"With the very idea of originality in flux, another trait defines today's most interesting stars. Distinctiveness is what matters: the ability not to separate from the crowd but to stand out within it. The occasional lawsuit aside, pop stars are now much more willing to wear their influences proudly and make clear how they're building their own music from them.
"Pop that aims for distinctiveness acknowledges its influences, tries to do them one better and, at its best, works real transformation. The White Stripes are distinctive because they're high-concept, putting the blues through an art-school wringer and coming up with a sound that's so far from 'authentic' it finds a different road into truth. Brad Paisley is distinctive because he combines a neo-traditionalist Nashville sound with lyrics that poke gentle fun at contemporary mores. Beyoncé is distinctive because her rhythm-conscious vocal style updates the approach of the soul divas she emulates."
In the Los Angeles Times, Ann Powers ponders the declining fortunes of "originality" in pop music.
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