Prince of Turkish Pop - Essay Example

He is largely known for his romantically themed songs, which earned him the title of prince of pop. He has several albums, which have been certified platinum, and he is among the few European artists to top the charts without singing in English. Tarkan is popularly known for his song S?mar?k, which has been redone twice in English by other musicians (Turkishmusicclub.com, n.d). It has also been covered in other languages all over the world by other musicians. He entered the world of music in the 1990s and he has more than 20 albums and singles to show for the years he has been in music.

Because Turkey is generally a conservative country, he is seen as somewhat a rebel in his music. He has been a subject of controversy and he is idolized by the youth of his home place. He has well known for his stage performances that dazzle and his eclectic dance moves. His popularity has spread farther than his native country of Turkey to other areas especially Eastern Europe. He has performed to huge crowds in the United States of America, UK, Dubai, Israel, Macedonia and the list goes on and on.

Tarkan’s music is in his native dialect, which is Turkish, his decision to focus on his home and write and perform music that they can relate to, is what him made so endearing to his fan base back in turkey and across Arab speaking countries. This has seen him do collaborations with Arabian musicians thereby cementing his name in the music world. In true pop culture, Tarkan’s music aims to appeal to a large audience and not just a limited crowd or subculture. His music does not reflect a specific ideology but is dynamic and catchy thereby attracting a big population especially the youth.

Almost everyone in the world responds to music that has sentiments of love in it and this can be seen in almost all his works. As seen in his album Olurum Sana which literary means, I am crazy about you (Cable News Network, 1999), which went on to become his highest selling album. It sold a record 4.5 million records in his home country Turkey alone, in the titled album was the song S?mar?km, which was responsible for him winning an award. An Arabic blog writes that he became this song was a sensational summer hit and the world was looking forward to another one by Tarkan (Hot Arabic Music, n.d). His concerts are filled to capacity and one was labeled as concert of the year by the council in Turkey.

Tarkan’s music is very danceable and he easily integrates dance in his recordings and live performances. He is said to be a great dancer and this goes to define him more and make him more attractive in his chosen style of music. To the pop world, a musician must be able to please his fans by his dance moves in addition to his sound. Therefore, it is a requirement for a singer or a band that calls it music pop to be able to sing and dance. For Tarkan though, it comes easy, as he is a natural dancer and performer (LetsSingIt, n.d). Pop music is very trend oriented, in that it sets to be a pace setter, which sees it commanding a large following by the youth, Tarkan’s style, has been emulated by the youth in his country.

They are eager to copy how he dresses and record music that seems to command a following like his. Pop culture has been the biggest contributor to the fashion world, the youth dress as they see their pop celebrities dressing