Taylor Swift

She is just standard pop music. She has a few strong qualities that make her fans more devoted than your typical pop star.

First, she writes a lot of her own music. The lyrics, the stories, they are personal explorations. Fans feel closer to her because of the perceived intimacy and shared experiences. Her songs are often about her own flaws, her vulnerabilities and insecurities, and that humanizes her in a way that doesn't happen with most pop singers.

The second is that she's had a prolific career. She's been writing and performing chart-topping hits for nearly 20 years, and shows no signs of slowing down. Her catalogue is deep and varied in both style and content, and yet because it is personal, it is all distinctly associated with her. Whether it's bubblegum country, moody introspective electronica, dance hall woo-girl sing-alongs, or just a straight torch song about a bad breakup, her music is consistently high quality music without being stale or repetitive. And when she performs, it's her best work. She's obviously having fun, giving it her all, and connecting with the crowd.

Yes, it's pop music. But it's good pop music, crafted and performed by a professional who cares about the quality. It's not manufactured, artificially sweetened one-hits assembled in a lab by marketing gurus. I'm sure there's some of that, but she wouldn't have made it this far if she weren't the genuine article.