Britney Spears has long been the prototype pop star for many. When looking at the modern superstars today, all of them emulate what she did to some degree. Whether it’s the dancing, the singing, or just the general look and aura of her, she was the blueprint for a lot of artists.

But Spears didn’t become this influential out of nowhere. Even she admired other pop and R&B stars to become the seismic force in pop culture she became. For her, that person was always Janet Jackson. On an Instagram post, she paid tribute to The Velvet Rope legend.

In the caption, she recalled being a young teenager, watching her music videos in awe. For Britney Spears, it was an experience she could hardly understand. But she knew she wanted to experience her magnetism over and over again.

“At 13 years old, if a Janet Jackson video came on the TV, my mouth dropped open,” she wrote. “I kept repeating in my head, ‘No, no. Please come back, I wanna see that again. Where the hell did that come from?’ It was her ability to be incredibly mysterious, so dark with a vibe that sucked you in immediately, and then this haunting, simple, angelic tone.”

Britney Spears Honors Janet Jackson With a Post on Instagram

Then, Spears admired her stylistic choices as a vocalist and as an entertainer. “[Janet Jackson’s] not trying to be sexy, she just is,” she continued. “She can’t help it. She has always been god to me. She’s not just a singer, she is an entertainer in people’s eyes. Not only do adults feel her presence in such a spellbound way, she’s able to captivate the hearts of children as well! I was so young, and she spoke to my heart and soul like no one else.”

Then, at the end of her tribute, Britney Spears even admitted that she was kind of rambling. Still, she felt the need to give flowers to an artist that means so much to her. “I have no idea why I’m writing this, but I do believe people like her are here for a reason … Just her smile alone changed the world forever … She’s my girl crush this month,” she concluded.

Janet Jackson’s impact on Britney Spears is especially evident when looking back at some of her forays into R&B. Her Neptunes-produced “I’m a Slave 4 U” nods to a lot of the same whispery, sensual qualities that made Jackson such an alluring presence throughout her career.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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On June 16, 2026, the Recording Academy, which hosts and presents the annual Grammy Awards, created a new category. In 2027, the new category, Best Asian Pop Music Performance, will debut at the 69th Annual Grammy Awards in February. This isn’t the first time the Academy has created a regionally specific category. In 2024, they launched the Best African Music Performance Award. This new category sparked a debate over geographical representation, genre consolidation, and eligibility rules. Similarly, these same reasons have generated controversy around the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance.

The newest category was created to recognize the performances of leading acts in K-pop, J-pop, and C-pop. In the last decade, K-pop in particular has dominated the pop charts, becoming massively popular. This is most likely why the category was created. With K-pop leading the wave of Asian pop, some of its biggest talents are wary of this new category. Major K-pop acts such as Stray Kids and arguably the biggest group, BTS, have publicly expressed their concerns about the new Grammys category, feeling the category marginalizes Asian artists.

In July, the K-pop group posted the same statement on all seven of their social media accounts. In the statement, the group declared, “We have decided not to submit for Grammy consideration this year. We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language. We thank Army and everyone who has always stood by us.”

The Recording Academy Doubles Down

This means the K-pop group is refusing to submit their music for consideration in any category, let alone this new one. It’s a shocking move, as the group made a triumphant return in early 2026. For three years, starting in June 2022, BTS paused all group activity to complete their mandatory military service. In March 2026, the group returned, releasing their comeback album, Arirang. Following this, they held a massive, free comeback concert in Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, which was streamed globally on Netflix. They also released a brand-new documentary and launched a successful comeback world tour.

Upon release, their comeback album Arirang debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200. It generated three hit singles, including the lead single “Swim”. It peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in March 2026. The K-pop group has never won a Grammy, despite being nominated numerous times and being the first K-pop act ever nominated. Given their massive return, the group was on a fast track to earning their first Grammy Award in 2027.

Despite BTS excluding themselves, the Recording Academy has doubled down. In a new statement, Recording Academy President Harvey Mason said, “We heard candid feedback from people in our community who don’t support the continuation of this category. We also heard from people who didn’t have accurate information about the category, and having space to clear up misperceptions has been especially valuable.”

Mason added, “But by far, the loudest feedback we heard was from people who were enthusiastic supporters of the category, fellow music creators expressing their encouragement for keeping it.”

Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

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In the late 80s and early 90s, dream pop emerged from the UK. Along with shoegaze, an adjacent and associated genre, these bands featured ethereal vocals and distorted guitar effects, creating a “wall of sound.” Dream pop has re-emerged in recent years, with bands catering to Gen Z listeners. Here are three dream pop bands of the 90s that may find a second life with Gen Z.

Cocteau Twins

One of the main pioneers of dream pop is the Cocteau Twins. In 1983, their debut album, Garlands, is one of the earliest examples of dream pop. Their single “Pearly-Dewdrops’ Drops” peaked at No. 29 in the UK. Throughout the 80s, the band expanded on the new genre with Treasure in 1984, Victorialand in 1986, and Blue Bell Knoll in 1988. Victorialand became the band’s first top ten album in the UK, and Blue Bell Knoll broke the band into the US market. Their 1988 single, “Carolyn’s Fingers”, peaked at No. 2 on the Alternative Airplay chart.

Cocteau Twins’ sixth album, Heaven Or Las Vegas, became the band’s biggest success in 1990. It went to No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart, their highest charting position. The album marked the rise of shoegaze, which peaked in 1991. Many shoegaze bands credited Cocteau Twins’ 80s releases as a major influence on the genre.

Mazzy Star

In recent years, the 90s alternative band Mazzy Star has seen renewed interest and popularity. The band formed out of the remains of the late 80s psychedelic rock group Opal. Hope Sandoval took over as the new singer for Opal, but pushed the band to write new material. This resulted in a new direction and name for the group, landing on Mazzy Star. They released their debut in 1990, She Hangs Brightly. Their single, “Blue Flower”, peaked at No. 29 on the Alternative Airplay chart, proving they could tap into the commercial mainstream.

They did just that in 1993, with their single “Fade Into You”. It became one of the biggest dream pop hits of the 90s in the US, peaking at No. 3 on the Alternative Airplay chart. Hope Sandoval’s vocals and stage presence are reminiscent of modern artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, which could easily appeal to Gen Z.

The Sundays

Formed in 1998, The Sundays were also among the pioneers of the dream pop movement of the 1980s. Their 1990 debut, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, was a moderate success. Ahead of the debut album, the band penned a minor hit with “Can’t Be Sure”, peaking at No. 45 in the UK. Following the album’s release, their third single, “Here’s Where The Story Ends”, went to No. 1 on the US Alternative Airplay charts. With this, they became one of the first UK dream pop bands to break into the US mainstream. Their 1992 follow-up album, Blind, peaked at No. 15 in the UK. It drew comparisons to the Cocteau Twins, with fans of one band easily gravitating towards the other.

Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images

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