ghost 2687 Posted March 16, 2020 (edited) MAKE IT POP I haven't seen any kind of general pop thread in the global music sub-forum and that just will not do! 2020 is shaping up to be an amazing year for pop music and there must be a thread to discuss everything pop-related! I'm going start by sharing some upcoming releases I'm looking forward to and then sharing some artists I've enjoyed since last year. Upcoming Releases Rina Sawayama Sawayama (04.17.2020) -Rina's been making some waves in the indie pop scene. She seemingly just came out of nowhere but managed to make an impression on people with her self-released EP "Rina" with hits like "Cyber Stockholm Syndrome" and "Ordinary Superstar". Her sound is very reminiscent of 90's pop/r&b but she finds ways to make it sound fresh and interesting. She's got a new album coming out in April of this year titled "Sawayama". Samples Spoiler Comme Des Garcons (Like the Boys) Cyber Stockholm Syndrome Purity Ring Womb (04.03.2020) -Purity Ring is a Canadian electronic pop duo drawing from sub-genres like glitch-pop and synth-pop. While they can sound bright and poppy, their sound is more strongly defined by dark and ominous undertones both lyrically and musically. They're probably most known for their tracks "Fineshrine" and "Obedear". They'll be releasing a new album titled "Womb" in the beginning of April and it's sounding like it'll be a more lighter listen. Samples Spoiler Stardew Obedear Recent Favorites Grimes Miss Anthropocene (02.21.2020) -I'm sure Grimes doesn't need an introduction. She's known for her unique sound of ethereal and pop music and made hits such as "Genesis" and "Kill V. Maim". Her album "Miss Anthropocene" came out earlier last month and, honestly, it's been one of my favorite releases in 2020 so far. Certainly not the most amazing album and, arguably a bit half baked, but there are some solid tracks on the album and I've been revisiting it often. Samples Spoiler My Name Is Dark Kill V. Maim Charli XCX Charli (09.13.2019) -Charli XCX went to the top of my favorite artists in 2019 when I listened to her latest album "Charli". Her sound was so different than a lot of other pop artists I had heard. While she certainly has songs with tons of pop appeal featuring bright dance-y music and catchy lyrics, she also brings with that a blend of future pop and experimental sounds. The production on her latest record is absolutely amazing and I was hooked from the first track onward. Although I'm a fan of her latest sound, she's probably most known for songs like "Boys" and "Vroom Vroom" (which, I absolutely love both). Samples Spoiler White Mercedes Vroom Vroom Sophie Oil Of Every Pearl's Un-Insides (06.15.2018) -If Charli XCX's recent output is futuristic, then Sophie's music is so far ahead in the pop genre that by the time it's considered a classic the human race will have evolved into a higher physical state (fun fact, Sophie actually produced Charli XCX's EP "Vroom Vroom". ). All jokes aside, this album is quite simply something else. It has a few more traditional poppy moments but the other 90% hits you with leftfield experimental sounds intermixed with soundscapes and industrial bass music. The production on this record is so good though and there were so many times I kept asking, "what the hell was that sound? How did she do that?". It's certainly not for everyone, but for those looking for a more expanded take on pop music, so much as to the point of almost being unrecognizable, I highly encourage you to take a jump. Samples Spoiler It's Okay To Cry Ponyboy Edited July 24, 2020 by ghost 3 2 platy, monkeybanana4, CAT5 and 2 others reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
platy 3018 Posted March 25, 2020 I'm looking forward to Rina's upcoming album. She seems to be making a shift sound-wise from her previous major release. There's a change in themes as well which I guess really suits her current fanbase and will bring even more people in (y'know, the gurl power crowd). I can see her gaining a lot of popularity this year. Sophie is an artist who I check out sporadically, like you said her music isn't for everyone and is very experimental, the kind that requires you to be in the right mood. Other pop artists I've been getting into... Doja Cat - who isn't into doja cat lately? She's taken over the media. Definitely check out her discography, her older songs have a charming sense of humour that's hard not to get hooked on. I hope she doesn't go down too far the badass sexy bitch/flashing muh money route now that's she's mainstream though. I guess Janelle Monáe counts as pop(?). She has a lot upbeat funky songs. She can vary from sexy to whimsical. Not sure how else to explain it, but definitely give her a try if you fancy some feel good tunes. Hayley Kyoko popped back on my radar after I realised that she was the same girl from that old Disney movie 'Lemonade Mouth' and she's now known as lesbian Jesus. She released a great EP recently called 'I'm Too Sensitive for This Shit'. Tasters from the EP👇 As a side note, I'm a big fan of Bruno Mars and I'm eagerly awaiting for anything from him ( and not some shitty collab with a nobody) since it's been years since his last album. He's been too quiet, so I hope there'll be something new in 2020. 1 ghost reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ghost 2687 Posted March 25, 2020 3 hours ago, platy said: I'm looking forward to Rina's upcoming album. She seems to be making a shift sound-wise from her previous major release. There's a change in themes as well which I guess really suits her current fanbase and will bring even more people in (y'know, the gurl power crowd). I can see her gaining a lot of popularity this year. Yeah, me too. All the singles that have come out so far are really good and I'm liking the changes in her style. 2020 will be the year of Rina! 3 hours ago, platy said: Doja Cat - who isn't into doja cat lately? She's taken over the media. Definitely check out her discography, her older songs have a charming sense of humour that's hard not to get hooked on. I hope she doesn't go down too far the badass sexy bitch/flashing muh money route now that's she's mainstream though. Haha, listen to "Say So" much? lol. I hear that song on sooo many tik toks. Like you said, I like that her music hits this nice balance of light hearted fun and good ass RnB. 3 hours ago, platy said: I guess Janelle Monáe counts as pop(?). She has a lot upbeat funky songs. She can very from sexy to whimsical. Not sure how else to explain it, but definitely give her a try if you fancy some feel good tunes. Janelle Monae is amazing! Not just from a musical stand point but from the social messages she talks about and her involvement in film. Electric Lady is such a good album! I feel like people don't talk about her enough. 4 hours ago, platy said: Hayley Kyoko popped back on my radar after I realised that she was the same girl from that old Disney movie 'Lemonade Mouth' and she's now known as lesbian Jesus. She released a great EP recently called 'I'm Too Sensitive for This Shit'. I haven't heard of Hayley Kyoko yet, but I'm gonna have to check her out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ghost 2687 Posted March 25, 2020 Purity Ring released a few more tracks from their upcoming album and I'm reaaally liking this one: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ghost 2687 Posted March 26, 2020 @platy - Bruuuh I liiiike Hayley Kiyoko. Her latest EP has got some nice house vibes on it and I am totally here for that. Have you heard of Allie X? She's another Canadian pop artist I've really been into these days. Her production is soo good. 1 platy reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
platy 3018 Posted April 3, 2020 I already bothered @CAT5 and @ghost about this, but I'll share it here as well. 😄 I just discovered this 'psychodelic pop' band Tempalay. I'm loving their sound and their MV production. There's always some otherworldly storyline in their videos and they're super high quality, like something out of an indie movie festival. Their spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/5IlQkA8Lq4X0dOWHBumeJP?si=AU7EiXn_TACyQ1bq5Zv7Dg Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
platy 3018 Posted April 3, 2020 @ghost loving Allie X's videos, they fit so well into that tumblr aesthetic which I can't quite name Her music isn't bad either! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ghost 2687 Posted April 17, 2020 (edited) Sawayama is out and it's pretty goooood: "Love Me 4 Me" and "Bad Friend" are a one-two punch and "Tokyo Love Hotel" is <3. Edited April 17, 2020 by ghost 1 monkeybanana4 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
platy 3018 Posted April 21, 2020 Just discovered this Brazilian gem, her voice is beautiful and soulful. edit: Rina's album has great bops, I hope I can see her live post-quarantine. I can imagine it'll translate into a super fun gig Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jigsaw9 6783 Posted July 3, 2020 I guess this might fit here: the new HAIM album is just perfect. Excellent summer-vibe music with warm songs and a killer production. Also, this livestream they did was fireeee Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
