Saturday 13 April 2013

New Pop Roundup

It's time for your next dose of the best new pop tracks to hit the web. So without further ado...


Betty Who - The Movement


Somebody Loves You, the opening track to the Australian popstar's addictive debut EP 'The Movement', was written soon after Whitney Houston's death. Don't go expecting a funeral dirge though - this is indebted to Houston's electro-pop style with a hint of 80s Madonna, with it's sparkling production and instantly catchy melodies. This continues on the bubbling choruses of You're In Love and High Society, whilst sombre ballad Right Here features simmering guitars and sounds reminiscent of the highly emotive Daughter. Who is as yet unsigned - "If I can find a way to continue getting my music as far-spread as I can, I don't need a label". So do your bit and spread the word immediately.

4/5

Listen: 'The Movement' is released on April 16th, but you can listen in full on Billboard.




Avril Lavigne - Here's To Never Growing Up


Lavigne's Sk8er Boi punk days may be long gone, but she's still capable of delivering a catchy pop chorus. Yet there's only one question with this new track: what Radiohead song is she listening to exactly? No Radiohead song features the lyric "here's to never growing up". No Radiohead song is appropriate to be played on a boom box "as we're falling in love". I mean, can anyone imagine falling in love, "running down the street yelling kiss my ass", or going "hard this weekend" whilst listening to Street Spirit (Fade Out)?

Didn't think so.

3/5

Listen: Here's To Never Growing Up is released on April 15th.



Basement Jaxx - Back To The Wild


Much of the British electronic duo's output is rife with cheeky humour and Back To The Wild is no different. "I wanna go back, back to the wild, take me to the jungle", "I hear nature calling me" and "let's get naked!" shout the South Korean singers Miss Emma Lee and Baby Chay amongst a cacophony of tribal beats, African chanting and heavily processed horns. It might lack the nuance of their best work, but this is flat out infectious dancefloor funk.

3/5

Listen: Back To The Wild is 'coming soon'.




Fear Of Tigers - Golden Age


As soon as the opening chords have you knocked for six, you know you're in for one thrilling ride. The London band (formed by Japanese born producer Benjamin Berry) may be better known for their pop remixes, but Golden Age is an absolute blast. Along the lines of Daft Punk and Madeon, samples are chopped and spliced in a full throttle tumult of funky guitars, 80s synths and fragmented vocals. In essence, this is three and a half minutes of hyperactive, space-age, neon-lit power pop that will have you dancing in your bedroom grinning from ear to ear.

4/5

Listen: Fear of Tigers will hopefully be returning with a new album later this year.




Jessie Ware - Imagine It Was Us


Ware premiered this new track whilst on her UK tour, claiming she wanted a proper summer tune in-line with Madonna or Janet Jackson. And that's exactly what she's delivered. Away from the high emotion of much of 'Devotion', Imagine It Was Us sees Ware letting her hair down and having fun, without compromising her trademark sensual vocals. Expect to hear this throughout the summer - and rightly so.

4/5

Listen: Imagine It Was Us is released on April 15th.



Vanbot - When My Heart Breaks


No pop roundup would be complete without some Swedish electro-pop. When My Heart Breaks features a totally unexpected yet stellar chorus that drops with the force of a giant pop bomb. It's mirrored in the video with Vanbot emerging from the dark metro into a beautiful, wintery Swedish landscape. An unexpected chorus and an unexpected gem. Fans of Robyn will want to listen to this immediately.

4/5

Listen: When My Heart Breaks is available now.



Suvi - Bleeding For Your Love


Continuing the Scandinavian theme, Bleeding For Your Love is the follow-up to Finnish singer Suvi's debut single Clover. Darkly dramatic with expansive production, this has shades of Lana Del Rey but with more of an electronic twist. Moreover, this is the best pop song about bleeding and love since Leona Lewis.

4/5

Listen: Bleeding For Your Love is available now.



Young Kato - Break Out


Any fans of Made In Chelsea will have heard Young Kato on last week's episode. The band may now count those posh SW6 idiots as fans, but don't let that put you off. This is Foals-lite alt-rock - what they lack in originality, they make up for in vocal and guitar hooks.

3/5

Listen: The band's debut EP 'Young Kato' is available now with a new single on the way soon.

Watch: The band are touring the UK throughout May and June.



Selena Gomez - Come And Get It


She may play the innocent and religious Faith in gratuitous nudity-fest Spring Breakers, but this new single from Gomez, fresh from her split from Bieber, is heavily channeling sex-fuelled Rihanna. Above the grind-inducing bhangra beat, Gomez intones "I'm not too shy to show I love you, I got no regrets...when you're ready come and get it". It's a slight improvement on her previous EDM-infused pop, but Rihanna does it all so much better

2/5

Listen: Come And Get It is released on the 26th July.



Psy - Gentleman


Last but not least is the return of 2012's greatest meme. "I'm a mother-father-gentleman", Psy claims as it's quickly apparent this doesn't have the same novelty factor as Gangnam Style. The full video is yet to be released, but unless there's an equivalent air-horse-riding dance for comedy value, Gentleman is utterly doomed.

1/5

Listen: I wouldn't bother.

And then, within minutes of posting this roundup, the Gentleman video is put up online and features Ga from popular K-pop duo Brown Eyed Girls. And the dance? It's mostly stolen from their hit Abracadabra - a far better track than Gentleman could ever hope to be.