Are any of the more recent pop stars household names?

jamesisacejamesisace Posts: 1,793
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Ones that have come out in the last 5/6 years. I'd say:

Rihanna: Due to her never ending exposure over here and she's a definite for a guest slot on the X Factor each year which is watched by millions. Plus, the whole Chris Brown incident

Lady Gaga: Due to her being eccentric and perceived as odd, also probably the overwhelming success she had here in 2009/2010 (4 #1's in 14 months is pretty amazing)

Katy Perry: She's been very sucessfull and had the failed marriage to Russel Brand

Chris Brown: For unfortunate reasons I grant you but he definitely is one IMO though most seem to recognize him as the guy who beat up Rihanna rather than an actual music artist

Justin Bieber: Don't really know why in terms of success he's never been much in the UK but most people seem to know who he is. I'm not sure whether to add Selena Gomez as well but she could be

One Direction and Adele: Do I really need to explain?

Taylor Swift: Maybe not yet but I'd say she's well on her way, as is Jessie J
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  • ariella52ariella52 Posts: 7,519
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    jamesisace wrote: »
    Ones that have come out in the last 5/6 years. I'd say:

    Rihanna: Due to her never ending exposure over here and she's a definite for a guest slot on the X Factor each year which is watched by millions. Plus, the whole Chris Brown incident

    Lady Gaga: Due to her being eccentric and perceived as odd, also probably the overwhelming success she had here in 2009/2010 (4 #1's in 14 months is pretty amazing)

    Katy Perry: She's been very sucessfull and had the failed marriage to Russel Brand

    Chris Brown: For unfortunate reasons I grant you but he definitely is one IMO though most seem to recognize him as the guy who beat up Rihanna rather than an actual music artist

    Justin Bieber: Don't really know why in terms of success he's never been much in the UK but most people seem to know who he is. I'm not sure whether to add Selena Gomez as well but she could be

    One Direction and Adele: Do I really need to explain?

    Taylor Swift: Maybe not yet but I'd say she's well on her way, as is Jessie J

    Of those, only Lady Gaga, Adele and One Direction are known by everybody I speak to. Even the people who take no particular interest in music.
  • Hav_mor91Hav_mor91 Posts: 17,183
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    ariella52 wrote: »
    Of those, only Lady Gaga, Adele and One Direction are known by everybody I speak to. Even the people who take no particular interest in music.

    I'd add Katy Perry too most people i speak to know who she is, again same with Rihanna.

    I think many people (outside of the music sphere) might know chris Brown more for beating Rihanna to a pulp more than anything else :o
  • Littlegreen42Littlegreen42 Posts: 19,963
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    None of those will still be in the public eye in 10 years.
  • Hav_mor91Hav_mor91 Posts: 17,183
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    None of those will still be in the public eye in 10 years.

    People used to say the same of Britney Spears you just never know.
  • LandslideBradLandslideBrad Posts: 5,085
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    We're talking worldwide household names, right? If so I agree with all the ones you said including Taylor but I agree Jessie is on her way.

    Also on their way is Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha but the older crowd probably don't know/care to know who they are.
  • Jay BigzJay Bigz Posts: 5,338
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    jamesisace wrote: »
    Ones that have come out in the last 5/6 years. I'd say:

    Rihanna: Due to her never ending exposure over here and she's a definite for a guest slot on the X Factor each year which is watched by millions. Plus, the whole Chris Brown incident

    Lady Gaga: Due to her being eccentric and perceived as odd, also probably the overwhelming success she had here in 2009/2010 (4 #1's in 14 months is pretty amazing)

    Katy Perry: She's been very sucessfull and had the failed marriage to Russel Brand

    Chris Brown: For unfortunate reasons I grant you but he definitely is one IMO though most seem to recognize him as the guy who beat up Rihanna rather than an actual music artist

    Justin Bieber: Don't really know why in terms of success he's never been much in the UK but most people seem to know who he is. I'm not sure whether to add Selena Gomez as well but she could be

    One Direction and Adele: Do I really need to explain?

    Taylor Swift: Maybe not yet but I'd say she's well on her way, as is Jessie J

    I wouldn't say any of these are household names (Lady gaga maybe the closest)

    I doubt my nan has heard of any of them...

    If your nan and grandad haven't heard of them, they're not a household name. :D
  • CreamPuffCreamPuff Posts: 248
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    Jay Bigz wrote: »
    I wouldn't say any of these are household names (Lady gaga maybe the closest)

    I doubt my nan has heard of any of them...

    If your nan and grandad haven't heard of them, they're not a household name. :D

    This. A household name means someone who everyone across the board has heard of, grans etc are a good litmus for this. I can confidently say that Ke$ha is not and will never be a 'household' name in the UK, unless she does something very very controversial that makes front page news. Personally I would question Katy Perry as well. Being very popular to a certain age group doesn't necessarily equal household status.
  • jamesisacejamesisace Posts: 1,793
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    My gran has heard of Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, One Direction, Katy Perry and Adele out of those I listed but she does watch shows like Graham Norton, Alan Carr exct.
  • misslibertinemisslibertine Posts: 14,306
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    CreamPuff wrote: »
    This. A household name means someone who everyone across the board has heard of, grans etc are a good litmus for this. I can confidently say that Ke$ha is not and will never be a 'household' name in the UK, unless she does something very very controversial that makes front page news. Personally I would question Katy Perry as well. Being very popular to a certain age group doesn't necessarily equal household status.

    I'd have to agree with that. I don't have a nan, but my mother wouldn't know Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown or Taylor Swift if she fell over them in the street. I don't think she'd know Rihanna or Justin Bieber either, but she'd recognise the others at least as singers/someone famous I think.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,100
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    How sad is it that the reason most of those people became household names is to do with something other than music. The only ones without major controversy are Adele, 1D and Bieber up until recently for the latter two. I guess teen break ups and cheating scandals are to be expected, though. Out of the ones you think are on their way, Jessie J is the only one without controversy. As for Ke$ha, I doubt she will be a household name anywhere or she at least will never sell albums like the rest of them, especially world wide. Here in the US, we look at her as the cheap, drunk, seemingly STD having chick who rap-sings. I can only imagine how the rest of the world views her.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,100
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    I don't think having your grandma know who someone is makes a definite indicator. I'm sure we can all agree that Jay-Z is a household name and face in America, but a lady sitting next to him on a subway had no idea who he was till he told her. She recognized his name after, but most people could probably spot Jay-Z on a street even if they just referred to him as Beyonce's husband.
  • AdzPowerAdzPower Posts: 4,861
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    Probably Rihanna, Gaga, Adele, Beyonce, 1D and maybe Katy Perry.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 242
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    Using the "granny test" logic, I'd say only Lady Gaga, Beyoncé (in recent times, post the birth of Blue-Ivy) and Adele are absolutely household names.

    One Direction, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry (possibly) and Rihanna (definitely Rihanna) are on the cusp of becoming household names though, in my opinion at least.

    It depends on what country you live in. Taylor Swift is most certainly not a household name here in Ireland but she probably is in the US.

    I really don't think that Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown or Ke$ha are anywhere near becoming household names.

    Though having said all this, I don't think my grandmother would know the likes of Adele or Rihanna as she is very old and not interested in pop culture. She probably wouldn't even know Madonna or Britney Spears! :eek:
  • Eric_BlobEric_Blob Posts: 7,756
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    None of those will still be in the public eye in 10 years.

    People will still remember them though.

    But out of those in the OP I think only One Direction and Adele are household names to be honest.

    And I don't think Chris Brown is a household name. If we're talking male urban-pop singers then Justin Bieber, Usher and Justin Timberlake are moreso.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 242
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    Not that I'm a particular fan of hers, but could Cheryl Cole be considered a household name here in the UK and Ireland?

    With all the business with her ex, her (few) hit singles, the X-Factor, the L'Oréal sponsorship, her malaria, Girls Aloud, her presence in magazines etc...
  • LMLM Posts: 63,326
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    I would say Jessie j is a household name and she furthered that even more by being on The Voice, a show where millions of people in their household watch so therefore she is literally a household name.
  • jamesisacejamesisace Posts: 1,793
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    Not that I'm a particular fan of hers, but could Cheryl Cole be considered a household name here in the UK and Ireland?

    With all the business with her ex, her (few) hit singles, the X-Factor, the L'Oréal sponsorship, her malaria, Girls Aloud, her presence in magazines etc...

    Definitely, she's one of the most famous women in the country

    I recon Emeli Sande could be after her Olympics exposure as well. She performed infront of 25 million TV viewers (damn near half the population)
  • pasodabblepasodabble Posts: 5,865
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    The granny test is flawed as many elderly people just do not listen to pop music or buy anything pop music related e.g. tabloids and trashy magazines. A better test is the mixed crowd test: you're in a mixed crowd (at work, in a pub, at a wedding reception etc) with people of all ages. Are you able to tell a joke (or make a jokey reference) with the names mentioned which won't fall flat on its face? For example a joke with a Lady Gaga mention will get the desired reaction, but one with Ke$ha will fall flat, etc.
  • jamesisacejamesisace Posts: 1,793
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    I've just been judging it by how many people of all different ages that I know knew the people I was referring too and most of them did
  • TheWildHeartTheWildHeart Posts: 122
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    I guess it depends on where you live. Rihanna, Gaga and Adele are the three that are probably known worldwide. One Direction have also become extremely well known these days as well. My mum thought I was talking about Katie Price when I brought up Katy Perry. She wasn't impressed when California Gurls came on the TV and I pointed out that that was infact Katy Perry. Whilst Taylor Swift is popular I don't think she is as much of a household name outside of the US that she is inside. I'm not sure about Beyonce.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,734
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    Jedward.

    (You don't have to be good to become a household name.)
  • StratusSphereStratusSphere Posts: 2,813
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    Definitely Lady Gaga, Adele, perhaps Rihanna. My grandparents wouldnt know who Rihanna was though but they are very middle class haha.

    Probably Cheryl Cole deserves a nod, enough people watched the X Factor at its peak for people to know who she is.

    I don't think Katy Perry is well-known a name enough in the UK, a LOT of people dont like Russell Brand after the whole BBC scandal a couple years back and she does NOT come across well on tv either. Justin Bieber or Chris Brown, a lot of older people don't know who they are, knowing someone's famous for beating up Rihanna assumes a knowledge of who Rihanna even is first haha.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,234
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    jamesisace wrote: »
    Ones that have come out in the last 5/6 years. I'd say:

    Rihanna: Due to her never ending exposure over here and she's a definite for a guest slot on the X Factor each year which is watched by millions. Plus, the whole Chris Brown incident

    Lady Gaga: Due to her being eccentric and perceived as odd, also probably the overwhelming success she had here in 2009/2010 (4 #1's in 14 months is pretty amazing)

    Katy Perry: She's been very sucessfull and had the failed marriage to Russel Brand

    Chris Brown: For unfortunate reasons I grant you but he definitely is one IMO though most seem to recognize him as the guy who beat up Rihanna rather than an actual music artist

    Justin Bieber: Don't really know why in terms of success he's never been much in the UK but most people seem to know who he is. I'm not sure whether to add Selena Gomez as well but she could be

    One Direction and Adele: Do I really need to explain?

    Taylor Swift: Maybe not yet but I'd say she's well on her way, as is Jessie J

    Not these days it's not. back in the day yeah having 4 number 1s in that space of time would have been big (I.e. That was part of the Spice Girls phenomena) but these days anyone can have number ones and as many. I don't think having a number 1 is necessarily a big thing anymore, nd I definitely don't think that's why Lady Gaga is big or a household name. I think it's more to do with her genuine out there fashion and wacky behavioyr. You never hear people say oh she has had four number ones, in fact I can only name two of her songs for definite that I knew were number one. anyway sorry to ramble hahaha gosh I really go on a bit lol

    Is Selena Gomez a household name? Maybe I suppose all the teens know who she is?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,234
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    We're talking worldwide household names, right? If so I agree with all the ones you said including Taylor but I agree Jessie is on her way.

    Also on their way is Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha but the older crowd probably don't know/care to know who they are.

    really?I don't think anyone over 40 would have a clue who she is or any of her song. She's been kind of quiet for a bit has she not? Not really had overwhelming success where the whole country knows who she is
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,003
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    Gaga, for sure. She was/is a global phenomenon and if you haven't heard the music, you'll have heard about the shenanigans. Guinness World Records had her down as one of the most famous celebrities on earth based on WW internet searches and media coverage, so there's that.

    To use the "granny test", my grandparents in their 80s/90s knew enough about Gaga to dissaprove of me seeing her live. I think they'd know Adele, too, but the rest...I doubt it. They only know Kylie because they watched Neighbours.

    I would have thought Beyonce, Bieber and Adele were pretty universally known...but I don't know whether they're as big in Asia etc.?
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