I’m someone who takes pop music very seriously. When I’m not editing audio, my headphones are pumping pop non-stop, so I thought I would share some of the songs I’ve been listening to recently.
Lately, I’ve been unable to escape the popular Jersey club beats that are trending in pop and K-Pop thanks to artists like PinkPantheress ever since she rose to fame on TikTok in 2021. Her song "Boy’s a liar, Pt. 2" featuring rapper Ice Spice peaked at Number three on the Billboard Hot 100 last year. The England native was just recently given the Producer of the Year award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards. Her influence is clearly heard in K-Pop songs I love including, “RUSH” by TWICE, “Passionfruit” by NMIXX, and “MELTING POINT” by ZEROBASEONE.
While we’ve likely had our fill of Taylor Swift in recent months, I’m excited for new projects from other pop girlies coming this spring. Ariana Grande’s new album “eternal sunshine” has been on repeat. Surprisingly, my favorite track is the least pop. “imperfect for you” starts with a lilting distorted guitar, like a 1990’s grunge ballad that becomes a haunting waltz. Other tracks on the album have heavy influences from Mariah Carey and Imogen Heap, which is all I really want from Ariana Grande.
And who doesn’t love a country pop crossover? Beyonce teased us with the next part of her Renaissance, returning to her Houston roots with country tracks "Texas Hold ‘Em" and "16 Carriages." The album is expected later this month and I need to hurry and buy some cowboy boots.
For other songs I’ve been listening to, you can find them on this YouTube playlist.
— Angelo