The Monday Playlist: Nina Nesbitt, Zach Hood, Elton John and more!
Well well well, if it isn't the best new songs from last week right here in your inbox!
Alright, I may have gone overboard this week on the number of new songs I have for you (there are 19), but it was an unprecedentedly strong week for pop music and all of these are all brilliant and unique and excellent and they all deserve your fullest listening attention.
Thanks for subscribing to this humble little newsletter. Here’s this week’s playlist - happy listening!
Livin’ My Best Life by Adam Ludewig - a nice bit of gravelly voiced boy-pop to start the week, upbeat, clicky n clappy, you know the drill
Ladder to the Moon by Azure Ryder - lovely voice on Azure here who delivers a slow but dancy bit of pop
I Think I Like You by The Band CAMINO - a fun, catchy little bit of indie pop, the bridge on this one is very punchy and their falsetto really shines in the final stretch
My Universe by Coldplay + BTS - this is quite good if you can stomach the Coldplay of it all, probably the least offensive thing they've done in years, sounds like a good Coldplay song
After All by Elton John + Charlie Puth - between that Dua duet and this you've got to give it to Elton for staying relevant whilst staying in his sonic wheel house, a lovely song with a modern twist, Charlie Puth holds himself well
Reruns by Eves Karydas - love the muffled vocal in the verses contrasted by the fullness of the chorus, a great bit of breakup pop music about being unable to get them out your head
The Feeling by Gabry Pronte + Henri FPR - a buoyant little pop song here, very easy to get on board with the well executed sampling of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Good For A Girl by Germein - a bit like a Lorde song in sound, defiant and fun, and if Haim proved anything it's that we’re all on board with a trio of sisters making their way in the indie pop world
the internet by GRACEY - wait for the 2-minute mark confessional breakdown, it's worth it I promise, a very Billie Eilish spark to it
Don’t Say You Don’t Love Me by JC Stewart - someone link me that song that the piano beat keeps threatening to kick in, hugely infuriating, Stewart’s voice excellent as always on this by-the-numbers blue-eyed soul ditty
Big Energy by Latto - a big and brilliant breath of hip-hop-pop, come through Latto
Dragonball by McFly - struggling to imagine what it would sound like if Welcome to the Black Parade and the song Busted did for that Thunderbirds film were mashed up? Well, struggle no more and check out this light pop-punk theatre
Life’s a Bitch (L.A.B) by Nina Nesbitt - I don’t think the title abbreviation was wholly necessary, but on this occasion we can forgive it because this is a an exceptionally good, bone charging, euphoric dance pop song, my favourite of the week
Thanks a lot now I can’t smile by Rhys - another bloody great pop song, they just keep coming this week! Good lyrics abound, including “I'm havin' trouble sleepin', I'm anxious all the time/If you could count the tears I've cried, I think I'd win a prize”
If I Met Your Shadow by Tom Bright - gorgeous acoustic little tune, incredibly captivating considering how short it is
City by TOPIA - this one is an astronomical, euphoria-pop anthem featuring an excellent use of saxophone in the final stretch
wish you well by wrabel - you do love a big vocal pop ballad every now and then don't you? wrabel sounds great on this one, very angsty
Main Character by Zach Hood - as if that wasn't enough, here's an even heftier dose of angsty pop, absolutely huge, Zach Hood delivers the goods once again
That’s How It Goes (feat. 6LACK) by Zoe Wees - Zoe Wees just has one of those voices, doesn't she? Think this is her best one yet, so much raw emotion delivered with nuanced gusto