From starry pop collabs through to bright new beginnings, POP in all its forms is definitely at the forefront of our minds this week...
Griff, King Princess, Mø, Sigrid - Head On Fire
Talk about all-star — pop collabs haven’t gotten this *fire emoji* since Christina got the girls together for the Lady Marmalade cover. Fresh from Griff and Sigrid’s sensational NME Awards appearance together, this reworking of Head On Fire achieves the impossible in surpassing even that.
Florence + The Machine - My Love
Written in the darkest days of the pandemic, My Love is a revitalised club banger that swims in unbridled joy at being able to be back together again. As huge a festival headline anthem as she’s ever written, it comes from a record that has been christened ‘Nick Cave at the club’. We cannot wait.
Phoebe Green - Make It Easy
A big mood from Manchester’s Phoebe Green here — there’s a real Billie Eilish vibe to Make It Easy that helps to mark out this track as one of her finest moments yet. An exciting development and tasty glimpse of an unannounced impending new project.
Rachel Chinouriri - All I Ever Asked
A deliciously bright track about knowing your worth and asking for respect from a loved one, Rachel Chinouriri’s latest was recorded out in Los Angeles and it shows. Built on a beautifully catchy melody, and an irresistible chorus, this has got it all.
Recently announced as support for Little Mix on their tour, Denis Coleman is on a roll at the moment. This is a bruising pop-punk anthem in the making, dripping with angst over a Waterparks-esque grungy guitar sound.
Seeing Everything Everything wander into the realm hyper-pop, Teletype is another exploration of a band investigating the possibilities of how technology can impact the writing. Complete with a video of AI computer-generated faces, this track is as glitchy as it is glorious.
Resplendent in shimmering caramel guitar tones, this latest from the Leeds quartet continues the up-wards trajectory of their recent singles. A song that is simply about the basics of wanting to get close to someone, Get Close is anything but basic. No wonder Iggy Pop approves.
Honeyglaze make what is very difficult seem deceptively simple with their clever song-writing. Bouncing along on a hypnotic bass line, Female Lead is a gorgeous moment taken from their debut album and shows everything that is special about them.
Brooke Combe - Miss Me Now
A song about the familiar feeling of seeing an ex on a night out and thinking it’s a good idea to leave with them, Miss Me Now carries on from what was a sensational breakthrough year in 2021. Swaggering in confidence, it’s the kind of big pop banger that could elevate Brooke up to the top tier.
The latest offering from their forthcoming EP, Paying The Price explores the cost of living in London and the toll it takes. Coming on like a Gang Of Four track thanks to its mix of hypnotic post-punk guitar tones and near-chanted vocals — it’s exhilarating.
Seriously, there is so much good pop music out this week, and Harry Stone has delivered one of the biggest and best here. Stunning voice — both classic and utterly now — Limit is a beautiful moment and snapshot of the times we live in.
Two big voices combine here, and they bring the gold with them on this new version of a track taken from Foy’s second album. As full of power and magnetism as you would expect from these two, it’s as mighty as the entire forest.
Greentea Peng - Your Mind
Your Mind skips through genres like a record store browser, bringing to mind some of the best modern soul of recent years as it explores inner battles of the mind. The first glimpse of new music since last year’s MAN MADE, it swirls orchestrally and soars on a giant guitar riff.
Abbie Ozard - Pisces
A self-described ‘bad bitch anthem’ from Abbie Ozard here, Pisces is a joyous and empowering romp about recognising your worth and your talents. Breezy and catchy, this has got it all.
With a Dora Jar support in the bag, London’s ‘awkward pop’ pioneer Belot has returned with this super-fun banger. In a very crowded field, Belot is pushing herself further and further in her own direction and it’s paying off here.
Another Leeds act making a big noise, Crake's combination of alt.folk and indie is winning fans all over - especially with this fictional account about a real-life Hebridean seabird and seal researcher. It's a suitably curious track that showcases their unique perspective on life, and song-writing.
One of 2022’s more unexpected but very welcome comebacks, Superorganism are back! Inescapable back in 2017 when they first burst onto the scene — things had gotten very quiet in the intervening time but Teenager is a glorious return to the limelight, and shows they’ve lost none of their sense of fun and eccentricities.
SCALPING featuring Grove - Remain In Stasis
Visceral and moody Bristol band SCALPING have dropped their first ever song to feature vocals, the exciting Grove lending their distinctive vocals to another surging and cacophonous riot of noise and power.
Ramping up the noise levels even further, this latest slice from the new Crows album sets off at 200 mph and only accelerates from there. Described by the band as ‘a Brexit anthem,’ it takes a firm aim at the division and nationalism that has followed in its path.
Finishing back in the club with this ‘80s-tinged banger from Sam Gellaitry, New Wave is a coming-of-age track about the transition from innocence to a party-filled existence - and the tug of war between the two existences that follows.
