Indie pop was born out of the British post-punk era of the 1970’s and early 1980’s, developing into a unique genre that combines both a philosophy (creative control and independence from commercial interests) and a style (pop-oriented guitar.) With a more harmonious approach to sound than its sister genre, indie rock, and eschewing the emo angst that often characterizes indie rock, indie pop has withstood the test of time and continues to thrive well into the millennium’s second decade.

Initially, in the 1970’s, indie pop and indie music were somewhat interchangeable. Embracing punk’s “do it yourself” approach to the industry, various bands sought opportunities to record, release, and distribute their own music instead of actively seeking recording contracts with major labels. At the time, the approach was unheard of; but the rebelliousness of the punk movement made the new endeavor a good fit, and defined a genre as much on its ideology as it did its musical qualities.

Previously, indie rock styles had been associated with more serious subject matter and a grittier sound; likewise, pop music had been characterized by top 40 hits and a celebrity-style glamour among its performers. Discarding both these elements, indie pop became a genre of its own, and by the 1990’s, artists such as Avril Lavigne (“Complicated”); Bjork (“Venus as a Boy”); Fiona Apple (“Criminal”); and The Shins (“New Slang”) were all categorized—at least in part—as indie pop. Spinoff genres began to emerge in the new millennium, including “twee pop” (featuring romance-focused lyrics and catchy melodies; and “chamber pop” (featuring heavy orchestrations.)

Today, indie rock continues to enjoy success with musical acts such as Halsey (“Now or Never’); Regina Spektor (“Fidelity”); Vance Joy (“Riptide”); and even artists such as Ed Sheeran (“Shape of You,” “Castle on the Hill”), who has enjoyed staggering crossover success as not only an indie pop artist, but also as a rock and alternative artist. Sia (“Chandelier”), known for her heavy use of electronics, is also often characterized as indie pop, largely due to the ambiguity of her commercial success while struggling to eschew commercialism philosophically.

Ultimately, the indie pop genre will likely remain as fluid as the independent and pop genres themselves; although its likely that those characterized within the genre will remain as diverse as ever, it’s also likely that what is considered “indie pop” in the future will change drastically as pop itself changes in the coming years.