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Stylistic origins Synthpop
dance-punk
post-punk revival Cultural origins Mid-2000s (decade), Europe Typical instruments Electric guitar
keyboard
synthesizer
bass
programming
drums
vocals | ||
Wonky pop was a loose grouping of musical acts that played what the BBC called "quirky, catchy and credible pop", rooted in the eccentric side of 1980s pop music, which was briefly popular in the late 2000s. Artists associated with the genre include Mika, Alphabeat and Frankmusik.
Definitions
"Wonky" is a British English word meaning unsteady, shaky, awry, or wrong. The BBC reported that the term was both coined by and is owned by Mika's manager, while The Independent reported the term was coined by Peter Robinson, founder of the blog Popjustice.
The BBC describes a UK wonky pop club night as involving "cutting-edge pop, dance, hip hop and everything in between"; the club organiser René Symonds states that "the iPod shuffle generation will not be limited to one genre and wants a return to authenticity after years of manufactured pop". The wonky pop website sets out a manifesto that states, "We want to show the world that pop is not a four letter word, and for every flaky reality TV winner there's a myriad of cool, credible and weird acts."
A May 2008 article by The Guardian contrasted wonky pop performers with mainstream pop performers, noting that "Wonky Pop artists are unmanufactured but unashamedly melodic and capable of playing live without recourse to lashings of dry ice, troupes of dancers and an interlude during which they fly around the stage on wires." The Independent stated that wonky pop caused a change in "pop's division of labour ... away from focus-grouped, production-line pop, and towards DIY [and] ... fresh flavours", which is rejuvenating pop in the 2000s in the way that Britpop gave a shot in the arm to pop in the 1990s. Major influences cited for wonky pop acts include David Bowie, Kate Bush, Kylie Minogue, Prince and Madonna. Wonky pop was credited with causing a shift in popular musical tastes from male-driven guitar acts to female-driven 1980s style pop music seen in the synthpop revival of the later 2000s.