20 times popular artists released music outside their typical genre

It's not uncommon for a rapper to sing, but it's less common for a singer to rap. Rihanna proved that she could do it all when she rapped a verse on the song "Lemon." No matter what genre she's exploring, she's got fans who want to listen. 

Beyoncé has covered many genres in her decades-long career, but she stepped most outside her typical sound in 2016 when she included the country song "Daddy Lessons" in her album Lemonade. Then, in 2024, she went full country with two singles released early in the year and an album released in early spring. 

Post Malone has collaborated with several artists outside his typical genre, notably on a remix of the folk song "Dial Drunk" by Noah Kahan. Post has also announced that his next album is going to be a country record. It seems that the artist is only going to grow more and more popular with his new music. 

Kanye West is widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, but he's proved that rap isn't the only genre of music in his wheelhouse. After popularizing his Sunday Service music, he dropped a full gospel album called Jesus Is King, and he even won a Grammy for the record.

Chris Brown showed he can rap as well as he can sing in his 2011 hit "Look At Me Now." He enlisted some heavy hitters in the genre to back him up in the song, giving Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne featured verses. 

Although most of Whitney Houston's music was R&B and pop, her voice was suited to any genre. Houston sang various gospel tunes throughout her career, and in 2023, a posthumous compilation album of her gospel work called I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston was released. 

Justin Bieber has collaborated with lots of artists across genres, but one that stands out was his duet with the country duo Dan + Shay. Together, the three churned out the successful song "10,000 Hours," a fun country love song that reached Bieber’s mainstream fans. 

Britney Spears has worked with rap artists multiple times, but a notable time was her collaboration with will.i.am. The two worked on the song "Scream & Shout" together, giving Spears a melodic part on a song otherwise occupied by rap and dance beats. 

Bob Dylan rose to fame through his folk and blues music. In the middle of his career, he switched to gospel for a bit after converting to Christianity. Dylan has since gone back to his roots musically, but he still maintains his religious beliefs. 

Florida Georiga Line has a way of making pop artists turn country for a moment. The band enlisted another band, the Backstreet Boys, to collaborate on the song "God, Your Mama, And Me" near the beginning of the group's renaissance. 

Usher entered his EDM phase for a brief moment when he contributed vocals to the David Guetta song "Without You." No surprises here. Usher killed it. The man knows how to sing, and sing he did on the track. 

MGK hinted throughout his rap career that he was interested in releasing pop-punk with some one-offs on various albums, but he fully transitioned away from rap with his pop-punk albums Tickets to My Downfall and Mainstream Sellout, both of which were his most commercially successful albums to date. 

Expect the unexpected from Snoop Dogg. After building a career as a successful rapper, Snoop stepped outside his typical genre with a reggae album. The switch didn't last long, though. He released Reincarnated in 2013, and by his next album, he was back to rapping. 

Lady Gaga has one of the strongest voices in music. Of course, she can successfully switch genres. The icon teamed up with the late legend Tony Bennett to record a series of jazz albums. Unsurprisingly, the albums were a hit, and Gaga gained an entirely new demographic of fans. 

The few times Nelly has gone country, he's ended up on some super popular tracks. Back in the late 2000s, Nelly collaborated with Tim McGraw on the song "Over and Over" for a country rap tune. In the next decade, he worked with Florida Georgia Line on a few country hits, "Cruise," "Smooth," and "Lil Bit."

Gwen Stefani is no stranger to switching genres, but she went farthest outside her comfort zone after she married country star Blake Shelton. The two have recorded a number of country duets since entering a relationship, proving that Stefani has a range that can rival anyone in music today. 

A number of artists have dipped their toes into country waters for some collaborations, including Pink. The singer has recorded multiple country collaborations, but her most popular has been her 2016 duet with Kenny Chesney, "Setting the World on Fire." Three years later, she released her single "Walk Me Home," marking her closest solo venture to country. 

Something about the late 2000s and early 2010s saw country and rap artists collaborate. Ludacris teamed up with Jason Aldean to lend a rap verse to the song "Dirt Road Anthem," which went on to garner multiple award nominations, including a Grammy nomination. 

Lana Del Rey has stuck to various versions of pop music throughout her iconic career, but in 2023, she announced she’d be taking a different route for her next album: country. The artist gave fans a taste of what was to come by releasing her cover of John Denver’s classic "Take Me Home, Country Roads."

Zedd has had many artists contribute vocals to his dance tracks, but one of the most surprising hits came from a collaboration with Maren Morris. The two worked on the song "The Middle" together, which stayed a hit for months.