I will now draw your attention to more music writing on Slate

Jody Rosen really is the man. But is it just me or does he switch between using the word "pop" on the one haned to refer specifically to Britney-and-Justin-style music, and then on the other to refer much more broadly to "popular music", including the traditional rock music that's being talked about as existing in opposition to pop? Including using it both ways in the same graf (the one near the bottom that begins "it's also helpful..."). This seems confusing, no?