DATE: Friday, October 3, 1997               TAG: 9710020089

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BREHON HARRISON, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   72 lines

POP MUSIC QUIZ

LISTEN TO one urban contemporary radio station today and you might think you're having pop flashbacks.

``It's basically the same as the '80s pop,'' said Donavan Dickerson, who recently graduated from Ocean Lakes High School. ``If you look at one of Whitney Houston's old videos, it's scary, but it's the same people, the same songs, the same voices.''

Listen to another station and you're grooving to a new sound, a new beat.

``Artists have become more open with their lyrics and more creative with their music,'' said Sherilynn Cherry, a recent graduate of Norcom High in Portsmouth. ``But, from a negative aspect, sometimes the lyrics are vulgar and obscene.''

Has pop music become schizophrenic or has the pop pool grown so large that it invites a variety of listeners?

No and yes, according to a handful of teen-agers and twentysomethings from around the area. They say pop music has used the last decade to broaden its audience and its definition. The music now includes rap, house, techno and more. It's lyrics can be soft and subtle, like Toni Braxton's or Mariah Carey's, or brash and hardcore, like Lil' Kim or Foxy Brown. And the beat, well, it can be old or new.

``If you're talking about rap or hip-hop, the '80s version is uplifting. It's more fun. . . . Early '90s, it's more hardcore talk, life on the streets. Now it's not so hardcore, but universal,'' said Margeaux Watson, an editorial assistant at Vibe magazine in New York.

Some believe '90s artists have improved pop's flavor. ``We have more beats and instruments and technology now,'' said Corey Banks, a junior at Salem High School.

LaTonya Mann, a recent graduate of Norview High, added, ``Now they can give used beats some new flavor.''

But others are not happy with pop's new identity. They prefer the love songs, the smoother sounds and the originality they identify with the '80s.

``I think now music is more repetitive. They sing about the same things,'' said Jennifer Palbusa, at Norfolk State University student.

Valerie Walker, a Portsmouth adult, said: ``In the '80s, there were actual bands. The singers were better, performers produced their own music, whereas in the '90s, it is canned music. The artists of the '90s are less creative.''

Brenda Elliott, an adult from Portsmouth, added: ``I think it is presented differently now. They have to be able to sing, but it's more like a visual picture. There's not that much talent out there now. It seems like you have to know how to dance to get a No. 1 hit now.''

Perhaps the most noticeable pop change has been the lyrics. Innocence and curiosity still are there, but sex is the theme of many songs. And, unlike earlier songs that hinted at sex, today's pop stars are all out with it.

``People are more open about their sexuality now,'' said Abe Casarez, a 19-year-old deejay.

That openness has translated into sexually explicit lyrics and parental advisories on CD and album covers. It also has alienated some pop fans.

Phill B, a deejay and student at First Colonial High, said he'd prefer to listen to '80s pop music.

``It was more romantic,'' said Phill. ``There were better beats. They were smoother.''

Justin Kantor, a Kempsville High graduate, said: ``Nineties pop is much more commercial. Today, music is made to capitalize on the latest trends on radio. There's a lot of emphasis on trends.''

Pop music dominated the Billboard Year-End Charts for 1996. On the Top Singles Chart, ``Macarena,'' by Los Del Rio, came in at No. 1, while ``One Sweet Day,'' by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, came in at No. 2.

If the folks we talked to are any judge, pop will continue to top the charts, because if offers so many styles and so much diversity. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]

AP/File photos

Mariah Carey

Foxy Brown

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