Charli XCX Is Everything on ‘Brat’
Brat is next-level Charli XCX, a miracle and an instant classic. It’s the kind of album that makes you feel lucky to be alive at the same time as it.
dance pop
Lynks Balances Swagger and Self-Doubt on His Catchy Debut
ABOMINATION has a secret weapon: Lynks’ ear for catchy musical hooks. It’s a rollicking record that’s equal parts swagger and self-doubt.
Dua Lipa Sets a Major Breakthrough for Indie and Pop Music
With the help of Kevin Parker and Danny L. Harle, Dua Lipa’s new album Radical Optimism sounds like Tame Impala meets PC Music and goes to headline Glastonbury.
Hang on Tight for Annalisa’s ‘E Poi Siamo Finiti nel Vortice’
Italian pop singer Annalisa’s E Poi Siamo Finiti nel Vortice is a whirlwind tour of a messy relationship’s tumult. You’ll need to hang on tight for this one.
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The 20 Best Pop Albums of 2023
The 20 best pop albums of 2023 radiate with unstoppable playlist power, much-needed sweet escapism, self-reflection, self-criticism, and killer melodies.
Cyndi Lauper Found Her Tribe of Oddballs, Mistifts, and Weirdos with ‘She’s So Unusual’
Cyndi Lauper’s debut, She’s So Unusual, stands the test of time: it’s an eccentric, weird record that revels in a subversive and quietly revolutionary oddness.
Troye Sivan’s ‘Something to Give Each Other’ Is Lost in Itself
Troye Sivan’s new album falls short of its own standards, set high by the success of its predecessor and is lost in its ecstasy and provocative imagination.
K-Pop Boy Band Enhypen Survive and Thrive in Arena Upgrade
Birthed from a competition show and debuting in the pandemic, K-pop boy band Enhypen may have finally found their artistic voice on their new arena tour.
If You’ve Got Soul: Christina Aguilera’s 2006 Masterwork ‘Back to Basics’
A tribute and aural love letter to her husband and her Black musical heroes and heroines, Christina Aguilera’s Back to Basics still attracts an equal amount of disciples and denigrators.
Kylie Minogue Scores Another Dance Pop Classic with ‘Tension’
Kylie Minogue understands that the best kind of dance-pop is pure, undiluted joy. With Tension, she’s shown that nobody does it better than her.
Icona Pop Return After Ten Years with ‘Club Romantech’
There’s nothing on Icona Pop’s Club Romantech of the caliber of their 2013 hit “I Love It”, but the slyly NSFW dance track “Spa” redeems the whole album.
Róisín Murphy Makes a Valiant Attempt at Being a Soul Diva
On Hit Parade, Róisín Murphy takes her sound – a swirling cacophony of electropop, synthpop, and nu-disco – and looks to soul to elevate her music.