From radical reinventions to questionable detours - music's biggest genre-hoppers! Watch as we explore artists who successfully transformed their sound and those who probably wish they hadn't. These musicians took bold risks that either revolutionized their careers or sent fans running for the exit.
00:00So it's gonna be forever, or it's gonna go down in flames
00:05Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most daring musicians
00:10who drastically altered their sound and either received critical acclaim or sparked mixed reactions
00:16Dorks say you never know how, how everything could turn around
00:22Number 5 failed, Snoop Dogg
00:27One king, one faith, one religion
00:29And if you hear me, come and join the revolution
00:33For his 2013 album Reincarnated, Snoop Dogg did just that
00:38temporarily shedding his iconic West Coast rap persona to reinvent himself as Snoop Lion
00:43The project took a detour from hip-hop to reggae and dancehall
00:47Inspired by the rapper's spiritual journey to Jamaica and newfound connection to Rastafarianism
00:52But as hard as Snoop Dogg tried, fans and critics just weren't buying it
01:05Many felt that the genre shift lacked authenticity and seemed to treat Rastafarianism as a temporary gimmick
01:11That certainly wasn't helped by the inclusion of artists like Drake, Rita Ora, and Miley Cyrus
01:16Whose laughably bad attempts at Jamaican accents were widely mocked
01:21Unsurprisingly, Snoop Dogg soon abandoned the genre experiment and reverted to his hip-hop roots
01:33Number 5 succeeded, Poppy
01:35When she first launched her career, singer-songwriter Poppy was known for her unsettling internet influencer pop persona
01:42Her early work featured surreal, satirical lyrics set to an electropop sound
01:47But then, she made a radical pivot towards metal, particularly on her 2020 album I Disagree
02:00After teasing heavier influences in previous releases, Poppy fully embraced new metal on this album
02:07Incorporating heavy guitar riffs, industrial noise, and screamo elements into her signature sound
02:12The transformation was jarring, but in the best way possible
02:23Critics praised her for pushing boundaries, and metal fans embraced her for defying genre norms
02:28The album's third single, Blood Money, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance
02:34Making her the first solo female artist ever recognized in that category
02:38Number 4 failed, Machine Gun Kelly
02:48Hip-hop lost another artist in 2020 when Machine Gun Kelly shifted away from the genre to embrace pop punk and rock
02:56Kelly had initially gained recognition as a rapper, even sparking a high-profile feud with Eminem
03:02I'm sick of them sweatsuits and them corny hats, let's talk about it
03:05I'm sick of you being rich and you still mad, let's talk about it
03:08But shortly after their clash, he began collaborating with Blink-182's Travis Barker
03:13And released Tickets to My Downfall
03:16Which took on a more guitar-driven sound
03:19While it found commercial success, many dismissed it as a shallow imitation of Blink-182
03:31Kelly doubled down on this transformation with 2022's mainstream sellout
03:36Positioning himself as a modern punk icon and the genre savior
03:40At this point, longtime punk fans who previously supported his evolution turned on him
03:46Kelly's credibility in both the hip-hop and rock communities has consequently taken a massive hit
03:52Number 4 succeeded, Darius Rucker
04:00This Charleston, South Carolina native has won Best New Artist Awards at two very different stages of his career
04:14The first came at the 1996 Grammy Awards as the frontman of the soft rock band Hootie and the Blowfish
04:20There's nothing I can do
04:23I only wanna be with you
04:26After the group went on hiatus in 2008, Rucker felt drawn back to his southern roots
04:33And signed with Capitol Records Nashville as a solo country artist
04:36His debut single, Don't Think I Don't Think About It, became a surprise hit
04:41Making him the first solo African-American artist in decades to top the country charts
04:46Don't think I don't think about it
04:49Don't think I don't have regrets
04:52Rucker's success earned him the New Artist of the Year trophy at the 2009 Country Music Association Awards
04:59Three years later, his place in the genre was solidified with his induction into the Grand Ole Opry
05:05It's such a special thing, you know, it's something that, you know, I don't, 20 years ago
05:11I don't think you would have really thought that I would be standing here, you know, and here I am
05:15And I'm feeling real special today
05:17Number 3 failed, Jewel
05:19In the late 90s and early 2000s, singer-songwriter Jewel captured hearts with her soft melodies and folksy lyrics
05:26This is my heart bleeding before you
05:30This is me down on my knees
05:34That gentle acoustic style became her signature
05:37So when she dropped her fifth album, 0304, in 2003, fans were caught off guard
05:42A significant departure from her roots, 0304 embraced a glossy dance pop sound inspired by artists like Madonna and Kylie Minogue
05:51Jewel called it both a creative experiment and a satirical response to the music industry's expectations of women
06:04But that nuance was lost on most listeners
06:07Instead, she was criticized for seeming desperate and accused of selling out
06:12Even worse, she looked visibly uncomfortable in her new dance pop persona
06:17Although she returned to her folk origins, Jewel has struggled to reattain her previous commercial success
06:30Number 3 succeeded
06:32Childish Gambino
06:33Donald Glover's career has been a masterclass in how to constantly reinvent yourself without losing your true identity
06:40As his musical alter ego, childish Gambino
06:43Glover initially won acclaim for his hip-hop driven albums, Camp and Because the Internet
06:47However, he went in a drastically different direction with the 2016 follow-up, Awaken My Love
06:59Inspired by acts like Prince and Funkadelic, this album traded rap for lush R&B, Funk and Soul
07:06Playing homage to 1970s music without ever feeling derivative
07:10This is the end of us
07:14The standout single, Redbone, became a cultural phenomenon
07:23Winning one Grammy and earning two other nominations, including for Record of the Year
07:28With this shift, Glover solidified himself as one of the most versatile and visionary artists of his generation
07:35Number 2 failed
07:44Lil Wayne
07:45After the massive success of the Carter III, fans were on the edge of their seats for Lil Wayne's next move
07:51But their expectations were dashed when he stepped outside of rap and veered into rock with his 2010 follow-up, Rebirth
07:58Though traces of hip-hop remained, Lil Wayne took on a punk-inspired aesthetic, aiming to redefine his sound with distorted guitars and auto-tuned vocals
08:14The results were befuddling
08:24His take on rock felt hollow, like he had beaten the sound down to a generic over-processed imitation
08:30For such a lyrical genius, the songwriting was surprisingly weak
08:34The production lackluster and his attempts to fuse both genres fell disappointingly flat
08:45Ultimately, Rebirth failed to resonate with longtime fans, and did little to attract any new ones
08:51Number 2 succeeded
08:53Taylor Swift
08:54Taylor Swift began her career as a teenage country singer-songwriter known for her relatable songs about love and heartbreak
09:09As her fanbase grew, she gradually infused her music with pop influences, culminating in the full-blown pop sound of 2014's 1989
09:18Swift collaborated with top producers like Max Martin and Ryan Tedder
09:31Crafting a solid collection of infectious tracks that retains the emotional depth of her earlier work
09:37The risk paid off, 1989 earned her a second Grammy for Album of the Year
09:42Not one to remain in one lane, Swift shifted again in 2020 with Folklore and Evermore, leaning into a softer, indie folk sound
09:57Although each transition was met with initial skepticism, they consistently revealed new layers of Swift's talent and ultimately received widespread acclaim
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10:22Number 1 failed
10:23Vanilla Ice
10:25Vanilla Ice was never known for making music anyone would describe as critically acclaimed
10:30His biggest hit, Ice Ice Baby, was widely seen as a novelty rap song
10:36Although it helped nudge hip-hop into the mainstream
10:39If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it
10:41Check out the hook when my DJ revolves it
10:43Ice Ice Baby
10:45Ice continued making rap music with diminishing success
10:48Until 1998, when he made a drastic shift into nu metal with the album Hard to Swallow
10:54Produced by Ross Robinson, who had worked with Corn and Limp Bizkit
11:07The album lacked the innovation of those bands and was regarded as derivative
11:12Not only did it fail to impress music critics, it also fell flat for fans
11:17Making minimal sales and failing to chart
11:20Indeed, you could say that Hard to Swallow lived up to its title
11:51While she has long explored different genres, that experimentation took center stage with her ambitious trilogy project
11:58She launched the series with 2022's Renaissance, a house and ballroom inspired album that honored black queer culture and revitalized a genre often overlooked by the mainstream
12:08I'm building my own foundation, yeah
12:12Hold up, oh baby, baby, you won't break my soul
12:15It won Best Dance Electronic Album at the Grammys and was nominated for Album of the Year
12:21Then came Cowboy Carter, a daring pivot into country music, a genre with a well-documented history of excluding black artists
