Dance-pop is
dance-oriented
pop music genre that originated in the early 1980s. It is generally up-tempo music intended for
nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for
contemporary hit radio. Developing from
post-disco,
new wave,
synthpop,
electropop and
house, it is generally characterised by strong beats with easy, uncomplicated song structures which are generally more similar to pop music than the more free-form dance genre, with an emphasis on melody as well as catchy tunes. The genre, on the whole, tends to be
producer-driven, despite some notable exceptions. Dance-pop borrowed influences from other genres, which varied by producer, artist and period. Such include
contemporary R&B,
house,
electro,
trance,
techno,
electropop,
new jack swing,
funk,
synthpop, and some forms of
disco. Being mostly a mainstream pop-influenced genre, dance-pop's sound was often influenced by the period.
