Kiesza
Hideaway
The UK response to that typical US dance pop movement, with an extra pop vibe.
Seinabo Sey
Hard Time
An anthem for strong women taking the power in their own hands.
Jessie Ware
Say You Love Me
The song co-written by Ed Sheeran: hazy acoustic guitars surfaces soft beats.
Ben Khan
Youth
Electronic production and lift music meet breathy vocals that can steam car windows.
Chet Faker
Talk Is Cheap
Sax and soupy vocals overlap on electroacoustic burbling with beat chopping.
CHVRCHES
The Mother We Share
Intro’s intimidating, gothic synth and a central lyric delivered with melodic extroversion.
Josef Salvat
Hustler
A bold, energetic, almost dramatic pop song with that pounding drum in the chorus.
SOHN
Artifice
Stargazing synths being backed up by faux drums and perfectly tweaked bleeps.
BROODS
Bridges
Working with Joel Little (Lorde), the duo balances light and dark pop.
iamamiwhoami
fountain
Youtube’s favorite mystery is back. The track is the typical electronic pop from Sweden.
BANKS
This Is What If Feels Like
Banks seduces the darkness in this Lil’ Silva and Jamie Woon produced cut.
Erik Hassle
Talk About It
Erik is taking a step back from cheerful pop only to rebrand himself as a pop mastermind.
Le Youth feat Dominique Young Unique
Dance With Me
The perfect mix of TLC’s single “No Scrubs” and Dupri feat Usher “The Party Continues”.
Phillip Philipps
Raging Fire
Ex American Idol 1 grow up creating a perfect fast-tempo song with pop-rock-folk sound.
CHVRCHES
We Sink
A fusion of emotive theatrics, hook-loaded songwriting, and forward-thinking sonics.
Syron feat Horror Stories
Three Dreams
Breezy R&B mixed with some elements of garage, plenty of hit-potential not so generic.
BANKS
Beggin For Thread
Electronics and melancholics, with a fierce voice that stand up to sophisticated music.
Rae Morris feat Fryars
Cold
Rae Morris and Fryars offer the most depressed but beautiful love song of the year.
Josef Salvat
Open Season
Declaring the season open, Josef just put his pop-guns on his shoulder, ready to rumble.
MOKO
Your Love
An energic and sensual-as-usual thing of hot, steaming r&b-infused soul.
MNEK
Wrote A Song About You
Plastic funk, with a vocoder rubbing up against springy synths and pulsating bass.
Ed Sheeran
Photograph
Sheeran tiptoes with some restrained crooning before the arena drums kick in.
Kate Boy
Self Control
The song perfectly aligns with stomping electronic pop, and sped up the tempo.
Hozier
Take Me To Church
His raw but refined sound is something anyone can connect with easily.
Troye Sivan
Happy Little Pill
A YouTuber create the perfect ambient songs between slow-burn and electro-pop.
Seinabo Sey
Younger
It’s very much under-the-skin pop, with a build-up to a climax that never really comes.
Tove Lo
Habits (Stay High)
An infectious “je m’en fou” pop tune with a sweet Swedish vibe that everyone will love.
La Roux
Let Me Down Gently
A ballad with the typical ’80s synths swirling up the song to that pop grandeur.
Say Lou Lou
Everything We Touch
A song about “guilty pleasures”: swirling soundscapes, above-the-clouds harmonies.
NONONO
Pumpin Blood
The song moves from a two-note intro into a chorus that wants so badly to be joyful. It works a lot.
FKA Twings
Pendulum
The underlying sense of heartbreak, with its mantra “So lonely trying to be yours.”
Florrie
Little White Lies
The chorus is big, the beats are nasty with those guitar twitches, and the lyrics are quite simple.
Ingrid Michaelson
Girls Chase Boys
Pop with heavier drum line, piano chords and a sweet and soaring vocal in the lead.
TIAAN
Oh My
An ageless Aaliyah mixed with Sade creat a great vibe to the floor. It all feels a bit like really fine sex.
Arthur Beatrice
Late
The lead vocal with a head-nodding drum beat drift on the AB universe.
Ji Nilsson & Marlene
Love You Anyway
A song about female friendship, in celebration of International Women’s Day. Really deep.
Laura Welsh
Cold Front
A cold r&b-hinting solid pop track with production coming from Rhye.
MO
Dance On My Own
90s are back. And girl bands are back with pop song choking on RnB references. Oldie but goodie.
Gorgon City feat Jennifer Hudson
Go All Night
Soothing vocals combine with the funky bassline to produce a 90s house sound perfect for those years.
Katy B
Crying For No Reason
A ballad that threatens to blossom into a disco song but never does. To die for.