The rules for being a pop star are blurring and bending rapidly with each passing day.

No longer is a pop superstar necessarily associated with the squeaky-clean bubblegum sheen of yesteryear. Instead, brooding melody-makers, jazz singers and genre-blurring experimental singer-songwriters have taken the charts by storm with their alternative approach. Take the runaway success of "Royals," the anthemic anti-money ode to by the ultimate anti-pop pop star, Lorde, for instance. Or Lana Del Rey's continued streak of chart-topping albums like the dreamy Honeymoon, despite not having a single Top 40-friendly song in the bunch. And then there's Marina And The Diamonds, a singer-songwriter with a knack for a solid pop melody, but a desire to write songs with much deeper meaning than just turning up on the dance floor.

While their music, messages and artistry differ greatly, all of these women share in their refusal to bow to modern production trends and cliche pop music tropes — despite their massive popularity. They are breaths of fresh air, both in oft-cluttered radio airwaves and as blogosphere favorites offering an alternative to the usual pop suspects.

We've gathered together some of our favorite girls shaking up the scene with their unique sounds. Take a look above!

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