Billboard magazine suggests sexual explicitness by female artists may be mismarketing.

INFLUENTIAL American trade magazine Billboard ran a front page story in its January 24th issue suggesting that public's taste for sexually explicit female singers may be waning. The article, Sexual Overload: Angst-Ridden Public's Mood For Raunch Sours, said, "Christina vamps like a burlesque stripper. Britney's gone from school girl to slut. Pink is punk. Many of music's reigning divas are partying like it's 1999, even though the world has become a darker, more uncertain and more anxious place since September 11, 2001. With the economy in a funk and record sales down for three years running, even established artists are sexing it up - no doubt encouraged by edgy industry executives. The problem is, the public just doesn't seem to be in the mood for it and the recent mediocre album sales by Spears, Pink and similar artists may reflect a classic case of mismarketing."

The article continued by quoting social psychologist Terry Pettijohn, "When social and economic times are more threatening and pessimistic, we actually prefer others with more mature facial, body and personality characteristics."