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Introduction
Over the years, music has been one of the aspects of life that almost everyone enjoys. There is such a variety to choose from, and with this, we see many types of style and personality emerge from the top performers. Music, clothing style, and even performing style has most definitely changed over the years, and that is the focus of this project. From the top performers of the 70's-90's in The Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson, to the top performers of today in Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars. -
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Introduction (cont. 1)
The Rolling Stones were a Rock Roll band founded in 1962, in London. The original members included Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman. In the 1970's, the band reached their "Golden Era" and gained a massive following and were on top of the world in the music industry, specifically in Rock. Known for their grit, crazy fashion and the "in your face" stage presence. Their outfits consisted of ripped jeans, leather jackets, scarves, and eyeliner. -
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Introduction (Cont. 2)
They completely broke away from previous fashion ideals. On the other hand, Michael Jackson brought a different kind of style to his clothing and performing. He wore unique gloves, wore high waisted pants, and essentially became "the look" of the pop world. He really came onto the pop scene in the late 70's, where in 1979 he released "Rock With You" as his first big hit, and followed up with "Thriller" in 1982. He ran the stage with incredible choreography, including story-telling performances. -
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Introduction (cont. 3)
Likewise, there is today's hit pop singer in Bruno Mars. He embodies some of the fashion styles that Michael Jackson does. He loves the bright and flashy clothing, and even throws some flare into it with some gold. He performs full of energy like Jackson did, but doesn't exactly do much storytelling. The performances are also very smooth, but not as much theatrics going on in the background. He is compared to Jackson frequently, but there are a few key differences in their performance style. -
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Introduction (cont. 4)
Nowadays, Rock isn't the most popular genre. So, people tend to gravitate to the older artists so that is why I am taking a shift to an artist that is very popular today, Taylor Swift. Swift has presented herself by wearing more sparkly clothing during her country singing days, to a wide variety of fluffy or tight clothing that has been shown during her "Eras Tour." She even tries to correlate the song with the outfit she's wearing, wearing up to 16 different outfits throughout a concert. -
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Introduction (cont. 5)
The energy during her concerts is much different than any of the other performers mentioned, but clearly it is working. The Eras Tour alone has generated over $2 Billion alone, and her concerts/tours have no plans of slowing down. Her concerts are much more controlled and calm, but the meaning of the songs create a deep connection with her audience. Collectively, all these artists perform in different ways, but they all have been extremely successful in their respective ways. -
Mick Jagger - The Rolling Stones
In this photo, we can see a very energetic member of The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, performing on stage at a concert in 1989. What I first pick up on is his facial expression, you can see he is putting a lot of emphasis into what he is doing by the sweat dripping down his face, and the engaging look he's giving to the crowd. Also, we can see bright lights as well as some flashy props in the background. This ties into the incredible outfit he is wearing, we see a cropped cut off t-shirt, -
Mick Jagger - The Rolling Stones (cont.)
leather pants, and what looks to be a thick black belt with metallic stones on it. Having joined the band in 1962, we still see how well and enthusiastic Jagger can perform after doing this for such a long time. There is no location for this concert, but it was done at night, and a packed event. -
Michael Jackson
Here we see an iconic photo of Michael Jackson. Throughout his performing career, he always wore sparkly themed outfits and was always very flashy. But as he gained more fame, he almost went with more of a "formal" look. Where he would tuck his shirt, wear something similar to a suit (even if it was sparkly), and maybe even some designer glasses. Here we don't see that as much, as this was later in his career where he released the album "dangerous" including the song "black or white." In this -
Michael Jackson (cont.)
photo, we see a black and white outfit out of Jackson, which was popular for him at this point in his career. We also see some silver/metallic color sprinkled throughout the outfit to keep a somewhat flashy look. Also, the gloves were a significant part of his performances, as he almost always wore one white glove. You can see his expression and sweat, showing us the dedication he has to this performance. With a dark background and the spotlight on him, it really brings the center of attention -
Michael Jackson (cont. 2)
to him and his incredible performances. What's symbolic here is the emotion he is showing, as well as the power. There maybe a sense of loneliness, as he is the only object seen. Everything in this photo screams iconic, which basically sums up Michael Jackson. -
Bruno Mars
Here we have an interesting photo of Bruno Mars. Usually, he will not perform an instrument during his concerts. What makes this photo so unique is the combination of the enthusiastic singing he is doing, simultaneously playing the guitar. A popular theme we see throughout his performances would have to be the color red. He is almost always wearing it, and after further research, his favorite color is red. We also see a variety of lights, all coming out pretty aggressively. We could possibly -
Bruno Mars (cont.)
infer that he is performing a pretty loud and energetic song. Bruno Mars give us the old flare that we have lost in performers in the recent years, and is said to have remind people of Michael Jackson the way he presents himself. -
Taylor Swift
Lastly, we have Taylor Swift. Swift brings a different genre to the group, and shows us a glimpse of what successful performers are like today. She wears very flashy outfits, usually with sparkles. She will usually wear a dress at the minimum if it is not sparkly. It adds a flare to her more slow, as well as her powerful performances. She really connects with her audience through the lyrics, as well as in her performances. Here we have her holding a heart up to the crowd, as well as carrying a -
Taylor Swift (cont. 2)
guitar. This could possibly tell us that she was singing a country song, which she throws into her arsenal along with pop and slower music. We also see a man in the background, indicating there were multiple instruments played. This concert was at SoFi Stadium in California, on August 3rd, 2023. Also, there are faint warm colors in the background, possibly telling us that a touching song has just been played. Hence the heart signal Swift is giving to the crowd. Even her guitar is sparkled, -
Taylor Swift (cont. 2)
speaking to her personality. Collectively, Swift makes sure the attention is on her with her outfit and accessory choices, but connects with her audience in a touching and loving way. -
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Bibliography
Bibliography DMI, director. LIFE, 2024, https://static.life.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/15193738/01051394-1024x678.jpg. Accessed 6 May 2025.
Images, Getty, director. MichaelJackson.Com, 9 Sept. 2025, https://www.michaeljackson.com/photo/michael-jackson-performance-circa-1988/. Accessed 6 May 2025.
Barket, Brad, director. ABC News, 9 Sept. 2013, https://s.abcnews.com/images/Entertainment/GTY_https://s.abcnews.com/images/Entertainment/GTY_bruno_mars_red_tk_130909_16x9_992.jpg. -
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Bibliography (cont.)
Accessed 6 May 2025.
Wood, Mikael, director. Los Angeles Times, 2023, https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a803900/2147483647/strip/false/crop/3373x2248+0+0/resize/1486x990!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2Fb4%2Fea3f92a3416b8a990129fe40d658%2Fhttps-delivery-gettyimages.com%2Fdownloads%2F1591259311. Accessed 6 May 2025.
