The article looks back at ‘Buttered Popcorn’, an early Supremes single from the group’s pre-fame years, to explore how differently the Motown act might have sounded had Diana Ross not become their defining lead voice. Released in the early 1960s before the group’s breakthrough, the track featured a different member on lead vocals, offering a glimpse of an alternative musical direction that never materialised once Ross was pushed to the forefront by Motown boss Berry Gordy. The piece is of interest to soul and Motown fans as a reminder that The Supremes' now-iconic sound was not inevitable but the result of specific creative and commercial decisions.

The article situates ‘Buttered Popcorn’ within the group's formative period, when The Supremes were still finding their identity and had yet to achieve the run of hits that made them one of the best-selling girl groups in history. It highlights how Motown's eventual decision to centre Ross as lead singer reshaped the group's trajectory, sidelining other members' vocal contributions and setting the template for the polished pop sound that followed.