With all the genres and sub-genres it can be difficult to identify mainstream pop, the genre that is perceived to impact popular culture, that targets teens.

If you’ve been out-of-touch with popular music, then follow these tips to pin down the current pop sound. Plus, you’ll appear to be hip with your peers, with your finger on the pulse.

For starters, you can go to the Billboard Pop Charts and sift through the top 20. Spotify and Shazam will also show you what’s trending. These particular charts are reflective of popular culture but may not paint the best picture. Artists outside of the mainstream like Hozier and Gotye can slip through the cracks which would not mirror the current sound.

Here is a tried–and–true tip. Seek out the older women who wants to revive her former career at pop radio.

Old timers on big labels that want another shot at fame will hire 20 songwriters, 20 producers, a hip stylist, and videographer, with the hope of climbing their way back on the top 40 charts. All in all, they are hoping to penetrate the minds and the emotions of the teens.

With that said, here I am scrolling down the iTunes Top 20. We have Justin Timberlake, Meghan Trainor, Drake, Calvin Harris, Adele, and…Aha! Fergie. She fits the profile of the older mother with a former pop radio career. I won’t jump to conclusions quite yet until I watch the video. Three minutes have passed since I viewed the video. Yep, that’s it! Perceived current pop sound identified.

Look no further than Fergie’s newest single M.I.L.F.$. The middle aged mom called on the services of creative professionals to photoshop her into a young Nicki Minaj with sound, song, and image. The lyrics consist of sound bites, slogans, and google-searched buzzwords aimed to capture controversy and discussion.

Fergie is desperately seeking celebrity with this outlandish video but that’s life in Hollywood. Now, when your friends are discussing politics, children, and daycare don’t forget to include Fergie in your adult conversation and talk about her new track M.I.L.F.$ . You’ll be looked upon as a tastemaker, that of course until they stream the video. After that, you may not have any friends left.