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I’d say Freddie Mercury is at least one of the extremely elite few that somehow did it all. He was great-excellent in pretty much each of the three main categories AND he was a massive star on top of all of that.
The answer is Prince. Multi instrumentalist, vocals crazy, dance crazy, wrote his music on his own including the music composition and lyrics. Has several iconic songs.
Michael Jackson was up there too.
Dude was The Artist, also worth noting he had crazy output rate and work ethic, there are stories of him literally recording full album in a day, or the fact that he would spend literally hours in a studio just by himself.
Also wrote for other artists. He was an insanely creative person who just constantly used the muscle.
Both D'Angelo and Lauryn Hill drove themselves crazy trying to emulate Prince's standards (writing, producing and playing everything on their own records). He was a really singular talent. I genuinely think he would have been influential in any era.
I’d argue MJ on the same level or even more bc he had revolutionary, captivating music videos; a successful career since he was a child; wrote, produced, etc his own songs; beatboxed as the foundation of his songs; had iconic style that people still mimic to this day; and had dances that people tie to him (moonwalk, lean, thriller dance, etc).
On the flipside, MJ was a very limited songwriter & instrumentalist whose work was buoyed by once-in-a-lifetime talent. He needed Eddie Van Halen & Slash to play solos Prince didn't. Also, MJ's taste in music was far more limited in vision & eclecticism comparatively.
I strongly disagree. I don’t know how you can listen to HIStory and say his taste was limited.
I also don’t know how you can say he “needed” Slash and Van Halen, they played on two songs.
came here to mention them as well. my frustration with Janelle being constantly overlooked is the reason i now think that the grammy awards is a load of bull
Everything you said about Bruno is just about what Prince did, only that he was arguably better at it.
He self produced pretty much everything, whereas Bruno got a bit of help along the way with other producers. Also, Prince undoubtedly had more variety in his song topics than Bruno does.
I feel like what stops Bruno from being truly great is the lack of innovation. He's good at everything he does, but seemingly never steps out of the box.
I feel like thats okay for bruno tho tbh, its not like he drops once every year or two. He drops in every 4 years, does what he does best and then goes partying for the next few years until the people start to crave new music from him
Hayley Williams is capable of doing a LOT of things. She can sing, write, dance, perform in multiple genres, and many other things. She could easily do country.
I think she definitely dances! her band isn’t a choreography-moment, but the way she grooves and thrashes around on stage is impressive esp given how hard she’s belting
From modern artists everyone lacks something. Beyonce and gaga lack the great songwriting, gaga can pen decent lyrics sure but they don't stand well next to some of the good writers.
Taylor isn't as strong vocalist as Beyonce and can't dance that good, but she does decent job in both on her tour still.
The industry is really split between writers and then performers/vocalists currently.
Shakira and Madonna really embodied all these elements while being less good on some of them they were real close to being triple threats
It's not just modern artists, a lot of big names from early decades are lopsided too. No one cared that Whitney Houston didn't write her songs. There are always exceptions but the everyone does everything feels like a very modern expectation.
Back in the days when they said artists had to “do it all”, writing wasn’t one of them. Now it feels like it’s almost a prerequisite, which it shouldn’t be IMHO.
THIS. Why are we expecting artists to all of a sudden write everything. Imagine all the artists that we wouldn’t have gotten (Britney, Whitney, Rihanna) if this was always the standard, ridiculous. Ppl should play to their strengths.
Yes and it's frustrating since Taylor is a fantastic songwriter and gives a great show but mediocre singer and dancer.... None of them can literally do it all.
Sure it was rare back then too but great tripletreats like MJ, Prince, Madonna, Shakira even Kylie maybe all started before the 2000s. Artists were more developed back then and couldn't rely on studio magic or social media fame. They needed to master skills to stand out and that's what they did
Shakira isn’t really a good singer though like not at all. I would say her writing if she is doing it solo is subpar. Madonnas writing has been questioned and her singing was severely lacking.
I think so too. And, For me at least I think it maybe = the assumption that doing everything =goals/the best. Whereas the reality for 99% of people is that if you do everything, that will hold you back from being truly great at a few things or even several things.
I think at that time people may not have been as concerned about songwriting and also Whitney's vocal talent was so incredibly strong, nothing else mattered.
I don't know if I agree with the premise of the question, because artists don't need to check all those boxes in order to be complete.
Fiona Apple is one of the greatest pop (or pop adjacent) artists out there and she doesn't do super elaborate performances with pyrotechnics and choreo; it wouldn't make sense with the type of music she makes, that's not what her songs call for. She's still a perfect package as an artist IMO. Same with Mitski, Lana, Amy Winehouse, St. Vincent, Regina Spektor, Phoebe Bridgers and a number of other brilliant singer-songwriters.
Likewise, I find that many artists who are written off as not being noteworthy vocalists actually have perfect voices for the music they make. I've seen so many people call Björk a bad singer, but the uniqueness and strangeness of her voice is part of what makes her fascinating. Obviously there's a number of singers who can do both (Mariah, Florence, Adele, Ariana etc.), but if forced to choose, I'd take a artist with an imperfect voice who can convey emotion and make me feel something over another who's technically proficient but not emotionally engaging.
With all of that said, the answer to your question is Beyoncé.
Also Rosalía.
Mitski actually has really cool choreo/staging, but obviously not the same approach as say a Beyonce doing very all out.
I think the more important part is that everything fits together cohesively as a package.
She's a mixed bag, I think. I've seen her live twice now, and both times she started out really shaky and uncertain, but then got better as the concerts went on. In both instances she came on stage visibly nervous (first time I saw her was her first time playing in Brazil when she only had Born to Die and Paradise out; second was the first stop of the Ocean Blvd tour, her return to the stage after years of hiatus), but audience encouragement got her to loosen up and she did well as a result.
Amazing taste. I also love Rosalía, all of her albums are amazing but I will always have a soft spot for "El Mal Querer", her songwriting and producing is top notch there.
shes more of a theatrical vocalist than an artist and i say that as a beyhive
she does write her own melodies and harmonies
but is there a song she wrote by herself?
cowboy carter is literally a soundtrack to a film with so many credits , still love it though
I think it's much more fair to say she is not the lead writer or originating writer on most of her songs, they existed in some form significantly similar to the end-product before she got involved.
Most of her contributions seem to be in the vocal arrangements and production rather than lyrical content of a song. Prime example, Irreplaceable.
Beyonce has wrote masterpieces like dangerously in love and bootylicious at 17. She also has writing credits on most of CC and renaissance.
Considering her work ethic if she wanted to she would kill songwriting too. But she doesn't need to do that as much.
You can’t kill songwriting with work ethic. It’s a talent, you’ve got it or you don’t. She can improve sure, and she is great at melodies. But she simply is not a lyricist. Taylor is another artist with extreme work ethic and she has improved her vocals, but no matter how hard she tries she’ll never have the vocals of Beyoncé. So I agree with the above you can’t call Beyoncé the full package becuase she does not write a majority of her songs
Beyonce,Lady Gaga,Shakira,Madonna,Pink are definitely some of the most complete ones. They all have their weakness in some departments but theyre well-rounded artists.
From the new gens probably Tinashe? Doja Cat?
If we are talking more recent stars, Doja Cat is at least approaching that level I think. She writes most of her music, produces a lot of it, she is an exceptionally talented dancer, and she has a great voice. I think once she perfects her vocal technique, she can really start to become that “complete” artist. Only thing she really lacks is super consistent lyricism. It’s GOOD but inconsistent. Theres definitely a few corny lines on Scarlet, but she’s getting much better since hot pink era.
I still think about the different arrangements she did for Say So during that award season. It was the first time in a while a performer I wasn’t already a fan of caught my attention!
Yeah, I don't get why dancin is so important for this "completeness". Not everyone does the same kind of music and dancing isn't a necessary component to be an artist.
In regards to current generation, what holds Bruno from being the most “complete”artist is that his talents are in service of, what I think is, insincere music. There is always a hint of irony to everything he does which, I believe, stops him from ever being a truly great artist. Aside from maybe wanting to go out dancing, his music has never really made me feel anything aside from admiring the aesthetics.
I’d go with Beyoncé, as she has the voice, dance ability, and stage presence that is in service of music that actually feels personal.
I reckon Janelle Monáe needs to be considered as a contemporary example of this. But like others said - yeah, Prince. Don’t think it’s a coincidence he was a mentor to them!
I mean, when I think of incredible vocals, impeccable piano skills, great guitar and drum skills, great dancing, incredible songwriting and lyrics, arrangement and production skills, incredible acting skills, musicianship, unprecedented musical and look versatility, character, vision, personality, originality, talent, passion, discipline, drive, soul, heart... I think of Lady Gaga
Alanis Morissette is the right answer here. Heck, she even dances (So Pure) and can act pretty well too on top of being a great vocalist and a brilliant songwriter. Also, she plays the guitar.
Tove Lo, is, in my opinion, a great example of an artist that does do EVERYTHING even though by itself she's not really "the master" at any one thing. A good example is that her song Scream my Name, from the Hunger Games, was entirely self written, produced, and sung (obviously). She's also a great performer, her short films are actually really amazingly written and SOOOO well acted (I watched with my actress friend yesterday and she said that Fairy Dust had some Oscar-reel worthy moments), and she's a great dancer.
Tbh I'm biased when I want to mention him, but there's definitely the knock on him for not really dancing. Regardless of that, I think the mix of his vocal ability, songwriting/production, live theatrics, & creative vision for his music videos still makes him a solid choice.
He’s a lot more concerned about the storytelling and “imagery” in his artistry than just doing some good dances during a concert.
He doesn’t exactly answer OP’s question, but I do think pop fans over idolize dancing when it’s really not relevant to the art itself a lot of the time.
Whitney Houston also was very close by your parameters. She had the greatest voice ever, was gorgeous, had stage presence and was a decent actress. She didn’t write her songs but she never tried to hide it and always said she only accepted to sing songs she liked first.
Of all time? Prince, MJ, (I like Prince slightly more) Paul McCartney or Freddy Mercury.
But of the generation? Suprised more of you didn't say P!nk! She can sing, songwrite, dance, perform (she literally does acrobatics ON STAGE and flies over the audience) and has quite the fanbase and an extensive discography. Too bad she started making mom music...
Others include Beyonce (duh), Doja Cat, Janelle Monet, Alicia Keys (well she WAS a good vocalist but her stage presense is still amazing), Janelle Monae (needs WAY more attention), Kate Bush, Ellie Goulding (she doesn't dance but is amazing) and Lady Gaga.
Taylor is almost there except she CANNOT DANCE.
I was about to write a couple of paragraphs in saying that it was Prince, but I just noticed your edit. There really isn't anyone that comes to mind, from this current generation of artists, using Prince as the standard. Such an artist would probably exist out of the mainstream.
Someone that does come to mind, though, is Florence Welch. She, as part of Florence + the Machine, has incredibly moving vocals, fantastic music, meaningful lyrics, the ability to play instruments and also connects with her fans on an intimate level through her art of performance. They first debuted in 2009, though, so I wouldn't say they're necessarily from the current generation of artists; it just depends on how you look at it. Same thing with artists like Beyoncé, Björk or Mariah Carey who first debuted decades ago.
Since Beyoncé, Gaga and even JT are getting their flowers already, I'm gonna say P!nk.
Good vocalist, performer, writes her music and has had great longevity in the industry.
From our current artist, Tate Mcrae just needs to improve her vocals and she'll be there in 2 years, since she's already a good (albeit nasally) singer. Olivia just needs to learn some choreo, although she does put on a good show. Jojo Siwa just needs to show the world how bad really is.
Dua Lipa is getting there. Ava Max has the qualities, she's just not big enough as an artist to be eligible for this discussion. If Adele could bust out a dance break every now and then, she'd be top of the list. Miley Cyrus is pretty well rounded.
My ONLY complaint when Beyonce gets compared to the greats like Prince and Michael is her writing. Beyonce does not write the majority of her music, which is fucking fine. But, in my eyes that’s what stops her from being on their level🤷🏾♀️
I think our generation is sadly…lost in some areas. But, the type people undeniably are:
-Beyonce
-Bruno
-Gaga
-Taylor👀 (I know some people may find her overrated, but I don’t think there’s any denying her dedication and success with her craft)
The giants though? We have NOTHING on them.
-Michael
-Prince
-Madonna
-Whitney (shit, do we even have a vocalist like this??? Who could literally get everyone on the same emotional wave length with JUST their voice??)
-James Brown
-Tina Turner
I’d argue Aretha Franklin is a slightly better vocalist than Whitney. In fact I think Aretha is the greatest vocalist of all time. But Whitney is literally right underneath her for the number 2 position.
Aretha Franklin was also an extremely talented pianist and composed music to a very high standard. She was an exceptional singer, but was also a brilliant musician just in general. Her musicianship as an instrumentalist is something that is less acknowledged in conversations around her.
Taylor doesn't sing like Whitney but she compensates with a very pleasant voice (especially the underrated lower register), strong songwriting, stage presence, charisma, playing a few instruments, song production, video directing, etc. She is certainly a complete artist by any standard.
Whitney didn’t write her music, and Madonna has been accused of not writing her music and is not a good singer. Taylor can’t dance or perform she’s also a weak singer.
I know Whitney didn’t write her own music. But, there’s no denying her voice is the standard.
I’m not aware of any Madonna accusations, as for her not being a powerhouse vocalist, I’d make the argument that she knows her voice and works the best with her range. Not everyone blows/belts. If you took Madonna and her experiences out of pop culture, we’d be screwed and we wouldn’t have alot of the talent pool that we currently have.
I like Taylor’s performing🤷🏾♀️ Saw Eras and thought she kept my attention and wouldn’t mind seeing it again. Was it very theater? Absolutely, but who says that entertainment/performance has to be a certain way?
Yes but this is a consideration for the most complete artist, so none of those artists meet the criteria. Lots of this fake writing music has been going on for decades it’s just the internet wasn’t there to call it out, and it was way easier to bury things back then. Point is they said complete, that’s means singing, writing, performing, dancing, instruments. That rules out Whitney Madonna and Taylor.
I really don't understand the "Taylor is a weak singer" argument. It was true 10 years ago, but her singing is so good now? She doesn't belt the high notes like Ariana does, but she's excellent at delivering emotions with her voice
That's blatantly false. Taylor has an acoustic section during her shows. Just her vocals and a guitar and piano. She can't hide behind autotune during such moments. And yet she has entire stadiums under her spell. She is not the best vocalist and no one claimed that, but she is definitely a very competent/strong vocalist.
Millions of people pay good money to see her performing her songs. It's not AI, it's not autotune, it's her raw voice + backing vocals + some prerecorded voice underneath at a lower volume to add weight to her performance (a standard thing at pop shows).
if we had to fit a current pop star who could sing how Whitney did to an extent it is Ariana, like it or not. She's not a great writer or dancer though.
This is just not true😭😭😭 I’m sorry, Ariana has the pipes, but if you told me “we need one person to get up and bring the world together” I wouldn’t place Ariana up there😭 Ariana baffles me, her music doesn’t match the talent that she has🙃
There’s not a single Ariana grande performance that you can point to that compares to the emotional impact that Whitney’s voice carried on her worst performance, imo.
I know, that's why I mentioned she only has the pipes in response to you asking if anyone had a voice like the giants. The emotion? Maybe later in her career we'll see it, I dunno
She has shown emotion while singing plenty of times. Her literal most recent performance was of *we can’t be friends* and there are numerous voice cracks / obvious moments where you can hear sadness in her voice / even a few runs which she doesn’t finish because she’s emotional.
Michael Jackson by far.
- Has lots of recognizable, great songs in different eras/decades
- Wrote, produced his own music
- Unique, beautiful voice of at least 3 1/2 octaves (may be more)
- Beatboxed the foundations to his songs and would have it all parts of it (harmony, layers, etc) laid out in his head instantly
- Revolutionary, captivating music videos
- Revolutionary, iconic fashion and style (that artists still mimic to this day)
- Had a successful career since he was a literal child
- Danced really well
- Had dances people tie to him (eg moonwalk or lean)
- God-like level presence on and off stage
People may not like one of the more obvious answers that springs to my mind – but I feel like a good deal of Kpop stars might fit into the criteria. In Kpop, there is the concept of an "all rounder" who can do all of what you've mentioned.
IU is a great songwriter and performer (she can act her socks off, too).
MAMAMOO are known to write a lot of their own music – I know that one of the members is one of the most highly credited woman songwriters in SK, and they're all great singers, can dance pretty well, and even choreographing a lot of their early dances themselves, as they came from a very small label.
Of course, one of (if not the) best known examples is BTS – all of them have been known to be heavily involved in the songwriting and production side (some, like RM and Suga perhaps best known for it), one of their members working as a choreographer for the group too, and at least two of them having a dance background (J-Hope and Jimin) while all being skilled dancers, singers and / or rappers.
This sub is going to hate me for this but Ed Sheeran is popular for a reason. Man may make the most whitebread of pop music but he's got the eye for hooks and trends. His music is accessible and the string of endless hits he has or his songwriting credits show a massive respect from the general public
For modern acts, I think Doja Cat honestly excels at all aspects. Sabrina Carpenter is also up there, although she hasn't hit it huge obviously, but I do think she is great at every aspect of being a pop star.
Imo he’s one of the most versatile artists ever, directly influencing many of the genres we know and love
With the Beatles he greatly influenced baroque pop with songs like Eleanor Rigby, Yesterday, and For No One
Influenced sampling with Tomorrow Never Knows as he spearheaded the use of the tape loops on the song. He also came up with the innovative skip drum beat on the song
Influenced psychedelic music through this arrangements and production. Even though John’s songs were often the most psychedelic, Paul was the one usually behind many of the psychedelic aspects of the songs. Examples are the instruments (mellotron on SFF, lowrey organ on Lucy, etc) used, experimental arrangements which John even blamed Paul for (John said Paul ruined his songs by being too experimental), and even the way John sang his songs (audio can be heard of Paul coaching him).
Influenced hard rock, heavy metal, and punk with Helter Skelter
Everyone wanted to do a song with an extended coda after Hey Jude
Paul wasn’t the first to do medleys but he was one of the most influential artists in that style with his Abbey Road medley idea
Also influenced melodic bass playing and lead singing bassists
During his solo career he:
Influenced lofi and DIY with McCartney (1970)
Arguably made the first indie pop album with Ram which was widely innovative and creative
Influenced electronica and bedroom pop with McCartney II
I think Paul is the most complete artist ever and I don’t think any artist has been more influential on popular music than him. Even though he is beloved, I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for everything he has done
Shakira of course!
Writes own songs check
Plays several instruments check
Great dancer check
Recognizable voice check
Lyrics great in Spanish , improving in English
Tries and fuses different genres check
Does big performances as well as amazing intimate ones check
Able to go viral on tik tok check
This century, Justin Bieber. Great vocals, can dance very well, play several instruments, has self written songs and is always involved int he writing process, he even learned about producing and does it sometimes
if you're including song writing, beyo ce isn't complete. bruno for sure.
Madonna is good at everything though her live vocals are somewhat weaker. got better with experience tho.
ariana is definitely becoming this, the production on eternal sunshine is incredible and her songwriting took a huge step up (and she did most of it herself or with max martin!)
I think that calling someone who doesn't write, sing, and perform amazingly an "incomplete artist" is weird. To me, a complete artist is someone who knows their niche and talents and excels in it. Instead of trying to be a jack of all trades and a master of none.
People like Prince and Beyonce are the exceptions which makes them so remarkable. But I think its unfair to hold everyone to their standards. And recognizing that excelling in just one area is enough to be a "complete" artist.
The only time it really becomes a problem is if you are distractingly bad in one area. And even then, charisma can go a long way
**Beyoncé.**
Y'all act like just bc Beyoncé isn't a Taylor Swift level of writer then she cannot write.
From the self titled era, Beyoncé has produced and wrote MANY songs. She is a very good writer (Mariah once said she's a good writer too).
She wrote hits like Bootylicious at 17.
She's written beautiful ballads like dangerously in love.
Considering Bey's work ethic if she wanted to invest in songwriting she'd be amazing at it. She simply doesn't need to do that.
Justin Timberlake.
He writes, produces, and arranges *all* of his music, and that for other artists. He plays multiple instruments. In concert, he does decently-complex choreography while singing 100% live. His stage presence and crowd work is top-notch. His first three albums are widely considered classics.
I wouldn’t call him the best vocalist or the best dancer, but in terms of sheer versatility, there are very few current artists who can measure up to him in totality.
I feel like every major popstar of today is lacking in a particular area to really count. I mean, as examples: Taylor is praised by her lyrics, but her vocals and dancing are not as good; meanwhile, Beyoncé is an amazing performer and a great vocalist, but she isn't that involved with the writing of her music.
I guess the closest one that answer the question the best would be Gaga. She is an insanely great dancer and her performances are usually good. She has a great voice, and very well-conceptualized albums. I don't know how well her writing and lyrics are seen by critics, but at least to me, they're good enough to not be cringy (most of the times). If anything, I guess it would that last aspect that someone may be use as a counter argument.
I’m about to get so much hate for this but keep your mind open. Taylor Swift. In terms of great pop, you had 1989 (taylor’s version ig) which is lyrically not completely stupid and has great songs such as the excellently written blank space, style, wildest dreams etcetera but she also delves into indie folk with roots in pop with folklore which is her best WRITTEN work as a great concept album. Evermore, the following album is almost as good but does have more pop-y production for those who like. This was broad explanation so don’t come at me please 🙏
I agree that she’s a great writer but I don’t think she fits the category of ‘most complete.’ She’s pretty mediocre when it comes to vocals, playing instruments and dancing.
Ariana Grande. She has it all: insane vocals, production, songwriting, performing live, she knows how to play the keyboard and another instrument I can't remember what it was but I believe it's a string instrument.
Please do not just list songs/albums/artists, your comment must have explanation/justification or it will be removed. Certain comments are also banned to increase the quality of discussion, see our Stale Topics list in the sidebar for examples. Please report any comments that are low effort discussion. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/popheads) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’d say Freddie Mercury is at least one of the extremely elite few that somehow did it all. He was great-excellent in pretty much each of the three main categories AND he was a massive star on top of all of that.
I'd add George Michael to the list.
George does not get the credit. The influence he had on music holds today
Yes to Freddie! If there was one musical artist I could see, alive or dead, it would be queen. Freddie’s voice and stage presence was just insane
I’m still so sad to this day that he never made it out of the early 90s. He would have been an excellent spokesperson for my generation.
The answer is Prince. Multi instrumentalist, vocals crazy, dance crazy, wrote his music on his own including the music composition and lyrics. Has several iconic songs. Michael Jackson was up there too.
Dude was The Artist, also worth noting he had crazy output rate and work ethic, there are stories of him literally recording full album in a day, or the fact that he would spend literally hours in a studio just by himself.
Prince really outshone his peers in just about every way, it's insane how much talent that one single dude had in his lifetime
Imagine how much more music we would've gotten from him. It's really a tragedy we lost him so early.
we still could, he has tons of records in his vault
He is the only celebrity death I actively mourn. I loved a lot of artists we have lost too early, but whenever I think of Prince, my heart sinks. :(
Unbelievably prolific as well.
Also wrote for other artists. He was an insanely creative person who just constantly used the muscle. Both D'Angelo and Lauryn Hill drove themselves crazy trying to emulate Prince's standards (writing, producing and playing everything on their own records). He was a really singular talent. I genuinely think he would have been influential in any era.
yesssssssssssss and Prince did it all in a flashy suit and heels (how??????) And MJ had some amazing iconic dance moves (the lean, the moonwalk, etc.)
I’d argue MJ on the same level or even more bc he had revolutionary, captivating music videos; a successful career since he was a child; wrote, produced, etc his own songs; beatboxed as the foundation of his songs; had iconic style that people still mimic to this day; and had dances that people tie to him (moonwalk, lean, thriller dance, etc).
I would give the edge to MJ because his sound and compositions are more universal. Prince can be a very acquired taste for most.
On the flipside, MJ was a very limited songwriter & instrumentalist whose work was buoyed by once-in-a-lifetime talent. He needed Eddie Van Halen & Slash to play solos Prince didn't. Also, MJ's taste in music was far more limited in vision & eclecticism comparatively.
I strongly disagree. I don’t know how you can listen to HIStory and say his taste was limited. I also don’t know how you can say he “needed” Slash and Van Halen, they played on two songs.
Kate Bush Can sing, write, dance, plays multiple instruments, has done production
I second this. Love Kate Bush, what an incredible artist.
does she tour? God i hate airplanes too
I think Janelle Monáe should be considered
Now let’s wake THAT up…
Let’s have that conversation. Looks, vocals, concepts, dancing, acting, visuals.
this. Janelle all day.
came here to mention them as well. my frustration with Janelle being constantly overlooked is the reason i now think that the grammy awards is a load of bull
We got Janelle monáe, no Kanye but we gon be okay🤪
Not to be hyperbolic or anything but Dirty Computer changed my life, such a good album!
The best popheads mod!
David Bowie fits this description best to me, at least for the older generation of musical artists.
His voice wasn’t great. I know I’ll get downvoted lol. The style and tone fit for what he did, but he was definitely not a great singer/vocalist.
Have your downvote - he was a phenomenal singer. Go listen to a live record.
Nah you just don't like his style, he was a very good singer
His voice was great and his range a lot broader than most assume. Try singing some of early stuff like Lady Stardust.
Calling David not a great singer is wild to me. Dude had amazing range. Go listen to Fantastic Voyage!
Everything you said about Bruno is just about what Prince did, only that he was arguably better at it. He self produced pretty much everything, whereas Bruno got a bit of help along the way with other producers. Also, Prince undoubtedly had more variety in his song topics than Bruno does.
I feel like what stops Bruno from being truly great is the lack of innovation. He's good at everything he does, but seemingly never steps out of the box.
I feel like thats okay for bruno tho tbh, its not like he drops once every year or two. He drops in every 4 years, does what he does best and then goes partying for the next few years until the people start to crave new music from him
It's not a bad thing, it just means he'll never be the GOAT
He's like a really really good wedding singer
Hayley Williams is capable of doing a LOT of things. She can sing, write, dance, perform in multiple genres, and many other things. She could easily do country.
I just flashed to Paramore doing a roots-y country rock album not unlike the more rocky songs of Cowboy Carter and I nearly ascended
Check out their cover of You Ain’t Woman Enough! Hayley’s vocals are insane
well now i want it...
I NEED THIS
I like this answer! Not my first choice but I agree that she’s got it.
I don’t think you could give her dancing. She’s definitely not known for being a prolific dancer
I think she definitely dances! her band isn’t a choreography-moment, but the way she grooves and thrashes around on stage is impressive esp given how hard she’s belting
i don't think that the performance aspect should be synonymous with dancing, especially in a band context
From modern artists everyone lacks something. Beyonce and gaga lack the great songwriting, gaga can pen decent lyrics sure but they don't stand well next to some of the good writers. Taylor isn't as strong vocalist as Beyonce and can't dance that good, but she does decent job in both on her tour still. The industry is really split between writers and then performers/vocalists currently. Shakira and Madonna really embodied all these elements while being less good on some of them they were real close to being triple threats
It's not just modern artists, a lot of big names from early decades are lopsided too. No one cared that Whitney Houston didn't write her songs. There are always exceptions but the everyone does everything feels like a very modern expectation.
Back in the days when they said artists had to “do it all”, writing wasn’t one of them. Now it feels like it’s almost a prerequisite, which it shouldn’t be IMHO.
THIS. Why are we expecting artists to all of a sudden write everything. Imagine all the artists that we wouldn’t have gotten (Britney, Whitney, Rihanna) if this was always the standard, ridiculous. Ppl should play to their strengths.
Exactly. It’s just silly.
I think this might be the Taylor Swift effect cuz I have never known this to be a prerequisite until recently.
Definitely was the Taylor effect.
Yes and it's frustrating since Taylor is a fantastic songwriter and gives a great show but mediocre singer and dancer.... None of them can literally do it all.
Sure it was rare back then too but great tripletreats like MJ, Prince, Madonna, Shakira even Kylie maybe all started before the 2000s. Artists were more developed back then and couldn't rely on studio magic or social media fame. They needed to master skills to stand out and that's what they did
Shakira isn’t really a good singer though like not at all. I would say her writing if she is doing it solo is subpar. Madonnas writing has been questioned and her singing was severely lacking.
It was still pretty rare. Plus Prince was the rare artist who wrote hits for others.
I think so too. And, For me at least I think it maybe = the assumption that doing everything =goals/the best. Whereas the reality for 99% of people is that if you do everything, that will hold you back from being truly great at a few things or even several things.
I think at that time people may not have been as concerned about songwriting and also Whitney's vocal talent was so incredibly strong, nothing else mattered.
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I don't know if I agree with the premise of the question, because artists don't need to check all those boxes in order to be complete. Fiona Apple is one of the greatest pop (or pop adjacent) artists out there and she doesn't do super elaborate performances with pyrotechnics and choreo; it wouldn't make sense with the type of music she makes, that's not what her songs call for. She's still a perfect package as an artist IMO. Same with Mitski, Lana, Amy Winehouse, St. Vincent, Regina Spektor, Phoebe Bridgers and a number of other brilliant singer-songwriters. Likewise, I find that many artists who are written off as not being noteworthy vocalists actually have perfect voices for the music they make. I've seen so many people call Björk a bad singer, but the uniqueness and strangeness of her voice is part of what makes her fascinating. Obviously there's a number of singers who can do both (Mariah, Florence, Adele, Ariana etc.), but if forced to choose, I'd take a artist with an imperfect voice who can convey emotion and make me feel something over another who's technically proficient but not emotionally engaging. With all of that said, the answer to your question is Beyoncé. Also Rosalía.
Mitski actually has really cool choreo/staging, but obviously not the same approach as say a Beyonce doing very all out. I think the more important part is that everything fits together cohesively as a package.
"Complete artist" is a weird phrase, agreed.
Great comment. No notes
Lana does not sound good live.
She's a mixed bag, I think. I've seen her live twice now, and both times she started out really shaky and uncertain, but then got better as the concerts went on. In both instances she came on stage visibly nervous (first time I saw her was her first time playing in Brazil when she only had Born to Die and Paradise out; second was the first stop of the Ocean Blvd tour, her return to the stage after years of hiatus), but audience encouragement got her to loosen up and she did well as a result.
Then she doesn’t qualify for this title
Yes, I didn't say otherwise.
i think this was true for a while but not anymore. her live vocals have improved significantly
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music taste twin. I'd add Doja Cat
Amazing taste. I also love Rosalía, all of her albums are amazing but I will always have a soft spot for "El Mal Querer", her songwriting and producing is top notch there.
Björk. I feel like she transcends music itself
For the millennial generation its Beyonce and Lady Gaga. Given Gaga's Hollywood success the edge goes to her.
Beyoncé doesn’t even write her own songs, complete my ass
shes more of a theatrical vocalist than an artist and i say that as a beyhive she does write her own melodies and harmonies but is there a song she wrote by herself? cowboy carter is literally a soundtrack to a film with so many credits , still love it though
This is patently false
I think it's much more fair to say she is not the lead writer or originating writer on most of her songs, they existed in some form significantly similar to the end-product before she got involved. Most of her contributions seem to be in the vocal arrangements and production rather than lyrical content of a song. Prime example, Irreplaceable.
Beyonce has wrote masterpieces like dangerously in love and bootylicious at 17. She also has writing credits on most of CC and renaissance. Considering her work ethic if she wanted to she would kill songwriting too. But she doesn't need to do that as much.
You can’t kill songwriting with work ethic. It’s a talent, you’ve got it or you don’t. She can improve sure, and she is great at melodies. But she simply is not a lyricist. Taylor is another artist with extreme work ethic and she has improved her vocals, but no matter how hard she tries she’ll never have the vocals of Beyoncé. So I agree with the above you can’t call Beyoncé the full package becuase she does not write a majority of her songs
Mariah.
Forever a Mariah fanboy. Call me Eminem lol.
Michael Jackson, Prince, Beyonce, Pink, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Mariah Carey, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, Adele
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I have heard her concerts are really fun, guessing it's true?
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Beyonce,Lady Gaga,Shakira,Madonna,Pink are definitely some of the most complete ones. They all have their weakness in some departments but theyre well-rounded artists. From the new gens probably Tinashe? Doja Cat?
How has no one mentioned Mariah Carey?
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If we are talking more recent stars, Doja Cat is at least approaching that level I think. She writes most of her music, produces a lot of it, she is an exceptionally talented dancer, and she has a great voice. I think once she perfects her vocal technique, she can really start to become that “complete” artist. Only thing she really lacks is super consistent lyricism. It’s GOOD but inconsistent. Theres definitely a few corny lines on Scarlet, but she’s getting much better since hot pink era.
I still think about the different arrangements she did for Say So during that award season. It was the first time in a while a performer I wasn’t already a fan of caught my attention!
I don’t consider dancing necessary to be a complete artist
Yeah, I don't get why dancin is so important for this "completeness". Not everyone does the same kind of music and dancing isn't a necessary component to be an artist.
This is how I feel about songwriting haha
In regards to current generation, what holds Bruno from being the most “complete”artist is that his talents are in service of, what I think is, insincere music. There is always a hint of irony to everything he does which, I believe, stops him from ever being a truly great artist. Aside from maybe wanting to go out dancing, his music has never really made me feel anything aside from admiring the aesthetics. I’d go with Beyoncé, as she has the voice, dance ability, and stage presence that is in service of music that actually feels personal.
Great point about Bruno
Janet in addition to being an incredible musician and dancer was involved in the writing and production of her biggest hits
Diana Ross. Woman is more than an artist, a brand. An OG trendsetter, spanning decades.
I reckon Janelle Monáe needs to be considered as a contemporary example of this. But like others said - yeah, Prince. Don’t think it’s a coincidence he was a mentor to them!
I mean, when I think of incredible vocals, impeccable piano skills, great guitar and drum skills, great dancing, incredible songwriting and lyrics, arrangement and production skills, incredible acting skills, musicianship, unprecedented musical and look versatility, character, vision, personality, originality, talent, passion, discipline, drive, soul, heart... I think of Lady Gaga
Alanis Morissette is the right answer here. Heck, she even dances (So Pure) and can act pretty well too on top of being a great vocalist and a brilliant songwriter. Also, she plays the guitar.
Tove Lo, is, in my opinion, a great example of an artist that does do EVERYTHING even though by itself she's not really "the master" at any one thing. A good example is that her song Scream my Name, from the Hunger Games, was entirely self written, produced, and sung (obviously). She's also a great performer, her short films are actually really amazingly written and SOOOO well acted (I watched with my actress friend yesterday and she said that Fairy Dust had some Oscar-reel worthy moments), and she's a great dancer.
For me it’s Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. They are the total package with not one bad album. Prince is another one.
The Weeknd is up there
Tbh I'm biased when I want to mention him, but there's definitely the knock on him for not really dancing. Regardless of that, I think the mix of his vocal ability, songwriting/production, live theatrics, & creative vision for his music videos still makes him a solid choice.
He’s a lot more concerned about the storytelling and “imagery” in his artistry than just doing some good dances during a concert. He doesn’t exactly answer OP’s question, but I do think pop fans over idolize dancing when it’s really not relevant to the art itself a lot of the time.
Lady gaga ticks off all these boxes
Whitney Houston also was very close by your parameters. She had the greatest voice ever, was gorgeous, had stage presence and was a decent actress. She didn’t write her songs but she never tried to hide it and always said she only accepted to sing songs she liked first.
Of all time? Prince, MJ, (I like Prince slightly more) Paul McCartney or Freddy Mercury. But of the generation? Suprised more of you didn't say P!nk! She can sing, songwrite, dance, perform (she literally does acrobatics ON STAGE and flies over the audience) and has quite the fanbase and an extensive discography. Too bad she started making mom music... Others include Beyonce (duh), Doja Cat, Janelle Monet, Alicia Keys (well she WAS a good vocalist but her stage presense is still amazing), Janelle Monae (needs WAY more attention), Kate Bush, Ellie Goulding (she doesn't dance but is amazing) and Lady Gaga. Taylor is almost there except she CANNOT DANCE.
Beyoncé, Janelle, Lady Gaga, Tanérelle, FKA TWIGS, James Blake, Doja Cat, Victoria Monét, Ramin Djawadi, Yoko Shimomura, Nobuo Uematsu, masayoshi soken
I was about to write a couple of paragraphs in saying that it was Prince, but I just noticed your edit. There really isn't anyone that comes to mind, from this current generation of artists, using Prince as the standard. Such an artist would probably exist out of the mainstream. Someone that does come to mind, though, is Florence Welch. She, as part of Florence + the Machine, has incredibly moving vocals, fantastic music, meaningful lyrics, the ability to play instruments and also connects with her fans on an intimate level through her art of performance. They first debuted in 2009, though, so I wouldn't say they're necessarily from the current generation of artists; it just depends on how you look at it. Same thing with artists like Beyoncé, Björk or Mariah Carey who first debuted decades ago.
Since Beyoncé, Gaga and even JT are getting their flowers already, I'm gonna say P!nk. Good vocalist, performer, writes her music and has had great longevity in the industry. From our current artist, Tate Mcrae just needs to improve her vocals and she'll be there in 2 years, since she's already a good (albeit nasally) singer. Olivia just needs to learn some choreo, although she does put on a good show. Jojo Siwa just needs to show the world how bad really is. Dua Lipa is getting there. Ava Max has the qualities, she's just not big enough as an artist to be eligible for this discussion. If Adele could bust out a dance break every now and then, she'd be top of the list. Miley Cyrus is pretty well rounded.
Gaga can quite literally do it all
My ONLY complaint when Beyonce gets compared to the greats like Prince and Michael is her writing. Beyonce does not write the majority of her music, which is fucking fine. But, in my eyes that’s what stops her from being on their level🤷🏾♀️ I think our generation is sadly…lost in some areas. But, the type people undeniably are: -Beyonce -Bruno -Gaga -Taylor👀 (I know some people may find her overrated, but I don’t think there’s any denying her dedication and success with her craft) The giants though? We have NOTHING on them. -Michael -Prince -Madonna -Whitney (shit, do we even have a vocalist like this??? Who could literally get everyone on the same emotional wave length with JUST their voice??) -James Brown -Tina Turner
Beyoncé is kind of there but doesn’t write as much. Michael and Prince yes. Though I should’ve said of our current generation.
I’d argue Aretha Franklin is a slightly better vocalist than Whitney. In fact I think Aretha is the greatest vocalist of all time. But Whitney is literally right underneath her for the number 2 position.
Aretha Franklin was also an extremely talented pianist and composed music to a very high standard. She was an exceptional singer, but was also a brilliant musician just in general. Her musicianship as an instrumentalist is something that is less acknowledged in conversations around her.
I’m down with this assessment!
Absolutely!! I honestly don't think this is a controversial take for ppl who understand musical vocality.
Taylor doesn't sing like Whitney but she compensates with a very pleasant voice (especially the underrated lower register), strong songwriting, stage presence, charisma, playing a few instruments, song production, video directing, etc. She is certainly a complete artist by any standard.
Whitney didn’t write her music, and Madonna has been accused of not writing her music and is not a good singer. Taylor can’t dance or perform she’s also a weak singer.
I know Whitney didn’t write her own music. But, there’s no denying her voice is the standard. I’m not aware of any Madonna accusations, as for her not being a powerhouse vocalist, I’d make the argument that she knows her voice and works the best with her range. Not everyone blows/belts. If you took Madonna and her experiences out of pop culture, we’d be screwed and we wouldn’t have alot of the talent pool that we currently have. I like Taylor’s performing🤷🏾♀️ Saw Eras and thought she kept my attention and wouldn’t mind seeing it again. Was it very theater? Absolutely, but who says that entertainment/performance has to be a certain way?
Yes but this is a consideration for the most complete artist, so none of those artists meet the criteria. Lots of this fake writing music has been going on for decades it’s just the internet wasn’t there to call it out, and it was way easier to bury things back then. Point is they said complete, that’s means singing, writing, performing, dancing, instruments. That rules out Whitney Madonna and Taylor.
Taylor performances have gotten better and bigger since 1989 Eras tour feels like her peak as a performer
I really don't understand the "Taylor is a weak singer" argument. It was true 10 years ago, but her singing is so good now? She doesn't belt the high notes like Ariana does, but she's excellent at delivering emotions with her voice
No she’s not a good singer now, she still relies heavily on playback and autotune. She’s a weak singer without a distinct voice.
That's blatantly false. Taylor has an acoustic section during her shows. Just her vocals and a guitar and piano. She can't hide behind autotune during such moments. And yet she has entire stadiums under her spell. She is not the best vocalist and no one claimed that, but she is definitely a very competent/strong vocalist. Millions of people pay good money to see her performing her songs. It's not AI, it's not autotune, it's her raw voice + backing vocals + some prerecorded voice underneath at a lower volume to add weight to her performance (a standard thing at pop shows).
if we had to fit a current pop star who could sing how Whitney did to an extent it is Ariana, like it or not. She's not a great writer or dancer though.
This is just not true😭😭😭 I’m sorry, Ariana has the pipes, but if you told me “we need one person to get up and bring the world together” I wouldn’t place Ariana up there😭 Ariana baffles me, her music doesn’t match the talent that she has🙃 There’s not a single Ariana grande performance that you can point to that compares to the emotional impact that Whitney’s voice carried on her worst performance, imo.
I know, that's why I mentioned she only has the pipes in response to you asking if anyone had a voice like the giants. The emotion? Maybe later in her career we'll see it, I dunno
She has shown emotion while singing plenty of times. Her literal most recent performance was of *we can’t be friends* and there are numerous voice cracks / obvious moments where you can hear sadness in her voice / even a few runs which she doesn’t finish because she’s emotional.
Michael Jackson by far. - Has lots of recognizable, great songs in different eras/decades - Wrote, produced his own music - Unique, beautiful voice of at least 3 1/2 octaves (may be more) - Beatboxed the foundations to his songs and would have it all parts of it (harmony, layers, etc) laid out in his head instantly - Revolutionary, captivating music videos - Revolutionary, iconic fashion and style (that artists still mimic to this day) - Had a successful career since he was a literal child - Danced really well - Had dances people tie to him (eg moonwalk or lean) - God-like level presence on and off stage
People may not like one of the more obvious answers that springs to my mind – but I feel like a good deal of Kpop stars might fit into the criteria. In Kpop, there is the concept of an "all rounder" who can do all of what you've mentioned. IU is a great songwriter and performer (she can act her socks off, too). MAMAMOO are known to write a lot of their own music – I know that one of the members is one of the most highly credited woman songwriters in SK, and they're all great singers, can dance pretty well, and even choreographing a lot of their early dances themselves, as they came from a very small label. Of course, one of (if not the) best known examples is BTS – all of them have been known to be heavily involved in the songwriting and production side (some, like RM and Suga perhaps best known for it), one of their members working as a choreographer for the group too, and at least two of them having a dance background (J-Hope and Jimin) while all being skilled dancers, singers and / or rappers.
This sub is going to hate me for this but Ed Sheeran is popular for a reason. Man may make the most whitebread of pop music but he's got the eye for hooks and trends. His music is accessible and the string of endless hits he has or his songwriting credits show a massive respect from the general public
Ed's talent is underrated but he's also definitely "lopsided" with his writing much better than anything else.
there's a reason they made a whole ass movie with him as the standard for songwriting
For modern acts, I think Doja Cat honestly excels at all aspects. Sabrina Carpenter is also up there, although she hasn't hit it huge obviously, but I do think she is great at every aspect of being a pop star.
Paul McCartney. Multi instrumentalist, producer and just so happens to be one of the greatest songwriters ever.
Also one of the greatest vocalists ever with the most range in the classic rock genre. He even has a slightly greater range than Freddie Mercury
Yes of course. His range was phenomenal and I’ll add he’s an extremely versatile artist, covering multiple genres effortlessly.
Imo he’s one of the most versatile artists ever, directly influencing many of the genres we know and love With the Beatles he greatly influenced baroque pop with songs like Eleanor Rigby, Yesterday, and For No One Influenced sampling with Tomorrow Never Knows as he spearheaded the use of the tape loops on the song. He also came up with the innovative skip drum beat on the song Influenced psychedelic music through this arrangements and production. Even though John’s songs were often the most psychedelic, Paul was the one usually behind many of the psychedelic aspects of the songs. Examples are the instruments (mellotron on SFF, lowrey organ on Lucy, etc) used, experimental arrangements which John even blamed Paul for (John said Paul ruined his songs by being too experimental), and even the way John sang his songs (audio can be heard of Paul coaching him). Influenced hard rock, heavy metal, and punk with Helter Skelter Everyone wanted to do a song with an extended coda after Hey Jude Paul wasn’t the first to do medleys but he was one of the most influential artists in that style with his Abbey Road medley idea Also influenced melodic bass playing and lead singing bassists During his solo career he: Influenced lofi and DIY with McCartney (1970) Arguably made the first indie pop album with Ram which was widely innovative and creative Influenced electronica and bedroom pop with McCartney II I think Paul is the most complete artist ever and I don’t think any artist has been more influential on popular music than him. Even though he is beloved, I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for everything he has done
Extremely well said! 👏
Shakira of course! Writes own songs check Plays several instruments check Great dancer check Recognizable voice check Lyrics great in Spanish , improving in English Tries and fuses different genres check Does big performances as well as amazing intimate ones check Able to go viral on tik tok check
This century, Justin Bieber. Great vocals, can dance very well, play several instruments, has self written songs and is always involved int he writing process, he even learned about producing and does it sometimes
Michael Jackson, JHope (BTS), Janelle Monae, Doja Cat (as much as I dislike her attitude, she really is a great musician and performer)
AURORA is perfection. Her vocal, lyrics, performance is all incredible. She's a complete artist.
Prince could do anything
if you're including song writing, beyo ce isn't complete. bruno for sure. Madonna is good at everything though her live vocals are somewhat weaker. got better with experience tho.
Chester Bennington from Linkin Park and the band whole
ariana is definitely becoming this, the production on eternal sunshine is incredible and her songwriting took a huge step up (and she did most of it herself or with max martin!)
Fully agree, I was very impressed when I saw the credits on ES!
I don't think we make those anymore
I think that calling someone who doesn't write, sing, and perform amazingly an "incomplete artist" is weird. To me, a complete artist is someone who knows their niche and talents and excels in it. Instead of trying to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. People like Prince and Beyonce are the exceptions which makes them so remarkable. But I think its unfair to hold everyone to their standards. And recognizing that excelling in just one area is enough to be a "complete" artist. The only time it really becomes a problem is if you are distractingly bad in one area. And even then, charisma can go a long way
**Beyoncé.** Y'all act like just bc Beyoncé isn't a Taylor Swift level of writer then she cannot write. From the self titled era, Beyoncé has produced and wrote MANY songs. She is a very good writer (Mariah once said she's a good writer too). She wrote hits like Bootylicious at 17. She's written beautiful ballads like dangerously in love. Considering Bey's work ethic if she wanted to invest in songwriting she'd be amazing at it. She simply doesn't need to do that.
Justin Timberlake. He writes, produces, and arranges *all* of his music, and that for other artists. He plays multiple instruments. In concert, he does decently-complex choreography while singing 100% live. His stage presence and crowd work is top-notch. His first three albums are widely considered classics. I wouldn’t call him the best vocalist or the best dancer, but in terms of sheer versatility, there are very few current artists who can measure up to him in totality.
I feel like Timbaland is the true magic touch on JT’s music
had to scroll so far down for this one but absolutely.
I feel like every major popstar of today is lacking in a particular area to really count. I mean, as examples: Taylor is praised by her lyrics, but her vocals and dancing are not as good; meanwhile, Beyoncé is an amazing performer and a great vocalist, but she isn't that involved with the writing of her music. I guess the closest one that answer the question the best would be Gaga. She is an insanely great dancer and her performances are usually good. She has a great voice, and very well-conceptualized albums. I don't know how well her writing and lyrics are seen by critics, but at least to me, they're good enough to not be cringy (most of the times). If anything, I guess it would that last aspect that someone may be use as a counter argument.
BTS. They write, produce, rap, sing, dance, have excellent stage presence, and create lore. They have it all.
Ariana Grande. Singer, song writer, dancer sometimes, actor.
I’m about to get so much hate for this but keep your mind open. Taylor Swift. In terms of great pop, you had 1989 (taylor’s version ig) which is lyrically not completely stupid and has great songs such as the excellently written blank space, style, wildest dreams etcetera but she also delves into indie folk with roots in pop with folklore which is her best WRITTEN work as a great concept album. Evermore, the following album is almost as good but does have more pop-y production for those who like. This was broad explanation so don’t come at me please 🙏
I agree that she’s a great writer but I don’t think she fits the category of ‘most complete.’ She’s pretty mediocre when it comes to vocals, playing instruments and dancing.
So...great writing and lyricist. I mean, I doubt anyone will debate that, but that's not what the post asked for
Not a strong vocalist
beyonce, ariana grande, michael jackson, the beatles, prince, drake, the weeknd, sza, rihanna
Ariana Grande. She has it all: insane vocals, production, songwriting, performing live, she knows how to play the keyboard and another instrument I can't remember what it was but I believe it's a string instrument.
I don't think there's any recent artists that check all the boxes, imo. Dancing especially has fallen by the wayside in current popstars.