Browsing Tag

pop anthem

Arlo Boe ignited a dark electro-pop inferno of infatuation and insanity with ‘Manic’

Posted on 30 September 2024

In her fiercest pop hit to date, Manic, the trailblazing siren Arlo Boe delivered a veritable earworm that could devour a dancefloor. With EDM pop aesthetics, which are as dark as they are kinetic, the electrifying anthem adrenalizes as it empowers listeners who are tired of tempering their manic proclivities when it comes to obsessive infatuation.

There are nods to Lady Gaga in her ‘The Fame’ era in the scathing spoken word increments which interrupt the Goldfrapp-esque production, which harks back to the 00s pop era while simultaneously flirting with the energy and euphoria of 80s pop. Yet, Manic is so much more than a revisitation of pop’s past; Arlo Boe ensured that her latest single won’t be out of place on contemporary pop playlists.

Arlo says, “I have always been fascinated by obsessive loves and the way people can just form these intense infatuations overnight. My favourite movie is Gone Girl and after I wrote this all I could think of was Amy Dunne, this is what semi-inspired the video which I planned, shot, and edited myself. I love the troupe of “If I can’t have you, no one can” … in an entertainment sense of course!”

Manic stormed the airwaves on September 27; stream the single on Spotify now or watch the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lauren Presley lost the past to history in her empowering rock-licked EDM pop anthem, H-I-N-T

Posted on 28 September 2024
https://on.soundcloud.com/XqdqHcpudoAN7A7Z9

Texas’ freshest pop icon-in-the-making Lauren Presley shunted Taylor Momsen and Hayley Williams to the wayside when she dropped, H-I-N-T, her latest dark pop anthem, which uses the augmentation of rock to add even more electricity to the head-spinningly hot EDM pop choruses.

The only thing bigger than the sound in H-I-N-T is the cross-over appeal of this high-octane earworm which sends pulsating surges of adrenaline to your rhythmic pulses as Lauren Presley harmonises over the distortion-slicked hyper-sonic guitars which caustically cut their way through the Grammy-worthy production.

The energy in H-I-N-T gives the recently romantically scorned all the empowerment they could possibly harness to walk away from a toxic dynamic. With this hit on your playlists, you will be unreckonable.

Presley may have gone viral since her debut single, A Little Longer,  after garnering 1 million streams on Spotify and 5.6 million views on YouTube. Yet, she remains committed to delivering unpretentious pop with universally relatable lyrics. Even if she reached the same heights as Chappell Roan, there’s a sense that Presley would never be out of touch.

H-I-N-T will drop on September 27; stream the single on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Preston Scott Straus became a member of queer pop royalty with ‘For Love’

Posted on 5 September 2024

Infinitely more affirming, affecting and empowering than anything RuPaul has produced in their 15 studio album span, the latest single, For Love, from Preston Scott Straus will hit you in places you never knew music could touch.

To bridge the gap between the ballad and the dance-pop anthem, the Cleveland Ohio-originating singer-songwriter delivered an evocatively-charged synthesis of sincerity and vulnerability into a kinetically euphoric production which doesn’t just carry his lyrics, they amplify the verses which become mantras, ensuring they will stick with you for long after the outdo

After his humble upbringing where escaping into fantasy was the only way to feel free, Straus found music at the age of 12 when he played in the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony and cut his vocal teeth by singing in the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus.

At 18, Straus honed his songwriting and production talents which eventually helped him to overcome a challenging and homophobic childhood as he pursued love, freedom and creativity away from the church community.

Today, the artist is still endlessly devoted to making the world better for people who are just trying to be themselves, which shines through luminously in For Love which may be a feel-good track, but you’ll have to choke back the tears while embracing the soul of the single.

For Love dropped on the 30th of August; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Simon Jela’s Dance Pop Anthem, Dancing on the Line, Became A Phenomenon in its Own Right

Posted on 1 September 2024

Simon Jela’s latest single, Dancing on the Line, is a dance-pop anthem that strikes a powerful equilibrium between instrumental euphoria and raw emotional depth. Beneath the storming beat lies an evocative narrative of emotional turbulence, capturing the fear and uncertainty that arise when a relationship teeters on the edge. As the track pulsates with an irresistible rhythmic momentum, Jela’s vocals soar, bleeding sincerity as they traverse his expansive range.

With this release, which includes the B-side single Let Go of Me, Simon Jela solidifies his place as a pop icon in the making. If Dancing on the Line doesn’t elevate him to the same level of reverence as Olly Alexander and introduce him to the pop pantheon, it will be a disservice to the pop landscape.

This isn’t just another perennial pop earworm; it’s a phenomenon in its own right for the way it commands you to surrender to the kinetic energy while plunging you into the bittersweet reality of love on the brink.

Dancing On the Line dropped on August 22nd; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bela V scorched through the pop veil with the soulful inferno in her sophomore single, Wait Game

Posted on 2 July 2024

When Bela V penned her sophomore single, Wait Game, she didn’t just write a fierce pop hit, she scribed her illustrious legacy through a calligraphy of sheer intensity and fervour.

By splicing soul with the insurgent energy of pop punk, the singer-songwriter became a defiant renegade in the pop scene and settled a stark milestone in her creative career which exhibits her talents as an actress and siren songstress.

Wait Game mirrors her eclectic influences – Lana Del Rey’s haunting nostalgia, Amy Winehouse’s raw emotional depth, and Avril Lavigne’s defiant pop punk ferocity; each formative element serves to amplify the emotional magnitude of the next, exhibiting Bela V as an alchemist of originated vivacity. From soulful verses that could rival any classic soul legend to a chorus that bursts with a punkish roar, the track is a bold declaration of her artistic finesse.

The production of the track deserves as much acclaim as the vocals; polished yet edgy, it supports Bela V’s transitions from smooth, seductive tones to hell-hath-no-fury outbursts with seamless precision. This sonic landscape does more than just back her voice; it heightens the emotional gravity of her lyrics, plunging the listener into a whirlwind of passion and defiance.

As Bela V ends her own wait game and steps back into the spotlight, she brings with her a song that promises to ignite the airwaves and cement her status as a pop icon in the making.

Wait Game was officially released on June 14; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Emilie Thorsby electrified the airwaves with the disco pop grooves in ‘Fake Love’

Posted on 29 June 2024

After garnering over 40k streams on Spotify with her 2023 single “Ocean,” pop sensation Emilie Thorsby has continued to ascend the ranks of the music industry. Her accolades include several prestigious awards, international stage performances, interviews with NBC, and a feature in Elle Global Woman Magazine. Emilie’s career momentum shows no signs of slowing down.

Her latest release, “Fake Love,” is poised to further elevate her profile. This timeless anthem embodies all the characteristics of an enduring pop classic. The kinetically rhythmic euro disco grooves, combined with an instantly catchy hook and her vibrant, vivacious vocals, transform “Fake Love” into a guilt-free pop pleasure.

The Spanish guitar motifs bring a distinct dynamic to the radio and dancefloor-ready track which will undoubtedly become another playlist staple for anyone who seeks serotonin from sound.

Fake Love is a fiery attest to the capacity for reclamation of the heart, body and rhythmic pulses after falling in love with a lothario. Should your summer romances end on a bitter-sweet note, sugar the pill with this infectiously empowering tour de force.

Fake Love was officially released on June 28; stream the single on Spotify now.


Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nissu – Connection: A Strident Exhibition of the Resilience of the Human Spirit

Posted on 21 June 2024
Nissu

The latest single from the Brazil-born, Dublin-based pop sensation, Nissu, is an explosion of positivity; ‘Connection’ goes nuclear through the sonic combustion of passion and unflinching optimism. As soon as the beat kicks in, you’ll catch the fever of gratitude and be compelled to move.

The hit is a kaleidoscope of nu-disco cuts, modern pop panache, grooving basslines, and snappy snares that help to deliver a dynamic, driving beat and cradle the exuberance in the vocals that project an uplifting ode to love, compassion and human connection. Written during lockdown, Connection urges the listener to look for the strength in themselves and celebrate the beauty in connectivity.

We may be years beyond the dystopia of lockdown, but the lessons we learned from the grounding experience, which forced us to reflect on what truly matters and affirmed the importance of connection, still exist as a silver lining to the chapter of our lives that will always be bitter-sweet to look back on.

The official music video is just as much of a triumph, featuring cameos from Charity Case and Hey Baby of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK and the trans/neurodivergent advocate Cleo C. As a precursor to Nissu’s debut EP, Memories, Connection, created plenty of anticipation over what Nissu has lingering in the pop pipeline.

Connection will be available to stream on all major platforms from June 21st; the official music video will premiere on the same day on Nissu’s YouTube channel.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Absnt Mind became the future of boy band culture with their debut single, No Strings

Posted on 17 June 2024

If you thought hook-up culture killed diehard romanticism and the time for boyband chart dominance is over, the debut single, No Strings, by the indomitable five-piece powerhouse, Absnt Mind, will make you think twice as the earworm carried by the infectious melodies beds in and starts to take control of your rhythmic pulses.

The sticky-sweet with panache and sincere desire for real connection debut ticks all the right modern pop anthem boxes while finding unique ways to seduce the listener with its euphonically catchy production.

While each member of the dynamic UK outfit harmonises to the nines, the frenetically kinetic beats drive pulsating energy into the mix, amplifying the urgency of the impassioned fervour that Absnt Mind will undoubtedly become known for as they cruise through their career and reach their natural crowning point at the top of the pop charts.

With the sun-bleached tonal hues injecting warm vibrancy into the release, there’s plenty of scope for No Strings to become the pop hit of the summer. The band’s loyal army of fans – 30k on TikTok and counting – will undoubtedly be integral to Absnt Mind’s ascent.

No Strings was officially released on June 7th; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grief transmuted into ground-breaking dance-pop in Tori BLK’s anthem of fortitude A-Okay

Posted on 31 May 2024
Tori BLK

Ignited by fiery pop-punk energy, Tori BLK’s latest dance-pop track, A-Okay, is an act of intense sonic fortitude. Written in the months following losing her mother to liver cirrhosis in February 2024, the single delivers mantras and sonics of solace as it sarcastically scathes at the internal and external expectations to be okay in the wake of a tragedy so colossal you lose your sense of gravity in an alien orbit of reality.

With so many layers to the single, consuming it completely requires digging deep into the emotional and thematic mantles of the single in addition to acknowledging how the instrumentation and stylistic touches amplify the heart-wrenching yet juxtaposing soul-enriching essence of the single.

As the hard-hitting beats thrash against the grief, the upbeat synth-carved melodies deliver the consolation in synergy with Tori BLK’s ascendingly ethereal vocal lines until the chorus hits and she fervently delivers the refrain “tell me that I’m okay, tell me that I’m a-okay”. The heterogeneous hit is inexplicably affecting; it transcends music to exhibit an unfiltered manifestation of a grief-torn soul. As someone who has also experienced the loss of their mother, I can attest first-hand to how raw and real the resonance is.

If this is your first introduction to Tori BLK (AKA Victoria Islas) and her ability to alchemise, transmute and transform broken hearts, it will be an unforgettable acquainting with the singer-songwriter, music producer, poet and spiritual intuitive.

A-Okay will be available to stream on all major platforms from May 31; find your preferred way to listen and connect with Tori BLK through her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gavin Cole pierced the pop veil with the razor-sharp hooks in his dynamic hit, FRNDS

Posted on 31 May 2024

The hooks in Gavin Cole’s latest single, FRNDS, don’t just impale, they implant an addiction to his vibrantly visceral approach to contemporary pop.

The sharp bursts of rock renegade intensity within the rhythmically dynamic single which synthesises nuances of funk in the guitar lines, galvanises through dance-pop energy in the beats, and keeps the anticipation for the choruses high with the synth-carved layers of indie jangle pop ensures FRNDS will hit the airwaves with maximum impact.

As an artist who always leans into the messy and often hedonistic nature of relationships, Gavin Cole isn’t your average purveyor of unrealistic romantic expectation-imparting pop, he’s as real as it gets, exemplified by FRNDS, which explores how temptation and lust can tear friendships apart.

With an immense vocal presence that allows Gavin Cole to become a supernova in the spotlight and the studio, he isn’t an artist to underestimate. Since his debut, he’s created a community around his music, evidenced by the success of his crowdfunding campaigns.

FRNDS will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from May 31st.

Review by Amelia Vandergast