PUMP UP THE VOLUME
Great new pop to get you on the (home) dance floor
Iwant to dance. Do you want to dance? I know, I know, we can’t get too far from the darkness (or too close to each other). But a glut of new pop calls us to get on the dance floor (which, I acknowledge, is the kitchen floor right now).
Over the past month or so, pop divas and cool newcomers have delivered great grooves. Here are a few to get you spinning something new.
“Who’s Gonna Save You Now?,” Rina Sawayama — Here’s the skinny on Sawayama: Writers love to compare her to Destiny’s Child and Evanescence but need to name check Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne, Ariana Grande and Gwen Stefani to approach the aesthetic of the next global pop star. If you dig pop, you’ve likely heard smash “XS.” Dig deeper into her debut LP, “Sawayama,” and discover the heaviest, hardest pop diamond since Jackson’s “Black Cat.” “Who’s Gonna Save You Now?” will be the shout-along anthem of late 2020.
“Levitating,” Dua Lipa — The sweet jam in which Lipa stirs your soul just by singing, “You want me, I want you, baby/My sugar boo, I’m levitating.” One of many pop rushes on the aptly titled “Future Nostalgia,” “Levitating” takes the Carly Rae Jepsen template (quadrangulate early Madonna, turn-of-the-century Kylie, peak Debbie Gibson and allthing Robyn) and adapts it into a modern Cool Britannia
club cut.
“Como un Dragon,” Rita Indiana — Rita’s first album in 10 years, “Mandinga Times,” is due in June. Out now, lead single “Like a Dragon” spits Spanish-language hip-hop fire. Mixing Latin trap and heavy metal, the song is unlikely to be the next “Despacito.” Of course, nobody thought “Despacito” could ever become “Despacito.”
“Resisto Y Ya,” Lido Pimienta — Lingering in crossover territory, Colombian-Canadian singer Lido Pimienta’s new album, “Miss Colombia,” bridges traditional
South American sounds with synth pop. “Resisto Y Ya” stomps and struts somewhere between a Bogotá street carnival and a Montreal discotheque.
“A Comma,” Serpentwithfeet — Oops, dropped a dark one in here. Josiah Wise’s starts his new three-song EP, “Apparition,” with a ballad that nods at nocturnes, neosoul and experimental electro. Not comforting, but thanks to Wise’s versatile voice, sublime.
“Earlier Days,” Zsela — Sorry, this comes from another gloomy EP, this time Zsela’s debut, “Ache of Victory.”
Like Serpentwithfeet, Zsela marries conflict. “Earlier Days” drips along but bursts with energy. Powered by a few beats and synths, it could be easily adapted for a gospel choir. Introspective and lonely, it feels warm, something so beautiful you’ll want to pass it to a friend with a smile.
“Do What You Like,” the Phenomenal Handclap Band — Let’s close it out with something breezy and encouraging. Don’t overthink it. Abandon your inhibitions. Boogie to this slice of spaceage, slightly psychedelic indie disco.