late 1970s as musicians began using synthesizers and drum machines to make chart-oriented songs, and the term was widely adopted in music journalism through the 1980s. It was revived in the late 2000s for a new wave of electronic-leaning pop acts.
How electropop is actually used
Electropop is an informal-to-neutral term used mainly in music journalism, criticism, and everyday discussion of popular music; it is not typically used in formal academic writing without definition. It carries no strong positive or negative connotation, though it is sometimes used loosely to describe any synth-heavy chart music.
Easily confused with electropop
Synth-pop refers more specifically to the late-1970s/1980s new-wave style built around synthesizers, whereas electropop is a broader, later term that can encompass contemporary dance-oriented electronic pop.
EDM (electronic dance music) emphasizes DJ-driven tracks and club/rave culture, while electropop centers on conventional pop song structures, vocals, and melodies with electronic production.