All the musicians we admire have been influenced by different genres since their childhood. While they have contributed to the history of music, they are also followers of a number of artists and bands that inspire them to keep creating.
Britney Spears, Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift are three of the most popular singers today. For those who want to know all about them or follow in their footsteps, we have a list of songs that they listen to often or that have helped shape them as artists.
Britney Spears looking up to the biggest names in the industry
The artists that have influenced Britney are Madonna, Prince, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson. Although she has a lot to choose from iin their extensive discographies, Britney identified Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ as her all-time favorite song.
Spears also shared her favorite songs from the 2000s, years where her popularity skyrocketed making her one of the most popular singers in the world. On Apple’s ‘I Miss Y2K Pop’ playlist, stand out songs like ‘What A Girl Wants’ by Christina Aguilera, ‘Say My Name’ by Destiny’s Child, ‘Rock Your Body’ by Justin Timberlake, ‘Shape of My Heart’ by Backstreet Boys, ‘Cowboy Take Me Away’ by the Dixie Chicks, and ‘Crazy in Love’ by Beyoncé.
For Britney one of the best songs on the list is ‘Always Be My Baby’ by Mariah Carey. “Mariah is one of the main reasons I started singing, she is simply amazing. This is one of my favorites by her,” said Britney.
The playlist celebrates 20 years since the release of her album ‘Oops!…I Did It Again’.
“For me these songs remind me of the time period when Oops! came out, which was a special time for me. I hope you love them like I do.”
For the singer, this album was very important in her career, holding the record for highest sales in one week by a female artist for 15 years.
Taylor Swift striking a sensitive chord
Taylor is known for saying what she thinks and feels in her songs. One of her inspirations for the tone she uses in her lyrics is Carly Simon’s ‘You’re So Vain’. The song goes, “You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you”, which resonated with Swift. “After hearing that, it was like a key had just unlocked this forbidden area of storytelling for me. You can say exactly what you feel, even if it’s bitter and brazen!” said Taylor in an interview with Rolling Stone.
“You can say exactly what you feel, even if it’s bitter and brazen!”
This song sparked public interest about the source of its inspiration (who was it about?), something Taylor is also used to hearing about following her famous breakup songs. Swift never asked her, but Simon revealed it to her after they sang together.
Taylor’s list of favorite songs also included Faith Hill’s ‘This Kiss’, Bon Iver’s ‘Blood Bank’, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Backseat Freestyle’, ‘The Middle’, Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional’s ‘Hands Down’. The singer-songwriter also included one of the performers she has collaborated with extensively, Ed Sheeran. After hearing ‘Lego House’ she contacted the singer to write for her album ‘Red’.
Selena Gomez and her passion for lyrics
Singers can also be number one fans. Selena has confessed she has followed Rihanna since her early days, considering Rihanna her favorite singer of all time. ‘Love on the Brain’ is the standout track for her. According to Selena, all of Rihanna’s themes are gold, but ‘Love on the Brain’ “I think that’s one of the greatest songs of our time.”
Gomez has also included in her list for Apple Music, Julia Michaels’ ‘Body’, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Poetic Justice’, Led Zeppelin’s ‘Black Dog’, Taylor Swift’s ‘Lover’, Billie Eilish’s ‘Everything I wanted’, and Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’. Selena says she is drawn to powerful lyrics where a lot of pain and love is expressed.
To celebrate her Latin roots, Selena has also chosen some of the artists she loves to listen to these days. They have a mix of pop, ballad and reggaeton and overflow with passion. On the list we can hear songs from Shakira, Luis Miguel, Bad Bunny, Maluma, Ricky Martin, Camilo, Reik and J Balvin.
Image: Drew de F Fawkes
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