Items25The creator’s order
  1. 1David BowieDavid BowieBorn 8 Jan 1947Compare Ziggy Stardust with the restrained presentation of the Berlin period and the polished pop performer of the Serious Moonlight tour. Bowie's changes reach beyond wardrobe into rhythm, vocal delivery and the kind of character addressing the audience. The V&A's archive of costumes, sketches and…0i
  2. 2MadonnaMadonnaBorn 16 Aug 1958Ray of Light offers a particularly rich example of Madonna changing the terms of her public image. The electronic textures developed with William Orbit accompany a more reflective vocal and lyrical stance, while Frozen's visual world gives the shift an immediately recognisable form. Listen to the…0i
  3. 3Prince (musician)Prince (musician)Born 7 Jun 1958Sign o' the Times is a useful point at which to watch Prince refuse a fixed identity after the enormous visibility of Purple Rain. The album moves between stark social observation, funk, intimate songs and exuberant pop, and the accompanying concert film gives that range a new stage language. A…0i
  4. 4Grace JonesGrace JonesBorn 19 May 1948The move from disco recordings to Warm Leatherette, Nightclubbing and Living My Life brought Jones's voice into a leaner mixture of reggae, new wave and funk. Sly and Robbie, Wally Badarou and the wider Compass Point team are central to that change. The severe silhouettes and theatrical performance…0i
  5. 5Janet JacksonJanet JacksonBorn 16 May 1966Control and Rhythm Nation 1814 turn Jackson's emerging independence into a sustained musical and visual argument. The production she developed with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis has the force to support that change, while Rhythm Nation's disciplined choreography and coordinated clothing extend it into…0i
  6. 6Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueBorn 28 May 1968Minogue's path through Impossible Princess, Light Years and Fever shows reinvention without a simple narrative of one authentic self replacing a false one. The more exploratory writing of Impossible Princess gives way to theatrical disco pleasure, then the cooler electronic poise of Fever. She has…0i
  7. 7Lady GagaLady GagaBorn 28 Mar 1986Gaga's work with Tony Bennett reveals an established musical interest in a newly prominent form. Cheek to Cheek shifts attention from the elaborate machinery of her dance-pop performances towards phrasing, live interaction and jazz standards, accompanied by a different kind of glamour. The later…0i
  8. 8BeyoncéBeyoncéBorn 4 Sept 1981The self-titled visual album of 2013 changed how Beyoncé presented a body of work, placing songs and films together in an unannounced release. Lemonade expanded that approach into a more continuous visual and emotional journey. The reinvention lies partly in the frame: the audience is invited to…0i
  9. 9RihannaRihannaBorn 20 Feb 1988Anti is a strong example of a pop star changing the listening experience around a familiar voice. Rather than relying only on a succession of obvious singles, the album moves through mood, texture and unusually exposed vocal moments. Rihanna identified the opening Consideration as a statement of…0i
  10. 10Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftBorn 13 Dec 1989Swift's move into the synth-pop of 1989 and later towards the more subdued storytelling of Folklore offers two distinct kinds of reinvention. The first enlarges the bright pop spectacle; the second creates room for fictional perspectives and quieter textures, developed with collaborators including…0i