Skip to main content
crossover

crossover

19 4.7
Music, album, or artist that mixes two styles to reach more listeners
  • noun
  • /ˈkrɔˌsɔvər/
translation icon : crossover
  • Prima also enjoyed an astounding degree of crossover success with younger non-Italians.
  • crossover criticism

And because there's a lot of Southern West Coast underground, like crossover.

Examples

  • I mean, being big in Mexico and doing that whole English crossover thing.

  • The album features a crossover of pop and classical elements that appeals to a wide audience.

  • My agent thinks it's gonna make me a crossover star.

  • An exclusive look at the story behind the crossover success of the decade.

  • I've been thinking about the crossover tour a lot.

  • The artist's latest single demonstrates her crossover into the country genre, attracting fans from both styles.

  • With its crossover hits merging rap and rock, the band gained popularity across multiple music charts.

Synonyms

mashup
vscrossover
5 4.6

A new piece made by mixing parts of different songs or videos

is oriented toward wider commercial appeal by combining popular and other genres
smashup
vscrossover
1 5.3

A mix of two different styles to make something new

specifically targets broader popularity by pairing popular music with another genre
crossover of genres
vscrossover
5.8

A work that mixes elements of two or more genres

aims to reach a wider audience by mixing popular music with other styles
smash-up
vscrossover
  • Jargon
4.9

A mix of two songs or styles that makes a new track

focuses on appealing to a larger audience through popular and other style blending

Compounds

1 7.1

A person who belongs to one political party but votes in another party's primary

A work that mixes elements of two or more genres

How Mainstream

pop
6 2.9
crossover
19 4.7

Surface Forms

crossover singular
crossovers plural

Morphology

crossover = cross (transparent) = over + cross

The musical sense is a direct metaphorical extension of 'cross' + 'over' meaning mixing or moving across genres, which learners can readily infer. [Postprocessing: moved 'over' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Crossover comes from the parts cross ('to go from one side to another') and over ('across'). So a musical crossover 'goes across' style borders and mixes two kinds of music, which is why we use it for songs or artists that blend genres.