new (and old) music friday #54: tom aspaul, MARINA, pale waves, betta lemme, kylie minogue

since my last post, not much has changed, as the minute england's month-long lockdown ended, most of the country - including manchester - has been put straight back into tier 3, meaning we still can't meet people indoors and pubs and restaurants must remain closed. 

while my mental health is generally Not Great, for some reason i found it even more difficult to deal with the effects of the lockdown over the last two weeks.

maybe it's because the days are getting increasingly shorter and the sun now sets at 4pm; i had no idea that the lack of sunlight could have such a big impact on how i feel. 

the only other significant thing was that i turned 25 (!) on halloween, and celebrated my birthday with just one (1) close friend in an outdoor space with only a bluetooth speaker and several bottles of wine, but weirdly it ended up being The Best birthday i've ever had, despite the fact we couldn't go to Tha Club. 

i'll spare you the clichéd bullshit about how it's the people you surround yourself with that makes Life Events like birthdays more enjoyable, but it's one thing i've realised as a result of this incredibly stressful year, and something i hope to hold onto once we're all vaccicnated and can return to a vague sense of normality. 

that's enough of the Fake Deep stuff for now though - below are the artists and albums that have been keeping me (slightly) sane during this trying time. 

1. tom aspaul

i first became aware of tom aspaul when he released the excellent single back 2 earth in 2019, and he recently followed it up with his debut album, black country disco.

the theme of ~home~ is one i've explored at length since this blog began 5 (!) years ago and it was screaming about the music that most reminded me of manchester that led me to where i am now, so when i heard that his album was an ode to his hometown of birmingham, i was instantly intrigued before i'd even heard a single song.

by combining the disco sound that has slowly been creeping back into the pop landscape with lyrics exploring the end of a relationship, difficulties in his music career and returning to birmingham after living in london for several years, aspaul has created a collection of impeccably catchy tracks that i can't get enough of.

highlights include tender, traces, title track black country disco and my personal favourite W.M., which makes birmingham sound like a neon-drenched paradise, something i never though any artist could achieve.

2. astrid s

the norwegian singer released her long-awaited debut album leave it beautiful last month, and though it's a lot more ~muted~ than i was hoping for, the tove lo-esque tracks still have that satisfying synth-driven sound i love, even if the choruses are slightly less dramatic than i would have liked.

title track leave it beautiful is an ode to possibly the most amicable break-up ever, as she pledges to end things on a positive note with her ex, while quite literally singing the praises of a new love on can't forget.

there's also some Self Reflection, which can often seem trite, but astrid avoids this by sprinkling in some of her personal experiences on good choices - who hasn't stayed out late when they know they're up at eight the next day?

with the exclusion of singles dance dance dance and marilyn monroe, my favourite track has to be hits different, an ode to ~self love~ that makes an excellent Walking Song, whether you're newly single or not.

sadly i didn't get to hear any of these songs live as her UK tour - scheduled to start this month - was postponed due to COVID, but hopefully next year i'll be able to yell along to the words at full volume like nothing ever happened.

3. kylie minogue

as i said before, disco has well and truly made a return to the world of pop, and naturally kylie minogue's 15th (!) studio album is the best of a good bunch.

after the disappointment of her cliché country album golden in 2018, i was nervous that her first new music in two years would be disappointing, and while her first few singles didn't thrill me, the rest of DISCO definitely exceeded my expectations.

a filler-free album is hard to find, but of course kylie delivered on this front, and while i naturally favour certain songs over others, there's not a Bad Song in sight (or sound). 

speaking of favourites, my number one track is the daft punk-inspired dance floor darling, which deserves a grammy purely for the middle part which speeds up slightly like that bit in come on eileen before erupting into a final Dramatic Chorus, and i'm dreaming of the day when i can finally hear it, five drinks deep and covered in a light sheen of sweat, on an actual dance floor. 

coming in as a close second is real groove, an impeccable track that sees kylie green-eyed with jealousy over her ex's new lover; resentment never sounded so sweet. 

it wouldn't be a disco album without at least one reference to ABBA, and this comes in the form of last chance, with a chorus that borrows heavily from the aha! refrain that makes the chorus of voulez-vous so joyous. 

giving vroom vroom a run for its money, kylie implores listeners to jump in my ride at the start of fine wine, a divine CHIC-esque track, and there's more of the same sound on spotlight, hey lonely and supernova. 

i adore the drama of where does the DJ go? which sees kylie trying to chance another dance before morning. if anyone knows the feeling of not wanting the party to end, it has to be me; i've been known to stay in Tha Club alone long after my friends have called it a night, and this song would be a superb soundtrack to my solo discos. 

i also discovered a new appreciation of those aforementioned singles after watching her live-streamed concert, infinite disco, which can only be described as a religious experience. while i love it and magic still aren't my favourite tracks from DISCO, i can imagine them going down an absolute treat when she can perform in front of a packed-out arena once again. 

4. fraxoim/gupi

from classic pop to hyperpop's most weird and wonderful, i've been obsessed with fraxiom's blend of synth-pop and mid-2000s pop punk, and would even go as far as to say that thos moser is the best representation of what "pop" music can - and should - sound like in 2020.

they've been releasing music at an alarmingly fast pace and while i was still processing this song, i discovered the feeling cool and normal EP.

naturally my favourite is fly with ü, which samples the Absolute Banger l'amour toujours, but i also love how this guitar interpolates lyrics from ed sheeran's song thinking out loud and making them bearable, while cishets (i don't want it at all) deserves a mention for the title alone.

hailing from boston, fraxiom is also one half of the duo food house along with gupi (who produced slayyyer's most recent single, the chaotic NSFW banger throatzillaaa).

their debut album arrived at the end of october and while it probably won't make (m)any end of year lists, it's definitely one of my favourite releases this year.

choosing a favourite track is near impossible as they're all so good, pulling from more contemporary artists such as SOPHIE and 100 gecs along with the iconic sound of scene artists like metro station and cash cash.

ride appears to be a fan favourite, and 8 now is a lyrical highlight, urging listeners to "get your ass off twitter cause it gives you fucking mental illness".

also worthy of a mention is clown nose, which sees them put their own spin on circus by britney spears, along with 51129, one you know and mos thoser, a reworked version of my beloved thos moser.

5. 3OH!3/100 gecs 

when i first heard about this collaboration, i was sure it had to be a joke, so imagine my joy when it turned out to be real.

i must admit that i found lonely machines slightly underwhelming; given the combined power that 3OH!3 and 100 gecs could possess, there was something a little subdued about the track.

hopefully this won't be the last time they collaborate, as i'm praying for a banger on par with 3OH!3's biggest hits don't trust me and starstrukk.

after waiting over a decade to see 3OH!3 in january this year, it became one of many gigs to be rescheduled for 2021, and i'm manifesting 100 gecs being announced as the support act when they finally travel across the pond.

6. paloma faith 

this is one artist i never expected to be writing about, as i've always found paloma faith's voice somewhat grating, and she doesn't even have the bops to back it up.

however, i stumbled across supernatural from her latest album infinite things, and was blown away by this michael bolton-esque power ballad with one of the most dramatic choruses of any song released this year (or maybe ever).

sadly it seemed to be a one off, as the rest of the album veered into her usual Sad Piano Ballad territory - with the exception of Mild Bops monster and living with a stranger - but i'll be yelling along to this impeccable track until further notice.

7. MARINA

i have a somewhat tumultuous relationship with MARINA's music; once upon a time i was a Huge Fan, but everything post-FROOT failed to thrill me, and the less said about love + fear the better. 

so when she announced her new single man's world, it prompted an in-depth speculation between one of my friends and i, as we feared it would be another disappointment. 

luckily the track retained the electro-pop sound that defined FROOT, with similarly ~political~ lyrics that reference the sultan of brunei of all things. 

only marina could get away with such a specific reference and make it work in the context of a pop song, and it's this talent that makes her such a strong songwriter. 

she also made the decision to produce the song herself, working with just one producer, jennifer decilveo, best known for her work with anne-marie and NCT 127. 

if this largely piano-driven track is anything to go by, it looks like marina's upcoming fifth album will have a similar sound to FROOT, and my dreams of another radioactive level banger probably won't come true any time soon. 

while man's world definitely isn't my favourite track she's ever released, her lyrical talent is compelling enough to keep me interested, and hopefully there'll be some slightly more upbeat songs on her eagerly anticipated album. 

8. pale waves

another band who made a musical comeback recently is manchester four-piece pale waves, who i've been a massive fan of ever since their first single there's a honey.

their work with the 1975's matty healy and george daniel helped build their fanbase and debut album my mind makes noises had their signature 80s-inspired synths all over it.

however this probably won't be the case for their upcoming album who am i? which has a release date of february 12th 2021.

new single change certainly marks a turning point in their sound, and lead singer heather baron-gracie has cited avril lavigne as a huge influence for both the single and the accompanying album.

as someone who grew up screaming along to complicated and trying my best to hit the high notes of i'm with you, i'm not mad about this sonic shift, but will definitely miss the synth-pop sound that made their first album one of my most played in 2018.

this NME interview provides some context for their decision to move away from the sound of their debut album, and it's hard not to be sympathetic towards the band and everything they've been through personally and professionally.

with heather now taking sole responsibility for the song-writing on who am i? and drummer ciara doran in charge of production, it must have been quite an adjustment, but already there's a new found sense of confidence that radiates from change, and i can't wait to see what comes next.

9. betta lemme

my most played song this week has to be mommy by better lemme.

i found it through my discover weekly playlist which is essentially spotify putting together a selection of songs it thinks you'll like, and so far they've been pretty spot on.

i first became aware of better lemme through leland, a long-time collaborator of troye sivan who co-wrote her 2019 single play, which has a Big Eurovision Energy.

this has been replaced with something slightly more ~edgy~ as mommy was produced by PC music's danny harle, hence why it's such a Huge Banger.

here's hoping this won't be a one-off collaboration, as i can't get enough of this club-ready bop, even if i can only dance to it in my room right now.

10. rina sawayama

as usual i saved the best till last, and i am once again extolling the virtues of rina sawayama. 

i first became acquainted with her music earlier this year and while i still wouldn't consider myself a Big Fan, i'm obsessed with her new single lucid, which has sent Gay Twitter into meltdown thanks to the club-ready production, though i do think it sounds eerily similar to now that i found you by carly rae jepsen, another absolute banger.

i also appreciate the use of the same-sex pronouns throughout - still very much a rarity in pop music and beyond - and her description of the song, which she says is about "living a different life through dreaming, whether it's to be with the dream girl or to be the dream girl".

she also tweeted that the song is "maybe" about masturbating, but as far as i'm concerned, it's the Bisexual Bop we've been missing since halsey dropped strangers with fifth harmony's lauren jauregui back in 2017 (!).

lucid is the first song to be released from the deluxe edition of her album XS, which also includes two new bonus tracks and a cover of love it if we made it by the 1975 (!).

the album will be released on december 4th, and i'm praying these new tracks could be enough to turn me into a full-fledged rina stan, but only time will tell if she delivers more bops. 

new (and old) music friday #51: allie x, robyn, kiesza, griff, rina sawayama

honestly, i couldn't be more relieved to see this week come to an end. 

a combination of Work Stress, hormones and driving lesson-induced panic has just about finished me off, so i decided to do the one thing that consistently brings me joy in times of trouble; write about some of my favourite songs from the last few weeks. 

but before we begin, i must draw attention to the fact that love again - one of my top three carly rae jepsen songs - is finally on spotify after five! long! years!

originally a bonus track from jepsen's seminal sophomore album emotion, i fell in love with it instantly and was always mystified as to why it never appeared on the album, even just as a bonus track (though it did appear on the japanese edition). 

however my days of wondering are no longer as she announced via twitter that love again and never get to hold you would be available on spotify.

the Queen of The Gays delivered once again, dropping a "deluxe expanded edition" of her finest work on the streaming platform today, so that's my plans sorted for the next 48 hours. 

1. allie x

another pop icon whose debut EP has been receiving a new wave of adoration from fans since the queens from canada's drag race lip-synced to her song hello is allie x. 

i still remember being captivated by bitch and prime back in 2014, but re-listening to the EP the other day literally brought me to tears, so in awe i was over the impeccable synth-driven production. 

i've struggled to listen to good as its lyrics have always been a bit too Close To Home, but i managed to push my feelings aside and appreciate the song and its super dramatic outro, along with the CHVRCHES-inspired sound of catch and tumour. 

but my favourite has got to be sanctuary, with production so intense i couldn't contain my tears, and have played it endlessly since.

i hate to admit it, but i found her most recent album cape god a bit too subdued for my liking, so i'm glad to have coxlltion I to tide me over until her next release. 

2. astrid s 

another artist i've been obsessing over in the last few months is astrid s, whose uber-catchy bops have been a mainstay in my most played songs, and her latest single marilyn monroe doesn't disappoint.

i hate to use the word "sassy" but that's exactly what this song is, a defiant statement to anyone who dares to judge not only astrid but women in general. 

it sometimes feels like whatever decision we make is open to criticism, whether that's wearing make-up or going bare-faced, dating casually or settling down with one person, and dressing in a ~revealing~ way as opposed to covering up. 

but none of that matters as soon as i press play on this absolute banger, which i can't wait to blast at full volume on my Daily Walks (literally the only vaguely good habit i've developed during lockdown). 

3. robyn 

i've always felt that robyn hit her peak with 2010's body talk, the album which spawned the original Sad Banger, dancing on my own - and a diabolical cover that somehow reached number 2 in the UK charts a few years later - along with hits like call your girlfriend, hang with me, indestructible and the sorely underrated stars 4-ever.

that all changed with her latest track impact, a collaboration with producer SG lewis and channel tres. it's the high impact (i am SORRY) production robyn's more recent releases have been lacking and i can't wait for this song to be played at full volume in Tha Club once we're allowed back on the dancefloor. 

4. kiesza 

Gay Twitter has been buzzing about the release of kiesza's latest offerings for the last few months, and with their 80s-inspired production and a Big Chorus or two, it's easy to see why. 

she first became known for her song hideaway back in 2014, which brings back somewhat distressing memories of nights out at uni as the song was played on loop in every single bar, so naturally i'm delighted she's moved towards a more pop sound. 

i'd highly recommend all of the feelings, crave, run renegade, and my favourite track love me with your lie, along with the MEDUN remix. 

5. FLETCHER 

i last wrote about FLETCHER when she released the alarmingly catchy track forever back in april, and her latest single if i hated you is another excellent break-up bop i've been playing non-stop. 

featuring a similar synth-laden chorus to forever, the track forms part of her upcoming EP the s(ex) tapes, set to be released on september 18th, which hopefully contains more of the same. 

6. the japanese house 

as someone who's always loved Big Pop Songs, i've found my enjoyment of the japanese house's low-key sound to be somewhat of an anomaly in my music taste, but ever since i first heard the pools to bathe in EP back in 2015, i've been a huge fan of amber bain. 

her latest EP chewing cotton wool follows her long-awaited full-length album good at falling, which was released last year and easily became one of my all-time favourite albums. 

upon first listen, i didn't love the EP's first single chewing cotton wool, but having re-listened, it's perfect for those times where i just need to be In My Feelings. 

opening track sharing beds harks back to amber's early days where her vocals were so distorted it was hard to tell if it was a man or woman singing, retaining that sharp electronic sound which had been missing from her more recent EPs, swim against the tide and 3/3. 

after taking what felt like a slightly more ~pop~ direction and stripping back the autotune on songs like you seemed so happy, somebody you found and good side in, i'm glad she's returned to her roots, as i still get the same goosebumps when i hear early tracks like still, clean and teeth, though that might just be the nostalgia talking. 

i instantly loved something has to change when it was released last september but my favourite track has to be dionne, a collaboration with justin vernon - aka bon iver - which no doubt sent Real Music fans (aka men who use beard oil non-ironically) into auto-drive. 

i could talk at length about how the use of autotune is praised when used by male artists like bon iver and francis and the lights but women such as charli xcx and amber herself face criticism for hiding their "real" voices with it, but i'd much rather talk about what an incredible track dionne is.

sonically it harks back to her earlier releases, but lyrically the track - and the EP as a whole - see amber exploring the aftermath of a breakup. 

on instagram she said these songs "punctuate the stages of coming out of a relationship and entering into a new phase", and her eloquent self-reflection is reflected in the lyrics of dionne, particularly "your past becomes your present if it's always on your mind", a feeling i know all too well as i've struggled to let certain people go in the past. 

7. griff

speaking of which, another artist who has been extolling the virtue of being kinder to yourself and Letting Go is griff. her track forgive myself hit me right where it hurts, so much so that i can't even choose a particular line that resonated the most. 

like the japanese house, it's a much more mellow sound than i generally gravitate towards, but as long as there's some synths thrown in i can get on board, particularly as she wrote and produced the whole track herself. 

her latest track say it again is slightly more upbeat in context, and i can feel myself developing a mild obsession with it in the coming weeks. 

think of it as a Dual Purpose Bop; perfect for playing in the background whilst working or doing a mundane task but transforming into a bit of a banger when played full volume with a hairbrush microphone in hand. 

8. rina sawayama

i must admit, when i saw rina sawayama support charli xcx in october last year, i wasn't particularly impressed, despite everyone on my twitter timeline professing their love for her. 

but during lockdown i became a regular attendee of queerantine, the virtual equivalent of girls night out, and one of the songs played was who's gonna save u now? by rina. 

this would make an excellent Karaoke Song, and i'm living for the day i can drunkenly scream along to it in a booth at my favourite bar. 

featuring a euphoric guitar solo and KEY CHANGE, it sounds like a modern day mash up of holding out for a hero and total eclipse of the heart by bonnie tyler, two of the most dramatic and iconic songs of all time, an honour i don't hand out to present day pop stars without good reason. 

i also really enjoy bad friend, a 1975-esque, auto-tuned Sad Bop that sees rina address her tendency to lose touch with once close friends. again, it's a familiar feeling, forcing me to accept that i too could have made more effort with friends i no longer speak to.

finally there's the brabo and pablo vittar remix of comme des garçons (like the boys) which i also discovered during one of the queerantine zoom nights and is an excellent song to make you feel like That Bitch.  

9. lesley roy

it wouldn't be a new music friday without a eurovision bop, and while this year's contest was cancelled due to coronavirus, i've been playing story of my life by lesley roy on repeat over the last couple of months. had the show gone ahead as planned, she would have represented ireland in the competition, and it's a travesty that we won't get to see it performed live. 

my only requirement for a eurovision song is that it's as "cheesy" as possible. while most people would consider this a bad thing, i gave up caring about what they think a long time ago, and this song fits the criteria perfectly with a Huge Chorus that wouldn't sound out of place on an early one direction song. 

10. the toppers

though not released this year, during one of the BBC's many eurovision-themed programmes they showed to try and compensate for the cancelled contest, i became aware of what is by far one of the cheesiest entries ever. 

representing the netherlands in 2009, the song is shine by a group called the toppers, which features alarmingly positive lyrics, a Big Chorus and multiple key changes, a winning formula that means i never get tired of hearing it. 

clearly the majority of people don't share my enthusiasm for the song as it failed to qualify for the eurovision final, but luckily we were blessed with a semi-final performance that includes a woman with an eerily resemblance to gemma collins on backing vocals and pretending to DJ, so if you need a serotonin boost, i'd highly recommend watching it here. 

11. samantha harvey

i can only assume it was popjustice who introduced me to british singer-songrwriter samantha harvey. 

she began posting covers on youtube back in 2017 before releasing her first EP in 2018, and while these generic, top-40 filler songs failed to thrill me, it was her 2019 single get to know you which caught my attention. 

gone were the Sad Piano Ballads and in their place, a much more 80s-inspired sound. 

get to know you is as catchy as they come, and she followed it up with a remix by ekko city, which gives the bubblegum pop masterpiece a club-ready edge. 

then in june this year she released hard to get, a slice of pop perfection with a chorus so good it still gives me chills every time i hear it.

hopefully there's more where that came from, and maybe she'll even sneak in a Key Change or two. 

new (and old) music friday #49: heidi montag, CXLOE, astrid s, julie bergan, loviet

after yet another shamefully long absence, new music friday is back as i attempt to work through the huge list of bops and bangers i've been listening to since the coronavirus pandemic begin. 

1. troye sivan 

of course i had to begin with the newest tracks from troye sivan. during lockdown he gave us take yourself home, a low-key track that builds to an excellent dance break. as the first single from his upcoming in a dream EP - arriving august 21st - it marks the beginning of an incredibly personal songwriting journey for the singer as he finds himself questioning everything about his life; he provides a more detailed explanation of the lyrics here.

then yesterday - after teasing the song and video on social media for several days - he released easy, though the song's subject matter is anything but, as it chronicles a crumbling relationship where one of the parties has cheated on the other and is begging for forgiveness. 

it immediately brought to mind the early/mid-2000s production of hellogoodbye and metro station with its synth-driven sound and heavily auto tuned vocals, while the video - directed by troye himself- pays homage to 70s-era david bowie, as troye sports a bright red wig, colourful make-up and a perfectly tailored vintage suit. 

as well as these new tracks, i also discovered this this, a bonus track from the target version of his album bloom, and i've had it on repeat non-stop, as well as the album itself. 

2. CXLOE

australian artist CXLOE can do no wrong; i've been following her career which began with the release of i can't have nice things last year, and she hasn't put a foot wrong since. tracks like SICK, show you and low blow have been on constant rotation and i can now add 12 steps to the mix. 

featuring her signature dark-pop sound and a Huge Chorus, she revealed via an instagram post that the song is about addiction and "mirrors the steps of the program through the eyes of a toxic relationship". 

as someone who indulged in my fair share of destructive behaviour throughout my late teens/early 20s, it's a sentiment that resonates with me, and like all good songwriting, hits me right where it hurts. 

3. heidi montag 

for anyone that loves Trashy Pop Music, heidi montag's album superficial should be essential listening, and while i've had turn ya head, one more drink and my parade on repeat for some time now,  the other day i found myself re-listening to the tracks i didn't love first time around and can't see myself stopping any time soon. 

highlights include i'll do it, superficial, twisted, more is more and look how i'm doing, all of which could have easily been a smash had they been released by blackout-era britney (there's even a song called blackout on heidi's album) or lady gaga's debut album the fame, but it seems that heidi's reputation as The Villain on MTV's reality show the hills and her decision to undergo 10 (!) plastic surgeries just before the album's release meant it didn't get the promotion or acclaim it deserves. 

despite being signed to a major label at the time, heidi shelled out $2 million of her own money to assemble a team of high profile writers and producers including steve morales, laura pergolizzi and cathy dennis, who wrote kylie's can't get out of my head and toxic by britney. 

luckily the album has gained somewhat of a cult following in the last few years and slayyyter proclaimed heidi montag one of her biggest musical inspirations; several of the tracks on superifical could have easily appeared on slayyter's debut mixtape, released last september. 

annoyingly my favourite heidi track body language wasn't included on the album, though it was released as a single in 2009, presumably to generate interest for the album. maybe it's the sample of yazoo's 1982 single situation - also used by the saturdays in their debut single if this is love - which makes it stand out, but i never get tired of hearing the song. 

4. khalid/victoria monet

with everything going on in the world right now, it's understandable that we might not get a Song Of The Summer to soundtrack what remains of the warmer months, but may i propose experience by khalid and victoria monet? 

this disco-inspired bop evokes a similar feeling to heatstroke and slide by calvin harris, two songs i played to death during my last summer at uni in 2017. 

another Big Song that year was drake's passionfruit, and it seemed like every car that drove past my bedroom window was blasting it from the speakers.

it was also played every time i went to Tha Club, and i can't help but feel like experience could have had the same response had we been allowed to go out and ~socialise. 

while that's not an option for many places still under quarantine, i'd highly recommend blasting experience at full volume, margarita in hand, and dreaming of a hopefully not-so-distant future when this song can be played on car stereos and at pool parties the world over. 

5. astrid s

prior to this year, i was aware of norwegian singer astrid s thanks to her collaborations with artists including JP cooper and frank walker, but never paid much attention to her. 

that all changed with the release of i don't know why. there's something much more light and summery about the production compared to previous NOTD tracks, and i simply can't get enough. 

then she dropped dance dance dance, which gave me goosebumps from the first listen. this is pure pop perfection, and i'm living for the day i can hear it live in november, assuming her tour goes ahead as planned. 

i've also been enjoying her more ~acoustic songs, particularly down low, sidelove and years from her 2019 EP down low, and her foray into ~reggae~ as a featured artist on contigo tengo feeling by GABIFUEGO, which came as a surprise to me as i did my best to avoid the earworm that was despacito. 

6. julie bergan

another norwegian star i've had on repeat is julie bergan, who - like most new artists i write about - i became aware of thanks to popjustice. the first song i became obsessed with was bored - released last october - and ever since she's been releasing a steady stream of bangers into the world, including STFU - this live performance is really Something Else... dua lipa's MTV performance could never - outline, commando and her latest hit, don't you wanna play? with seeb. 

7. loviet 

if you're ever in need of a drinking game, i'd highly recommend going back through all my old posts and taking a sip/shot every time i say "80s inspired". i can guarantee that this post will appear as loviet takes the phrase to a whole new level. 

while the 1975 continue to move in weird and wonderful musical directions - see: notes on a conditional form - it's always good to see artists be inspired by the - you guessed it - 80s-inspired sound they cultivated on their first two albums; their self titled 2013 debut and i like it when you sleep... three years later. 

toronto-based loviet - real name natalie lynn - is one of those artists, who i first became aware of her thanks to an instagram advert for her latest single when it's over. i also love the thrill and everyone knows - perhaps the most 1975-esque song of hers - which is an ode to the Bad Boy we all love to hate. 

with her first EP officially out in the world, i'm excited to see what the future holds for loviet - hopefully a full-length album is in the works. 

8. alexzone 

one of my favourite things about twitter is the community of independent artists who have been inspired by the sound of charli xcx and PC music.  

first it was slayyyter, then boy sim, and most recently alexzone, who collaborated with boy sim on the absolute banger that is permission. 

as a solo artist, alex has been releasing bop after bop, including wish u well, control and tie me down!, which is my favourite song thanks to its early 2000s-inspired production and autotuned vocals. 

i also have to thank him for making me aware of girls night out, a club night that has introduced me to a real-life community of pop lovers and literally Changed My Life in just over a year. 

9. 100 gecs 

i've said it before and i'll say it again; 100 gecs are truly the future of music, not just pop but everything in-between, whether it's trance, emo or pop-punk. 

much like PC music back in 2016, when the duo first emerged, critics weren't sure what to make of their genre-hopping sound, but as their fan base steadily grew thanks to features with charli xcx and dorian electra, it seems like they're finally being taken seriously. 

since i discovered them last july, they've put out a remix album called the tree of clues which has taken the internet by storm. somehow they've managed to make their already unique sound even weirder and i'm all for it. 

my favourite track is naturally xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx, the scooter-inspired collaboration between hannah diamond and tommy cash, though tommy's version should have also been included on the album in my humble opinion. 

if you're looking for a pop-punk fix, i'd highly recommend the black dresses remix of 745 sticky and the incredibly chaotic reworking of hand crushed by a mallet, which features actual fall out boy and canadian artist nicole dollanganger.

gec 2 u also receives two remixes, one featuring vocals from longtime collaborator dorian electra and the other by PC music's danny l harle, which goes heavy on both distortion and club-ready synths. 

finally there's the a.g. cook remix of money machine and an updated version of ringtone, featuring charli xcx, rico nasty - who just released the impeccable girl crush - and kero kero bonito, who once played a gig at my university in my first year, which i regret not going to now they're starting to Make It Big. 

the duo also included two new ~original tracks, including came to my show and toothless, which fit in seamlessly with the rest of the original album. 

hopefully more new tracks will follow, but they've certainly given us more than enough to tide us over until then. 

10. aly & aj

it's hard to believe that sisters aly and aj michalka were once two of the disney channel's biggest stars - never forget their iconic 2006 film cow belles, which is apparently getting a sequel - as they've since gone on to release some of the best pop music i've heard in the last few years and i saw them in manchester this time last year. 

following their second EP in 2019, the girls released two impeccable singles during lockdown, firstly attack of panic - a sleek electro-pop bop which perfectly describes the collective and individual anxiety we've all been feeling lately - and joan of arc on the dancefloor, possibly their best song yet.

this is pure 80s floorfiller with a political twist, inspired by the historical figure herself who was burned at the stake in 143l aged just 19 after being accused of witchcraft.

aly described the song as "super relevant in this moment that we're going through, especially with these protests, and the fact that people need to have a voice". 

she hoped the song would feel "very anthemic" while hoping it would "lift people up, make them feel like they could be warriors, in whatever way that is — whether that's standing up for their religious beliefs, their sexuality, their rights", and they've definitely succeeded in all these areas. 

the video is definitely the best quarantine creation i've seen; inspired by the 1928 silent film the passion of joan of arc, it was filmed in aly's living room on roger deakins' eclair NPR camera and george s. barnes' mitchell no. 5 camera - used in several silent-era film - and includes footage from the sexual assault trials of anita hill and dr. christine blasey ford.

these small details demonstrate the passion they have for the music they create and with recording for their second album underway, i'm eager to see what they do next.