Happy Monday! It’s too hot in London right now, and I’m in the mood for some pop bangers.
1. Hottest track: Diet Pepsi by Addison Rae
📈 Monthly listeners: 1.7M
📅Release date: 9th of August 2024
💿Album release: Not announced
🎫Tour: Not announced
Yes, that Addison Rae. I’ve been watching her fascinating rebrand from vapid TikTok dancer to promising pop icon ever since she started hanging out with Charli xcx. You may have heard her much-derided but generally inoffensive song ‘Obsessed’, released in 2021, which was perceived at the time as just another influencer attempting to capitalise off of their fame by launching a half-baked music career.
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The tide started shifting when ‘I got it bad’ and other unreleased tracks were leaked online, and the pop head tastemakers of the world began ‘ironically’ touting her as the new princess of pop. Three years on from ‘Obsessed’, she has a small but dedicated base of listeners eagerly awaiting her new music, with a feature on the A. G. Cook remix of ‘Von Dutch’ earning her a viral moment with her iconic campy scream.
‘Diet Pepsi’ is her first single release since signing with Columbia Records, and is lyrically reminiscent of early Lana Del Rey. Though not the strongest vocalist in the game, her sultry tone works well with addictive lyrics (‘losing all my innocence in the backseat’) set over masterful production by ELVIRA (The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Tove Lo) and Luka Kloser (Tate McRae, Ariana Grande, Conan Gray). The key change at the end of the song is addictive - it’s clear Addison Rae takes pop music seriously, and she knows what she’s doing when it comes to songwriting. It’s safe to say I’m obsessed.
BONUS: 2 die 4 (feat Charli XCX), & I got it bad by Addison Rae
2. Indie sleaze update: You’re Invited by The Dare
📈 Monthly listeners: 940K
📅 Release date: 7th of August 2024
💿 Album release: 6th of September 2024
🎫 Tour: North America, starting 5th of September
He’s back! My favourite LCD Soundsystem soundalike had the gall to drop a new single a mere day after the last Kitchen Dance Party dropped, so I’ve stuck it here. For more info about him, read the last edition.
3. For fans of good 4 u by Olivia Rodrigo, try: I Wish I Gave You Hell by CATTY
📈 Monthly listeners: 74K
📅Release date: 14th of June 2024
💿Album release: Not announced
🎫Tour: Show in London on the 4th of November
Welsh-native CATTY has been picking up steam this year, landing on the radio, Spotify new music playlists, and opening for Stevie Nicks in July. Clearly a rising star, I’m hoping we get a full album announcement soon.
BONUS: Healing Out of Spite by CATTY
4. For fans of Carly Rae Jepsen, try: The Thrill Of It by Pixey
📈 Monthly listeners: 195K
📅Release date: 16th of July 2024
💿Album release: Out now!
🎫Tour: England, starting 25th of September
English singer-songwriter and producer Pixey is HUGELY underrated. Her debut album ‘Million Dollar Baby’ is full of absolute bangers, and I will be forcing all of my friends to listen to it. It’s clear that she’s a hugely versatile artist, with vocals reminiscent of Chvrches and impressively sparkling self-production.
BONUS: Best Friend & Give A Little Of Your Love by Pixey
5. For fans of Rose-Colored Boy by Paramore, try: cherry cola by Devon Again
📈 Monthly listeners: 322K
📅Release date: 5th of July 2024
💿Album release: Not announced
🎫Tour: Not announced
I’ve been listening to this one on repeat since it came out, and I adore the pre-chorus. Seriously, try listening to it in the shower at full volume.
6. For fans of the previous song, try: Lola by Maude Latour
📈 Monthly listeners: 545K
📅Release date: 30th of September 2022
💿Album release: 16th of August 2024
🎫Tour: North America, starting 12th of September
I’ve been a long-time listener of Maude Latour, who has cemented herself as a darling of the indie pop scene. The previous song ‘cherry cola’ certainly takes some inspiration from Latour’s ‘Lola’, and ode to solidarity and intimacy in ‘will they or won’t they’ female friendships.
BONUS: Living It by Maude Latour
7. One to watch: I Lied, I’m Sorry by Chloe Qisha
📈 Monthly listeners: 139K
📅Release date: 7th of August 2024
💿Album release: Not announced
🎫Tour: Not announced
Malaysian-born UK-based artist Chloe Qisha has only released two songs so far, but has already landed herself on Spotify’s New Music Friday UK playlist - I wouldn’t be surprised to see her on the radio soon.
8. For fans of Remi Wolf, try: Aw, Shoot! by CMAT
📈 Monthly listeners: 416K
📅Release date: 7th of May 2024
💿Album release: Not announced
🎫Tour: Mostly festivals in the UK, Australia, and Germany
Am I biased because CMAT is from Dublin, just like my dad? Yes. Does that make the music any less good? No. Though they’re sonically very different, CMAT and Remi Wolf both scratch the same itch in my brain.
BONUS: I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!
9. For fans of Clairo, try: Take A Bite by beadadoobee
📈 Monthly listeners: 18M
📅Release date: 9th of May 2024
💿Album release: Out now!
🎫Tour: Europe and North America, starting 16th of August
New album alert! One of my favourite confessional bedroom pop-esque girls is back with her third studio album ‘This Is How Tomorrow Moves’. ‘Take A Bite’, the lead single, is all about recognising your more toxic side in relationships. Here’s what she had to say about the lyrics:
“Lyrically, the song is about just acknowledging my side of relationships where I can be toxic. So when it comes to relationships, when I’m finally in the healthy, most loving relationship, I’ll find everything to sabotage it…I think the song is me acknowledging it and hopefully soon accepting it.”
Me too, girl.
BONUS: Beaches & the way things go by beabadoobee
Personally, if my ex decided to date one of my friends after we broke up, you’d have to physically pull me away from the big red button that starts WWIII. I guess she’s a stronger woman than I am - she just wrote ‘the way things go’ about it, and included cutting lines like ‘Didn’t think you’d ever stoop so low/ Getting with the only girl you know’. Ouch.
10. For fans of Sam Fender, try: God Help Me Now by Ellur
📈 Monthly listeners: 20K
📅Release date: 8th of August 2024
💿Album release: Not announced
🎫Tour: UK Festivals, starting 22nd of August
For my sad, lost girls. I was hooked on this one from the second I heard the teaser on TikTok, and the full version definitely doesn’t disappoint. Ellur is one to watch.
And that’s it! Have a good week, and as always, here’s the link to this week’s playlist:
And here’s every song from Kitchen Dance Party, all in one place:
If you’re in the UK, try not to overheat in this weather!
Clio
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