They’re all young, thin, black female singers with one name (e.g., Rihanna, Ciara, Mya). Are they all interchangeable pop creations, or do one or more of them have different singing styles?
They’re entirely interchangeable. Think of it as a RAID configuration for pop music.
Mya seems to have dropped off the radar. She had a small role in the movie version of Chicago (suggesting she has musical theatre aspirations), but I haven’t heard a new single from her in years. Ciara is definitely the most prolific of the current R&B girls (or her songwriters and producers are, I should say), and she has a low, husky voice. Rihanna has hip-hop impresario Jay-Z in her corner, and her voice is a lot more nasal and whiny, if you ask me. Then there was Cassie, who was Diddy’s protege, who had one forgettable single, “Me and You” (or possibly “Me N U,” as is the style of the day), which was perfect for doing The Robot to and not much else.
It’s a sure sign that I’m getting old when I haven’t heard of any of these singers. Of course I’ve been into jazz lately so I can use that as my excuse.