If you’ve been living anywhere other than under a rock this year, there’s a one hundred percent chance that you’ve heard of Sabrina Carpenter! In just a few short years, we’ve gotten to watch an artist we’ve loved for years blossom into a full-blown pop star, and 2025 was the biggest year of them all! From being on SNL, to winning big at the Grammys (and being nominated again) to releasing Man’s Best Friend, there was no stopping Sabrina Carpenter this year! When looking back at Sabrina’s list of accomplishments this year, we knew we had to break down some of the biggest and best for you!
Let’s jump in!
Man’s Best Friend
We say this with complete confidence, Man’s Best Friend is one of the best pop albums of the last decade! And we don’t even think that’s a hot take because we’ve watched the general public fall as in love with this record as we, career-long fans, have. The witty songwriting, the visual storytelling, the vocals, and the elements Sabrina continuously excels at are heightened even further here on this record. From ‘Manchild,’ which has been inescapable, to some of our favorites, ‘Go Go Juice,’ and ‘House Tour,’ there is no doubt in our mind that Man’s Best Friend will have a long, ever-evolving life with fans.
Grammy Awards
The Grammys are one of those accomplishments that artists spend their whole careers chasing, that hold meaning for their nominees, and for fans alike. At the 2025 Grammy Awards, Sabrina Carpenter took home two (!!!!) awards, and has already scored six nominations for the 2026 ceremony! That is the direct result of over a decade of hard work and dedication to mastering her craft.
Variety Hitmaker Of The Year
Much like the Grammy Awards, being named Hitmaker of the Year comes on the heels of hard work. What sets this honor apart is that being a “Hitmaker” in such a pop-saturated market takes a deep understanding of what a “pop” song entails, and how to catch lightning in a bottle time after time. From ‘Espresso’ and ‘Manchild’ to ‘Nonsense,’ Sabrina’s deep understanding of this concept just keeps growing.
Saturday Night Live
SNLis a true rite of passage for creatives throughout the entertainment industry, and Sabrina pulled off three appearances this year alone! And even more impressively, one of these appearances included the double duty of hosting and performing! These appearances reminded so many people that Sabrina is an actress! Her comedic timing is impeccable, and she also happens to have an incredible voice and is a master storyteller.
Check out more of our year-end/holiday content here!
We would love to hear from you! What was your favorite Sabrina Carpenter moment from 2025? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
2025 was truly the best year in pop music we’ve had in a while! It seems like artists are simply locking back into what makes a true pop song and mastering that art. Narrowing this list down to simply 25 songs was quite the challenge, but we think this list is the best of the best throughout all facets of pop music! From Olivia Dean and Chappell Roan to Greyson Chance and so many more, let’s jump in!
Taylor Swift – ‘The Fate of Ophelia’
There is no way to talk about the great pop resurgence of 2025 without highlighting The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift. For us, the entire album is full of examples of a true-to-form pop song, but we had to choose to highlight ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ due to it being inescapable since its release. This song is pure ear candy, and will get stuck in your head for hours even after just hearing a few seconds.
Olivia Dean – ‘Man I Need’
Olivia Dean is taking the pop music world by storm with ‘Man I Need,’ and to us that makes perfect sense. In anyone else’s discography, ‘Man I Need’ would be an easy career highlight, and yet, it’s one of many songs on Olivia’s most recent album, The Art of Loving, that blew us away upon the first listen and could have easily taken this spot.
Sabrina Carpenter – ‘House Tour’
Man’s Best Friend is stacked top to bottom with pop gold, but after listening back through the album, ‘House Tour’ had to be our choice! Everything from that infectious chorus to the “my house is on pretty girl avenue” line made this one of those songs that will soundtrack nights out for us through the foreseeable future.
Jonas Brothers – ‘Love Me To Heaven’
The Jonas Brothers have been experts at the pop music game since Nick first uttered the words ‘red dress’ back in 2008, so it’s no surprise to us that they are only getting better and better 17 years later. Their newest record, Greetings From Your Hometown, had an obvious stand-out to us the first time we listened, and that was ‘Love Me To Heaven.’
Audrey Hobert – ‘Phoebe’
Who’s The Clown?by Audrey Hobert was truly on an endless loop here at THP! Upon first listen, it was automatically clear that we were witnessing the artistic birth of someone who had a crystal clear understanding of how to bring themselves through in the music, be specific while staying relatable, and develop a sound that was particularly hers. We could have easily put any song from the album here, but ‘Phoebe’ is a forever favorite of ours!
Greyson Chance – ‘Waiting Outside The Lines ‘25’
No, we are not trying to transport you back to 2011, but there is so much beauty in taking a certified nostalgia-packed hit and reimagining it with years of life lived and heightened vocal ability to back it up. We can’t help but have a permanent smile on our face listening to this track and diving into Greyson’s current catalog (which everyone should do themselves the favor of doing)!
Jensen McRae – ‘Novelty’
If you asked us what album impacted us the most this year, one of the easiest answers would be I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!Anyone who has dived into Jensen’s discography knows what a savant she is. Her relationship to her pen is one of one, and this album may be the best example of that in her discography so far. ‘Novelty’ is the song that immediately jumps out at us as a must-listen.
Lady Gaga – ‘How Bad Do U Want Me’
Lady Gaga is synonymous with pop music at this point. She has always had the skill on lock, and in many ways, has influenced so much of what the modern genre looks like. MAYHEM was a true return to form for Lady Gaga, and showed that her knowledge and talent with the pop music world has never faltered. ‘How Bad Do U Want Me’ is an instant smash and is still on repeat.
5 Seconds of Summer – ‘NOT OK’
We will forever preach our love for 5 Seconds of Summer and how they get better with every release! (If you didn’t know, this band is literally why THP exists!) EVERYONE’S A STARcame out just over a month ago and is the band’s most ambitious, larger-than-life project yet. But of course, every element was nailed perfectly. Each of the guys has so many standout moments, but there are even more moments when it is so clear why they continue to make music together: everything flows seamlessly.
Sadie Jean – ‘She’s Dating My Boyfriend’
Sadie Jean is the exact singer-songwriter your playlist is in need of, and we had to highlight a track off her debut album, Early Twenties Torture! Every song on this record feels like Sadie had a insider’s look at our deepest thoughts and struggles, was able to turn them poetic, and then put them to music. That skill of relatability is rare. ‘She’s Dating My Boyfriend’ is our favorite example of that peek inside our minds.
Laufey – ‘Lover Girl’
Laufey has seamlessly blended the worlds of pop and jazz music and made a fusion that leaves us regularly at a loss for words. A Matter of Time is Laufey’s most recent album. And upon our first listen, it was clear that this is a generational album, one of those records where anyone who gives it a chance will fall in love with it. ‘Lover Girl’ is our favorite song off the record, so we had to highlight it!
Amber Mark – ‘Let Me Love You’
Amber Mark is the pop star you’ve been looking to add to your playlists! If you’re a fan of artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Dean, Amber’s album, Pretty Idea, and specifically our favorite track, ‘Let Me Love You,’ is going to be right up your alley! We are predicting that 2026 is going to be a huge year for Amber! And with music of this quality, it makes complete sense!
Justin Bieber – ‘Yukon’
‘Yukon’ was one of our most-streamed songs of the year; it’s that serious to us! SWAG, for us, felt like Justin coming back into his own, making the music that feels true to form. With ‘Yukon,’ that infectious chorus we’ve come to know and love from Justin Bieber is the shining star, which definitely adds to why we are constantly playing this track on a loop.
Lydia Night – ‘The Bomb’
You may know Lydia Night from her time with the band The Regrettes, but trust us when we say she has turned into a full-blown solo pop star. Lydia released her debut album, Parody of Pleasure, back in August, and all thirteen songs are expertly crafted! ‘The Bomb’ has been a standout since we first dove into this album. The song is playful and reminiscent of early 2000s pop.
Role Model – ‘Sally, When The Wine Runs Out’
Obviously, ‘Sally, When The Wine Runs Out’ has taken the world by storm this year, so there was no way we weren’t going to give Role Model his flowers. We haven’t heard a chorus quite as infectious as ‘Sally, When The Wine Runs Out’ in quite a long time. It’s impossible not be in an instant good mood when it hits.
Myles Smith – ‘Stay (If You Wanna Dance)’
If you were as obsessed with Myles Smith’s ‘Stargazing’ as we were, then ‘Stay (If You Wanna Dance)’ is the perfect addition to your playlists! Myles is someone who you continue to find new things about his artistry to dig into with each listen.
Zara Larsson is a pop star in the truest sense of the word. Her entire album, Midnight Sun, is a pop masterclass, in which she’s the only person equipped to teach. When we first heard the title track ‘Midnight Sun,’ we knew that this was a whole new ball game in terms of pop music, and that we would take every opportunity to praise what Zara is doing with her artistry.
HAIM – ‘Relationships’
This song is pure ear candy and truly a discography highlight from one of our favorite trios! The chorus has serotonin woven into every line and lyric. And it makes us want to be out at night in the city with friends, dancing to every word. Their most recent album, i quit, is chock-full of tracks where you will see these themes.
Conan Gray – ‘Vodka Cranberry’
Conan Gray was born to make the exact music he’s making right now. He releases such infectious pop tracks with lyrics that both feel true to self for Conan and still connect deeply with his audience. ‘Vodka Cranberry’ blew up this year, and to us, it only makes perfect sense. This is a solidified hit.
Tate McRae – ‘Sports Car’
If you didn’t know, Tate McRae is a name that we have been screaming from the rooftops since we got to interview her years ago (which you can read here!). Tate blends musicality with dance seamlessly to draw people into who she is as a musician. ‘Sports Car’ and its visual components showcase exactly why Tate has quickly become a household name.
Avery Cochrane – ‘Shapeshifting On A Saturday Night’
Hailing from Seattle, Avery Cohrane is bound to be the name you can’t escape this next year in pop music! This year, she released her track, ‘Shapeshifting on a Saturday Night,’ and blew us away with the established pop sound she was crafting. If you’re a fan of artists like Chappell Roan or Olivia Rodrigo, we think you will love Avery!
Addison Rae – ‘Headphones On’
It’s no secret that Addison Rae has had a massive year. From the success of ‘Diet Pepsi’ and her tour to her debut album, Addison, everything about her career so far has been the beginning of a pop star who will be talked about and celebrated for years to come. For Addison, pop is a true work of performance art, following in the footsteps of the likes of Britney Spears. ‘Headphones On’ off her debut album summarizes everything we love most about Addison as an artist.
Reneé Rapp – ‘I Think I Like You Better When You’re Gone’
We yell the chorus to ‘I Think I Like You Better When You’re Gone’ at truly astronomical levels. Everything about this track resonates with us. Something that Reneé Rapp never fails to do is draw the listener in and weave her story in a way that feels relatable to others. On top of the lyrical content of the song, Reneé’s vocals are otherworldly here.
Demi Lovato – ‘Joshua Tree’
The 2025 version of Demi Lovato is the only artist who could craft an album like It’s Not That Deep. This record is a amalgamation of someone who has gone through it all. Someone who has experienced hardships and heartache and is in the complete opposite space now. And a lot of it is backtracked with songs you want to be in the club dancing to. That’s the duality of pop and of Demi, and it’s beautiful. To us, ‘Joshua Tree’ best represents the album as a whole.
Chappell Roan – ‘The Subway’
Ending our best 2025 pop songs with one that is still inescapable like ‘The Subway’ only felt right. Chappell Roan is a once-in-a-lifetime artist. She creates with such intention and really takes her time with each project, which comes through in the music. ‘The Subway’ will be looked at years from now as one of the great songs of the decade.
We would love to hear from you! What is your favorite pop song of 2025? Is it something off the new Taylor Swift album? Maybe a Conan Gray song? Or an Olivia Dean song? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
From TikTok anthems to chart-crushing pop hits, her songs are absolutely everywhere right now. The Canadian singer, dancer, and viral social media favorite, only 22 years old, has been fueling our powerful “who runs the world – girls!” playlists with her sassy diva lyrics ever since her breakout hit ‘greedy’ dropped in 2023. Before the release of ‘greedy,’ the 2021 track ‘You Broke Me First’ was already making waves, peaking within the top ten of the Canadian Hot 100 and landing in the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100, proving her star power long before her latest takeover.
With the recent release of the 2025 Spotify Wrapped, we stand on the edge of 2026. The Honey Pop decided to share with you Tate McRae’s essential tracks you definitely don’t want to miss.
‘Just Keep Watching‘
It’s a clear banger to go wild, whether you’re crushing it at the gym, sweating it out at home, or forcefully preparing for exams. All while aiming to reach that prime era where you can proudly tell yourself – you are the best! Released later this year, ‘Just Keep Watching’has already hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Electronic Songs chart and broken into the Top 10 on both the Global and U.S. Spotify charts.
Undoubtedly, Tate McRae’s popularity is skyrocketing just as fast as 2025 flew by. And surprise: ‘Just Keep Watching’ is featured on the soundtrack for the new Brad Pitt film F1, which follows the turbulent career of struggling race car driver Sonny Hayes, set against themes of success, friendship, and a dramatic crash back into reality.
So, if you haven’t started blasting this fiery, unstoppable track to crush your day and chase your dreams, do it now—even the F1 soundtrack credit can’t top it!
‘Greedy‘
Yes, yes, I know, we know, and TikTok knows too, otherwise, why would your feed be streaming the iconic“I would want myself” lines on every reel? You sigh, “Again this song?” We say, obviously—this track is a must. A hymn for all the broken women’s hearts, reminding them how precious they are and that no one should ever burden them if they can’t value their incomparable selves. ‘greedy’ ruthlessly dominated the charts in 2023, leaving every competitor in the dust.
Powerful as a self-affirmation, ‘greedy’ pushes even further, showing that your value doesn’t depend on someone you used to love or love in general. Self-love is always stronger, and it deserves to be celebrated just like this song. C’mon, ladies and gentlemen, after all, it’s her most-streamed hit with 2.07 billion total streams. Give it the credit it truly deserves!
‘You Broke Me First‘
After the first two bangers mentioned above, ‘You Broke Me First’ may have slipped a little from music lovers’ minds, but don’t let that fool you. It’s still another heartbreak-revenge anthem for the ages.
Written collaboratively with Griffin Stoller, Victoria Zaro, and Lowell, all talented musical producers and independent artists, ‘You Broke Me First’ is a more honest, raw, and quietly regretful take on love, especially compared to the bold, sassy energy of ‘Greedy.’ With its emotional vibe and perfect balance between “sad-pop” and mainstream energy, it’s a timeless classic that still hits hard in today’s overly digital world.
In fact, ‘You Broke Me First’marked McRae’s global breakthrough, amassing 1.9 billion streams since its 2020 release and remaining popular to this day.
‘Exes‘
Last but certainly not least in our selection is, of course, and we know you’ve been waiting for this one—‘ Exes,’And please don’t tell us you haven’t heard it or that you didn’t dance to it on one of your girls‘ nights out. We know you totally did. The pop, R&B, and trap vibes of the track actually stem from McRae’s spontaneous decision to add one final song to her album Think Later, serving as a logical conclusion that reflects the album’s full concept in a polished way.
Released the same year as ‘Greedy,’ it also earned its well-deserved spot on the Olympus with 735 million streams—a solid hit among her songs. Even more, her live performances of the track are outstanding, combining strong choreography with powerful vocals. Ironically, what began as an afterthought has become a chart-topping hit, proving that McRae is a pop genius who deserves all your attention.
If you’re looking for a new band to take over your playlists, look no further than Arrows in Action! Their latest album, I Think I’ve Been Here Before, is the perfect gateway into their musical world, so this is the ideal time to jump in! We were lucky enough to get to chat with Arrows in Action all about their newest album, past music, live shows, and so much more!
Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! To start us off, how would you describe your sound to someone who is tuning in for the first time? We’re an alternative pop-rock band! We’re a blend of everything we love, and we love a huge array of music.
I Think I’ve Been Here Before is less than a month away. What emotions are you guys feeling leading up to the release of this record? We’re feeling a mix of relief, excitement, and catharsis with the release of this album! We can’t wait for people to hear it all in its intentional order.
Out of the eleven songs on the record, only two are unreleased. What goes into the decision of what to release and what to hold back? We wanted to make sure to save the conclusion of the album for the day of release. We were very intentional with the track order on this record, and we wanted our fans to experience the album in its entirety together.
‘Hello Sunlight!’ is the oldest track on the record, having been released in May of last year. When this song came out, did you know it was part of a bigger project, or did that come with time? Though it was released far ahead of the album, ‘Hello Sunlight!’ is the track that started the writing process and was instrumental in guiding us towards the sounds that would make up Side A.
You’ve released this album in two parts, with Side A coming out earlier this year. How do you group the songs and figure out which song belongs on which side? In both subject matter and sonics, we accidentally curated two distinct vibes while writing this album. It could be the simplest thing, like the placement of a minor chord that guided a song toward side B, and in many cases, it was the lyrical perspective that placed the song.
With a new album comes the hope of live music! While crafting the album, which song off this album were you most looking forward to bringing to life on stage? Victor: ‘Cheekbones,’ Jesse: ‘Empty Canvas,’ Matt: ‘Empty Canvas.’
Your debut album, Be More, came out four years ago! When you look at the artists who released that record, and the artists who are about to release this record, what do you see as the biggest area of growth? Our biggest area of growth has been how much we collaborate! With years of touring and writing together, we know each other better than ever before, and we know how to expand on each other’s ideas.
Once again, thank you so much for chatting with us! Before we let you go, what is one thing on the Arrows in Action bucket list as we close out 2025? A bucket list item we completed this year was headlining in Europe and the UK! A bucket list item we have that is yet unchecked is performing at Red Rocks in Colorado. Thanks for having us!
We would love to hear from you! What is your favorite song off of I Think I’ve Been Here Before by Arrows in Action? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok!
If you’re looking for a new supergroup to dive into, look no further than one of our most recent musical obsessions, CVCHE! If you’re just now tuning in, you’ve done it at the perfect time! CVCHE’s debut album, Get Fluffy is due later this year, and we’ve just gotten their newest offering from the record, ‘The Star.’ We were lucky to chat with CVHCE about their upcoming record, ‘The Star,’ and so much more!
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! To start us off, if someone is tuning in for the first time, how would you describe the kind of music CVCHE makes? No, thank YOU! We’d definitely describe ourselves as the pioneers of Rural Canadian Techno, since that genre did not previously exist – nor may it EVER exist – unless people want it to. You could also say “organic electronic jams that make you want to dance in your socks on a hardwood floor.”
Get Fluffy is due later this year! What has the process of crafting your first album together as a group been like? We set up four or five synths at one station for each of us. I would make a beat, then we’d all start dialing in sounds on our stations. Once we all had a good palette of sounds, someone would come up with a bass line or tonal starting point. Then we’d hit record and start laying in parts simultaneously, like a live jam, for about 20 minutes. We then edited the best parts into the final track. Some ended up tracking the record rather quickly, and on others, we spent a bit more time on arrangements.
How far into the creative process of ‘Get Fluffy’ did ‘The Star’ come to be? Were you still actively crafting the album? It all happened very quickly from inception to completion because of the process I outlined above. It’s a great way to work, and we just know each other so well that there was very little mucking around and/or throwing things out. We actually have a bunch more tracks we really like that aren’t coming out on the record. The chord progressions are more vocal-friendly, so we saved them to experiment with that at some point. We basically got into a great flow state and just made a whole bunch of stuff with no ‘demographic’ or all the other things you’re supposed to think about – where it fits, who will like it, etc. We just made music, and all this stuff is what came out, with no fidgeting around with expectations. It was fun. And still is!
When you’re in the midst of a jam session, and a song like ‘The Star’ starts to form, do you guys automatically realize you have something you want to dig into further and possibly release? We actually aren’t jamming in the typical sense. It’s more about coming up with a beat we all like, then a bassline, or riff, or chord progression. If we like where the early stages are going, we start dialing in sounds we like on all of our respective synth stations and all sorts of approve of them or not as we’re working them up. Once we have a big palette of sounds and the framework of the track, THEN we “jam” in a structured way for 20 – 30 minutes as every synth patched into ProTools is in record. We then edit it down with the sections we feel are gelling the most.
With CVCHE, when did the idea first spark to form this group? Were you all approached at once? Liam and Jimmy started jamming a bit after tracking a Metric record, and then I came in. We drank wine, pulled out more synths, and then decided to make a record after we’d already finished making it.
Each of you comes from different groups that we are sure have their own creative processes. How do you bring each of those into this new group, and what works best for what you want to be creating? I think all of our experience combined really helps in making navigating the technological aspect of things secondary to creativity, which can be a challenge for everyone. We know how to dial sounds up quickly, and we know how to get around our synth collections, arranging, mixing, etc., so it’s more about us playing off of each other rather than getting caught up in midi troubleshooting (which we’ve collectively probably spent 8 million hours doing). We all use Pro Tools, and it helps that Liam is a legit Pro Tools wizard.
And speaking of what you want to be creating, it’s been said that you guys want to “make releasing music as fun as creating it.” What aspect of creating music do you think is lost in the stress of releasing said music? Oh, wow, I could talk shit about algorithms all day! Making records is fun, spiritual, bonding, magical, and all the other feels, and then comes… algorithms, metadata, streaming companies, troubleshooting passwords, traffic light captchas. So romantic, isn’t it? So, we just said “fuck all this.” Yes, it has to be done, but what else can we do to keep it fun? That’s when we brought Jon Morris in as a member of CVCHE. He did Nine Inch Nails’ stage design, as well as designed for Lady Gaga and Metric, and has done loads of huge installations at Burning Man. Jon is the official-unofficial king of fun. He helped make an infinite scroller video game (it’s fun… check out www.heycvche.com), and we’re building out a super fun merch store. We’re planning a crazy, awesome live show as well. We tell more jokes on calls than we talk about business. We have no strategy to ‘beat the algorithms.’ We just have fun and, in between, fill out endless forms and upload to streamers and publishing info. Gotta keep it fun.
You recently released your single ‘Thumper.’ What inspired that song, and how did it come together? A super weird thumping sound that randomly started coming out of the MS-20… a ghost in the machine, as Sting would say. We made a track around the sound and then ended up muting it in the end — the track, as you hear it, remained.
While crafting this upcoming album, Get Fluffy, was there a song that felt like lightning in a bottle? That once it started, you guys knew it was going to be one of the ones that made the record? No, because we like all of them. We have more that aren’t on the record – more so because the chord progressions lend themselves to vocals – so we’re sitting on those for the right time.
We have to talk about the video game! Where did the inspiration come from to include this in the process of putting out music? Jon Morris brought that to the table, and his friend/coder, Sonny, dialed it all up. At the time of creating the game, with a new song release per level of the game… We are as certain as we can be that we were the first to do this in this way.
Once again, thank you guys so much for your time! Before we let you go, what can fans look forward to as we close out 2025? More sock jams that make you wanna dance in your socks on a hardwood floor, live shows from us at some point, and hopefully vacations in the Caribbean when it starts to get cold — for both us and fans alike. Who wants to make a plan!? We’re SO IN. ⚡️
We would love to hear from you! What do you think of our interview with CVCHE? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Em Beihold has been a mainstay on our playlists ever since her song ‘Numb Little Bug’ came out, so it is no surprise that her artistry is displayed in her newest song ‘Hot Goblin.’ We were lucky enough to chat with Em about ‘Hot Goblin,’ the thematic through lines of her recent music, ‘Numb Little Bug,’ and so much more!
Hi Em! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! To start us off, how would you describe your music to someone who is tuning in for the first time? Hello hello! Thanks for having me! I like to describe my music as quirky piano pop that talks about difficult things with a certain degree of levity. I’ve also been described as a popified Regina Spektor, and I really like that description.
‘Hot Goblin’ is your latest track! The lyric video felt like stepping into a fairy tale book. When crafting this track, was the inspiration immediately tied to that aesthetic? Not really! When I was writing the song, I was initially thinking more along the lines of the experience of being a woman and how fickle our relationship with confidence can be. The fairytale stuff came after and felt obvious once the concept was solidified.
Something that immediately drew us to ‘Hot Goblin’ was the vulnerability hidden within this musically upbeat pop track, the understanding of insecurities, but the ability to still find confidence in that. What do writing sessions look like for a song that presents vulnerability in this way? I think my co-writers Nick Lopez, Jason Suwito, and I had a lot of fun figuring out what the term “hot goblin” means. As a girl who definitely feels the pressure to constantly present as put-together, fashionable, hot, etc. (especially from social media), it felt freeing to put a name to the feeling of embracing your insecurities and messy parts while still loving yourself completely and not feeling less than. I also wanted the song to be about that feeling on top of the world one day and at the bottom the next, so ‘Hot Goblin’ became a way to give language to that cycle. Nick has been a close friend since we wrote ‘Numb Little Bug’ together, and Jason came into my life during a rough patch in my career, so there was already a lot of trust in the room. After we laughed about the phrase “hot goblin,” which I brought into the session (kind of as a joke), they both got it and locked in immediately. That balance of humor and honesty made the writing process really special. I write my favorite songs when I’m laughing.
‘Brutus’ is another recent release of yours! This track features some of our favorite visuals from you yet! Where did the creative vision for this video come from? And what was that on-set experience like? I was really inspired by the movie Amadeus, which my mom showed me when I was going through an intense, unforgiving period of depression, where I couldn’t stop comparing myself to other female artists who were creatively unblocked and more successful than me. I related to the character of Salieri and thought it would be fun to bring that rivalry with Mozart as a vignette alongside a few others to tell the story of what I was feeling. The on-set experience is one I will never forget because it was a day full of fun and laughter with friends, which felt SO full circle after a year of essentially crying every day and hating being in my skin. I was so happy to be me and felt so proud of the art that came out of such a hard time. I also checked off two big goals of mine, which were: one, working with my co-director, Ethan Frank, whom I’ve been a huge fan of for years, and two, fencing in a music video since I was a competitive fencer for many years.
With both ‘Hot Goblin’ and ‘Brutus,’ the themes around the visuals are locked into days of old, with fairy tales and gladiator times. Is there an intentional through line there? You know what; accidentally yes. It wasn’t intentional, but I think the whole album has puzzle-pieced itself together more than I planned for. It’s whimsical, it has hints of classical music, and instruments like the harpsichord! There’s definitely some fun “historical” stuff in there.
Egg in the Backseat came out three years ago! Is there a song on that record that, for you, has just gotten better with time? I would say ‘Goo,’ because my fans have really taken to that one at my live shows. It’s kind of a sleeper, dare I say!
We, of course, have to briefly touch on ‘Numb Little Bug!’ Now that you are three years separated from the release of the track, how has your relationship to this song changed as time has gone on? Oh my gosh! I wrote that song about my unfortunate experience with antidepressants, and now (after lots of trial and error), I’ve found one that has absolutely changed my life. It’s a cool marker of where I was then, and how much I’ve grown. I will always appreciate the response to that song and how much it changed my life.
Once again, thank you so much for chatting with us! Before we let you go, what can fans look forward to as we close out 2025? My debut album is coming out very soon in 2026! It’s the proudest I’ve ever been of anything I’ve made. It’s about my journey through depression, experiencing complete loss of self, and how I have come out on the other side to be the happiest and most me I have ever been. It’s fun and pop and silly, and I’m ready for 2025 to be done so I can finally share this new music with my fans!
We would love to hear from you! What do you think of our interview with Em Beihold? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram!
If you’re looking for which artist is going to be the talk of the town before too long, look no further than Benjamin Steer! Benjamin Steer has just released his EP Figuring It Out, which showed us, clear as day, that we were looking at an artist who is going to have a long and prosperous career! We were lucky enough to chat with Benjamin all about the EP and so much more!
Hello Benjamin! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! To start us off, how would you describe your music to someone who is tuning in for the first time? It’s a pleasure, thank you! I would say my music is sort of a soundtrack to confusion in your 20s, a soundtrack to love, to heartbreak, and to figuring things out. I’d like to think it’s pretty cinematic but has some energy in it too!
Figuring It Out is your debut EP! What feelings accumulate as you get ready to put your first collection of songs out? It is weird. I always feel a bit of anxiety before release days, but then as soon as the project is out, the anxiety disappears. I don’t hold emotional attachment to the songs once they are out. It then becomes a case of how many people can get their ears on it. But certainly, I am really proud of these songs. I feel like it sort of marks the end of my first chapter in the music world. I feel like each song serves a different purpose; the whole thing feels pretty dynamic.
You described this record as “a hopeless romantic’s dream and downfall.” What is one lyric throughout the project that best represents the dream aspect, and on the other hand, what lyric would you say best represents the downfall? I think the dreamer line is definitely the chorus of ‘No One Wants To Die Alone,’ “Live Big Love Fast and not Die Alone.” It is sort of the payoff line in a song that lyrically is frustrated in many senses, and encapsulates the sort of desire of the EP. There are many downfall lines in the EP, so I’ll give you three: ‘Oh Darling,’ “Many nights I try to find you in other eyes… Am I blind to all that makes you you?” ’5%,’ “It’s the 5% that is in the spotlight and the 95 that hides behind my eyes – So I’ll keep it out of mind and out of sight.” ‘Sweat Off Our History,’ “I’ll thread the needle between who I am and what you want from me.” I think all of these lines sort of summarize the pressure that you have to appear complete and confident and put together… But in reality, you are still figuring things out – trying to find a purpose. And you often hide these insecurities and fears in actions and facades that are not favorable to yourself – just to appease others or numb yourself to vulnerability.
As we are writing this, the EP is officially out! What has the reaction to the record been like over the last few days? How are you feeling post-release? Honestly, I think it went as well as I had hoped. I think these things take a journey themselves when they are out. I think hopefully it has legs to continue to connect with people and make an impact. People have been so supportive and kind, and I feel very unworthy. I always say this, and it is very cliche, but I am just a dude who writes about life and love in his bedroom, so it’s surreal that it is connecting so well!
When you released ‘No One Wants To Die Alone’ last year, did you already know this track was going to be everyone’s first taste of this EP? Or was it added in as the creation of the EP went forward? No Idea. ‘NOWTDA’ always felt special. It was the first song that I wrote, and I was like, if this doesn’t become the biggest song, then I am not sure what will. It felt so right and felt so me. The EP was certainly not a manufactured Idea. It was sort of the collection of the best things I had written in the last 8 months, and it all felt rather cohesive. I think if I were to sit down with the intention of writing an ep, and with a certain goal and message, it would have almost felt like I wasn’t being authentic. That being said, ‘No One Wants To Die Alone’ was probably the first song I wrote out of the ones that made it on to the EP, so maybe in some way it did guide the sonic and messaging of the rest!
Hailing six songs, half of the record was previously released, and half of the songs were saved for release day. How do you go about deciding which songs you want to hold onto and let fans discover all at once? I think there is a feeling that you get when you have a single, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the non-single tracks are missing something. I feel like putting out a bigger body of work allows you to release songs that may never come out as a single, but you still want people to hear them. I think ‘Sweat off our History’ is a good example; this would never be a single, but that does not mean that it isn’t good. So I am glad I had the opportunity to release it.
We want to go back a bit and talk about ‘Muted Colors,’ This track changed a lot for you! When you look back, what does your relationship with that song look like now vs two years ago when it was released? I think ‘Muted Colors’ was the unexpectedly perfect first song to put out. It served its purpose in the time that it was written for me personally, but also to show an audience the type of music and messaging I wanted to pursue. I look back positively on it now for sure. It was the first stepping stone in a long journey to cross the river, and I’m so grateful that I could have even had the chance to start or embark on that journey. I think it worked because I was just honest, it was one of the first songs I had ever written and I did not really have a reference point as to what was ok and what was not. I think I do naturally cringe a little bit looking back to it now because I think my style and tone have changed a bit, but it certainly was a fantastic first step!
Once again, thank you so much for chatting with us! Before we let you go, is there anything coming up that fans can look forward to? Any live shows? Hopefully got a lot of exciting stuff coming up! Going to hopefully do another London headline before the end of the year, and then a bit more of a fuller tour in early 2026! I’m also really excited to open for Arthur Hill on his UK tour in September!
We would love to hear from you! What is your favorite song from Benjamin Steer’s EP, Figuring It Out? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Looking for your next favorite artist? Look no further than one of the artists we are sure is going to have a huge year as we round out 2025 and jump into 2026: Hunter Daily! Hunter is responsible for one of our favorite EPs of the year with Claw Marks, and we were lucky enough to get to pick her brain all about the project, as well as turn back the clock and take a look back at where it all began with ‘Die in LA.’ Let’s jump in!
Hi Hunter! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! To start us off, how would you describe your music to someone who is tuning in for the first time? If a diary entry and a pop song had a baby, that would be my music. It’s folkypoppy, and confessional—like little stories you can crash out or cry to.
‘Claw Marks’ is your latest release and your fourth release from your upcoming EP sharing the same name. Can you tell us what it was about this track that made you want to name the project around it? Or did the song come from the name of the EP? The lyric is: “Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks on it.” That pretty much sums me up as a person and as a songwriter. This EP is about gripping too tightly, even when you know better—and ‘Claw Marks’ felt like the perfect way to name the whole messy, complicated story.
After the release of ‘Claw Marks,’ you have left two tracks unreleased from the EP. What goes into deciding what to hold back? It’s kind of like dating—you don’t give everything away on the first night. I wanted to build suspense, to leave people wondering what else is coming. Save the best for last.
The video for ‘Claw Marks’ feels so intimate and jam-packed with emotion, and for us, really brought the song alive! Can you talk to us a bit about the vision for the visuals? That video is basically my breakup paranoia turned into art. You know when you break up with someone and your brain won’t stop imagining what they’re doing without you? Who are they with? What does their life look like now? We took those spirals and put them on screen. It’s unhinged, but so is heartbreak.
‘Die in LA’ was your first track, and next month marks three years since its release. When you look back on that track, is there a skill that you honed in crafting it that can still be found in your most recent work? Wow—that’s so crazy; I can’t believe it’s been three years already! That song gave me the confidence to step into being a solo artist. It was the first time I realized I had something unique to share, a perspective that only I could bring. That song taught me how important it is for me to tell my truth.
Songwriting is a huge part of who you are as an artist. When you look at this EP, is there a lyric that you are particularly proud of? There’s one line: “A spaceman’s gonna suit up, a cowboy’s gonna ride.” It sounds playful, but it’s really about inevitability—that people are gonna do what they’re gonna do, no matter how much you want them to stay. It’s my way of making peace with that.
On a similar note, we know that crafting any project can take a village, but it’s also important to give yourself a pat on the back. Is there something you can point to on this record—whether it’s the creative process, the rollout, or beyond—that you are proud of yourself for accomplishing? I’m proud that this project actually sounds like me. Not the version of me I thought I was supposed to be, but the messy, dramatic, loves-too-hard, refuses-to-let-go version. That’s growth to me.
Once again, thank you so much for chatting with us! Before we let you go, we have to ask: Will we have some chances to hear all of this new music live soon? Oh, definitely. These songs were written to scream in a room with people. Performing them live is the part I’m most excited for—it’s where the claws really come out. I haven’t officially announced, but I do have a tour in the works!!
We would love to hear from you! What do you think of Hunter Daily’s track ‘Claw Marks?’ Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
When we look at the bright new class of country music, one of the stars shining the brightest is undoubtedly Elizabeth Nichols! From her breakout hit ‘I Got A New One’ to her newest track ‘Daughter,’ we are getting to watch an artist fully come into her own, discover her sound, and get better with each song.
We were lucky enough to chat with Elizabeth Nichols all about her success so far, new music, and receiving the coveted Kelly Clarkson treatment.
Hi Elizabeth! Thank you so much for chatting with us! To start us off, how would you describe your music to someone who is tuning in for the first time? I’d say probably clever and honest. Those are two elements that I see in all my favorite songs. I try to balance the two. I don’t want to be too clever that I’m not honest, or too straightforward that it kills the clever.
‘Tough Love’ is officially out! This acts as your debut multi-track project! What emotions have been going through your head as these seven tracks now live out in the world? I am so grateful. If you had told me one year ago that this is where I would be, I would have never believed you. The idea that some group of girls in another state is in the car with their friends, singing one of my songs, is the most surreal part of it all. Music is such a beautiful part of life, and I am honored to be given the opportunity to make it.
The video for ‘I Got A New One’ perfectly encapsulates each lyric of the track! Can you tell us a bit about that creative process and crafting the visuals? I grew up on Taylor Swift music videos. I love when a video really tells a story in the same way a song does, so it was important to me to really bring that visual side to life. We got to work with amazing creative directors, and it was so fulfilling to see the story turn from words on a page to a scene I got to be a part of.
What has it been like for you to see the way people have latched onto ‘I Got A New One’? Did you have any inkling that this song would be one that people took to? ‘I Got A New One’ was the first single I’d ever released, so I had no idea what to expect at all. I am so grateful that people like it and it’s connected the way that it has—that song truly changed my life.
We know that ‘Ain’t Country’ was your first jump into writing a country track. What changes about the songwriting process when you’re writing with a genre in mind? I was about 10 years old the last time I had written any kind of song, so ‘Ain’t Country’ was the first song I’ve written as an adult, and I think that country sound just kind of naturally came out of me because that’s what I grew up listening to. I also love storytelling and lyricism, and country music is a genre that really celebrates those things and makes space for that part of the craft.
Ahead of the release of Tough Love, was there a song you were most looking forward to seeing fans’ reactions to? I was most excited for fans to hear ‘Tough Love’ because it was the one song that I hadn’t teased at all before its release, so nobody had heard a single note of it. It was also the newest song out of the seven—I wrote it only a few weeks before the EP came out. There is something about how honest it is that I hoped fans would connect with.
We have to ask, ‘I Got A New One’ has officially received the Kelly Clarkson treatment! What was that like for you? I was and am extremely grateful. Kelly Clarkson is literally an American icon. She is so unbelievably talented, so the fact that she liked a song I wrote enough to cover it is a huge compliment—my family and I were so excited when it happened.
Once again, thank you so much for chatting with us! Before we let you go, what can fans look forward to as we round out the last few months of 2025? Some more music! I have a new single coming out in August. I’m also playing some shows throughout the end of this year, which I’m really excited about. I love meeting people out on the road.
We would love to hear from you! What is your favorite song off of Tough Love by Elizabeth Nichols? Let us know by commenting below or by tweeting @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Liam Payne’s family has issued a statement on the shocking and untimely death of the former One Direction member.
In a statement to the BBC on the matter, Payne’s family said they are “heartbroken” and are supporting one another as best they can at this time. The statement also memorialized Payne, saying that he would forever live on in their hearts as a kind and brave soul.
What did Liam Payne’s family say about his death?
“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” reads the family’s statement. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Payne died on Wednesday night in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after falling from a hotel balcony, according to local police. It’s unclear exactly what happened, but the Buenos Aires Security Ministry told the Associated Press that Payne “had jumped from the balcony” and that police had also received calls and were responding to reports of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
Payne was best known as a member of One Direction, which went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time. Following their hiatus in 2016, Payne would go on to start his own successful solo career, selling over 18 million singles, 2.4 million albums, and more than 3 billion streams across all of his solo music.
“I love you and me” getting exciting JENNIE news, and let us tell you, honeybees: we have such a sweet scoop today! Jennie has officially signed with Columbia Records in partnership with her ODDATELIER label and entertainment company. This is huge news for BLACKPINK and JENNIE fans, and will definitely help her get the global recognition she so rightly deserves!
We’ll get to hear JENNIE’s first song with Columbia Records in October, so not too long to go! In the meantime, let’s run a little refresher on her solo work so far.
‘SOLO’
Of course, we have to start with JENNIE’s first foray into solo stardom! She was the first BLACKPINK member to release a solo track with the appropriately-named ‘SOLO’ in November 2018. The song’s empowering message of stepping into your power after a breakup helped establish JENNIE as one of the most confident It Girls in K-Pop, and we still have this song in our regular rotation years later. There’s no better way to hype yourself up when you need some motivation or a reminder that you’re that girl!
“Used to be your girl, now I’m used to being the GOAT You’re sittin’ in your feelings, I’m sittin’ on my throne…”
‘One Of The Girls’
JENNIE made her acting debut in HBO Max’s The Idol in 2023 alongside The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, who she also teamed up with in the musical department. Their collaboration, ‘One of the Girls,’ went viral in pretty much every corner of the internet, made Jennie the first female Korean soloist to have an RIAA-certified platinum track, and has racked up over a billion streams to date. If she wasn’t already an international household name, this definitely made her one!
“Trade my whole life just to be Top of the world, but I’m still not free…”
‘You & Me’
Simply put, ‘You & Me’ was a total cultural reset. We waited months for a studio version after JENNIE started performing it for her solo stage on BLACKPINK’s BORN PINK World Tour. Where ‘SOLO’ introduced us to a strong, independent JENNIE at the end of a crumbling relationship, ‘You & Me’ shows her finding a partner that fully supports her and the way she shines. It’s the kind of dazzling love everyone dreams of finding! An honorary mention goes out to the Coachella Version of the song, which includes a different rap verse.
“I don’t care about your first love This should be your last one, nothing like your last one…”
Which of JENNIE’s solo songs is your favorite? What do you hope her debut Columbia Records single sounds like in October? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
If you’re having a conversation about the hardest-working and most talented people in the industry, Abigail Barlow simply has to be in that conversation! From making some of our favorite pop music, including her newest track, ‘Strike Out,’ to crafting the soundtrack for Moana 2, there is truly nothing Abigail can’t do! We simply had to pick her brain and get all the details about everything she is up to!
Hi Abigail! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us! To start us off, how would you describe the music you’re making to someone who is tuning in for the first time? Absurdly fun, flirty, fierce, and unserious!
We have not been able to turn off ‘Please Me!’ What was the inspiration behind this song and the visuals behind it displayed in the lyric video? Aw, I’m glad you love it! ‘Please Me’ started as a verse and chorus I posted to TikTok in 2020 about nothing and no one in particular. Until this past year, the idea was sitting on a shelf. That is until I met a handsome stranger in NYC… We went on a date in the city, and the next day, I was baking sweets in his kitchen. Classic 50s housewife behavior! I tried to emulate that energy in the visuals for this song, as it’s secretly a fantasy of mine to time travel.
One thing about ‘Please Me’ that immediately stuck out to us is that it sounded like you had taken all the best parts of tried and true pop music and combined them all into one song. When crafting the track, were you always planning for the track to be fun, upbeat, and reminiscent of the early 2000s pop songs? Honestly, the production of this song started with me using any producer girl trick I had to make the demo sound somewhat fun and listenable. It wasn’t until I collaborated with Michael Dunaief that the production really came to life in that bubblegum 2000s way.
We know you spend a lot of time creating with a partner as Barlow & Bear, so with that in mind, what do you find is the biggest advantage to working solo on your music, and on the same note, the biggest advantage to working with Emily on Barlow & Bear projects? Being part of a collaboration is so incredibly sacred to my life these days. It grounds me, enlightens me, and fulfills me in ways working alone just doesn’t compare to. In the same breath, it’s so important that both of us have balance with personal endeavors. It keeps our partnership healthy and ever-evolving, together and separately.
Moana 2 is officially a go! What is it like jumping in on the soundtrack to a sequel of such a treasured movie? Literally a DREAM. I can’t even put into words how honored I am to be a part of the world of Moana. She is my girl, and I can’t wait for everyone else to experience the masterpiece we’ve been working on for two years!
Something that we can’t just glide over is that you have a Grammy! As a musician, we know what a huge accomplishment that is. What can you tell us about finding out you’d won? We were at the ceremony, and it was surreal. Walking onstage and actually giving the speech we prepared *just in case* was an out-of-body experience. Best moment of my life so far!
Songwriting is a huge part of you as an artist. When you’re writing a track, how do you know if it’s something you are going to work on for your catalog or offer to another artist? Honestly, I’m not married to anything I write because I write a LOT of songs. A cut is a cut! If a big pop star wants it, I have no qualms with giving it away. My songs are like my children. I just want them to be heard. And loved. :’)
We have to ask, with The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical soundtrack and the soon-to-be Moana 2soundtrack in your back pocket, if you could go back in time and put ‘Please Me’ on any soundtrack, which one would it be? LOL! I think it could be in some 2000s rom-com getting-ready montage for sure.
‘Strike Out’ is the newest track! The song is a full-on pop dream. Where did the inspiration for the track come from? ‘Strike Out’ is my bi-girl anthem. It’s inspired by my yearning for love and how I’m in search of it literally everywhere, from a club in Santa Monica to a bar in Hollywood.
‘Strike Out’ follows ‘Please Me,’ do you think there is an invisible string connecting these two tracks? Definitely! If ‘Please Me‘ is the fantasy of being a wife and mother, ‘Strike Out’ is my reality as a 25-year-old girl just doing her BEST to find love. Either way, I’m just having fun being a songwriter. It’s never too serious. 😉
The cover art for ‘Strike Out’ dawns on the infamous Barbie font. If you could have had this track play during a scene in the Barbie movie, what scene would that have been? I love this Q! I guess when they start deprogramming all the Barbies from the Kendom. Honestly one of my fav parts of the movie.
Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! We like to end these interviews by asking what is on the horizon. What can fans look forward to as we venture into the last half of 2024? I’m doing my darndest to release *one more pop song* before the release of Moana 2 in theaters on November 27th! After that, who knows? A tour? An album? I guess you’ll have to follow me to find out 😉
We would love to hear from you! What is your favorite Abigail Barlow release between ‘Please Me’ and ‘Strike Out?’ Let us know by commenting down below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
The rumors are true, we haven’t stopped listening to Amy Shark’s new album Sunday Sadness since our first listen-through. From songs like ‘Can I Shower At Yours,’ to ‘I’m Sorry,’ we are simply hooked. We were lucky enough to chat with Amy Shark about the in’s and out’s of this record, as well as her time coaching The Voice, her past work, and more! Let’s jump in!
Hi Amy! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us! To start us off, if someone was diving into your music for the first time, how would you describe your sound? I think I would describe it as honest, gritty, indie pop.
‘My Only Friend’ has just come out! What can you tell us about working with Tom DeLonge and how that partnership came about? The whole blink collaboration was never a part of the plan. They just happen to be my favourite band but I never in a million years did I think that I would be able to do a song with even one of them let alone all of them. Tom was the hardest to lockdown just because he’s so busy with other commitments, movies, aliens, etc but after I sent him the song he made it very easy. He loved the verse I wrote and he tracked his vocals in San Diego and sent them over to me. I worked on it with my producer and the rest is history. It’s one of the coolest songs I have in my entire catalog.
Upon listening to ‘My Only Friend’ we thought back to a track you released last month ‘Two Friends,’ to us, it seemed like ‘My Only Friend’ was ‘Two Friends’ softer counterpart, is there an intentional string between the two? I feel like I have unintentionally written an album about two friends haha. Every song can kinda hold hands with the next. It’s kinda cool.
As we are writing these questions Sunday Sadness comes out in twenty days, how are you feeling? What are the emotions leading up to your first album release since 2021? I’m quietly confident, but I’m still a little nervous. I really want people to love it as much as I do. But then again, it is my third album so by this time I really know what my fans love. They’re going to love this album and hopefully, it’s good enough to grab more Amy Shark fans along the way.
When talking about Sunday Sadness you said that this record was specifically written on Sundays, what do you think it is about Sundays that allows you to create so freely? And when did you realize that a creative pattern was forming? There was one specific Sunday where I was finishing a song, it was the last song on the album ‘Our Time Together.’ It’s a pretty emotional song full of memories. I think that’s when I realized that Sundays have always been the emotional day that I can’t escape. Even when I try and work on a Sunday by finishing songs the songs end up emotional.
We were lucky enough to be able to listen to Sunday Sadness a bit early to prep for this interview, and it’s incredible. What really struck us is the range of emotions that the listener is taken through with these tracks, it really feels like getting an inside look at your diary. With that range in mind, are there two lyrics on the record that you think perfectly represent two opposite ends of the emotional spectrum? Yeah, totally! I’m so glad you picked that up. I love the very opening line to the record in ‘Slide Down The Wall’,“ doesn’t matter what I do. I always get emotional with you”. But then you hear the line “tell everyone you’re dead to me” in the song ‘Gone’ and I love how this album feels like a series of mini-movies! So many ups and downs but a lot of love throughout.
For us, eleven tracks is such a sweet spot for an album, but we know that the number of songs that could have been on the record was probably a much higher number, was there a song that you wrote during the process of making Sunday Sadness, but that didn’t make the album that you hope still sees the light of day in some capacity? Yes, this always happens to me. It’s very sad. But it’s like sport. Only the strongest get picked for the team, unfortunately. But it doesn’t mean I don’t care about those on the bench.
We know that crafting an album takes a village, and there are so many thank you’s that could be said to the people involved, but something that is often hard for people to do is to pat themselves on the back. What is something that you accomplished during the process of crafting Sunday Sadness that you are proud of yourself for? I explored every single avenue for every single song on this record. I wasn’t lazy. I worked really hard to make sure every song could stand strong on its own. Even if I had to heavily compromise or lose a guitar riff that I was attached to. I did everything I could to make this album as strong as I believe it is. I’m proud of that.
We have to take a minute to ask about Australian Idol, was there a piece of advice that you were able to give a constant on that show that you wish someone would have given you when you were starting out? Music isn’t a sport, no one can tap you on the shoulder and tell you to retire because you’re not strong enough or fast enough. You can keep making art all day every day for the rest of your life! There’s no age to making music. So just because it’s a ‘no’ today. Just get up and get after it again tomorrow.
Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! Before we let you go, what is the rest of 2024 shaping up to look like for you once the record is out? I plan on promoting this album to every part of the world!
We would love to hear from you! What is your favorite song off of the new Amy Shark album Sunday Sadness? Let us know by commenting down below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
If you’re anything like us, then the name Andrew McMahon is a staple when you think of the music that has soundtracked your life. From Something Corporate to Jack’s Mannequin to Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Andrew has quite the discography in his back pocket. We were lucky enough to get to chat with Andrew all about Something Corporate reuniting, releasing ‘Death Grip,’ and now ‘Happy,’ as well as going on tour!
Hi Andrew! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today! To start us off, how would you sum up who you are as an artist to anyone who is going to dive into your music for the first time? First and foremost, I’m a lyric-focused songwriter. I’m trying to tell stories with my songs and to tackle the conflicts and questions that arise in my daily life. I get a lot of joy from experimenting with sounds in a studio setting. While there is a pretty clear, pop-minded approach to my writing, you’ll hopefully identify a diverse palate of sounds and arrangements throughout my recordings.
You’ve been a part of so many projects over the course of your career (Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness). How has your creative process changed as you move between projects? I think my process has become a lot more collaborative. The more time you spend making things, the easier it is to articulate what you want and the more fun it is to translate everyone’s ideas into the work. I’m far less obsessed with the outcome these days and so much more interested in digging deep with collaborators and going on an adventure in the studio and on the stage.
Something Corporate is officially back! What made you want to reach out to your old bandmates and get the ball rolling working together again? I had the band out for a surprise set during my birthday show a couple of years back, and the vibe was so good we decided to get back together properly for the When We Were Young fest. There was such a beautiful energy at those shows and, for the five of us, there was palpable joy being back in practice and hanging out in dressing rooms and laughing together. The shows were such a pure connection between us as band members and the audiences we were playing for that we decided to book more and keep the party rolling.
Working with Something Corporate this time around comes about a bit differently, as you’re working as Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. What has coming from the mindset of the art you’ve been making brought to working with the band again? Working with other projects has made me a better collaborator and it’s given me a real appreciation of the unique chemistry of Something Corporate. There is something magical about the bond we share, having grown up learning to play music together as kids. I am able to fully appreciate and celebrate the rarity of that connection now and it’s made this reunion a really peaceful and joyful moment in my life and I think the other guys’ as well.
‘Death Grip’ is the first single back! Were there other songs that were completed that you chose between to get to this track? What was it about this track that made you guys want it to be your comeback? ‘Death Grip‘ happened really organically. I wrote it in Nashville a month or two before we left for tour. I loved the song and wanted it out into the world. The decision wasn’t made through the lens of this is your comeback track. It was made out of love for the song and the band being excited to be back in the studio together. The song itself is about letting go, receiving life as it comes, and giving back what the universe gives to you. It gave us this song, and we gave it back.
Upon crafting ‘Death Grip’ could you automatically tell what you wanted the live performance of that song to look like? Not necessarily. I think the biggest shift for me post-Something Corporate has been letting the music evolve in the studio first and then crafting the show separately. ‘Death Grip‘ was very much created through that process. Hence, the Wilderness/SoCo Collab. The production of the next single that’s coming out was approached a little more like a traditional Something Corporate song, and on that one, we will flip the collaboration order to SoCo/Wilderness to reflect that.
You guys just kicked off the Out Of Office Tour. What can fans expect from these shows? Are we going to be getting unreleased music played? The show itself has a beautiful production incorporating video that weaves in moments from the early days and I think does a beautiful job of connecting fans to the band’s history while creating beautiful new memories to hang on to once you leave. The nearly two-hour set manages to cover the majority of our catalog with some deep cuts from night to night. We also have two new songs that will be out by the time we get to the second leg of the tour, and we will be throwing one of those in per night going forward. We’re really proud of both of them.
The Out Of Office Tour isn’t a typical tour since you’ve said that you’re all having to work around your current jobs. What’s been the hardest and most rewarding parts of touring now compared to back when you only had to focus on SoCo? Honestly, I’ve been hoping to reimagine the way I live, work, and tour for some time now. The way we structured these dates has afforded me and the band the opportunity to play for lots of fans and have incredible weekends together while still making it home to take care of our families and the careers we’ve built since moving on from Something Corporate in ‘05. The other guys would be able to speak more to the challenges, I’m sure, as some of them are definitely juggling work fields outside of music.
Let’s talk about your partnership with Big Loud Rock! How did that come about? And how has that unfolded for you thus far? The truth is I’m pretty cagey when it comes to record deals these days. After Tilt came out, I was pretty hell-bent on stepping back from music for a bit and seeing where the wind blew. The day I wrote ‘Death Grip’ I was so excited by it. I started sending music around, and the Big Loud guys were so genuinely stoked about the song and the potential of releasing more that they made me a really fair deal based on mutual trust, and the rest is history. It’s early still but working with them has been a breath of fresh air. So many labels these days simply obsess over data and TikTok and make all their decisions based on fear. These guys love music and building artful campaigns around their releases. It has really been a joy to work with them.
The Holiday From Real cruise kicks off this fall! Obviously, we and all the other fans are so excited. But what aspects are you most excited about? Playing shows with all of my favorite musicians and friends on a single weekend is going to be incredible. I know people look at these projects as separate entities, and, in many ways, they are, but for me, it’s my life and my music. Bringing that all together in one place, especially a vacation setting, just feels right to me.
Now that the single is out and the tour is underway, what does the rest of 2024 look like for you? What can fans expect? We’ll be dropping our next single, ‘Happy,’ on July 26, and I have high hopes for that song. It’s about to get busy with more regular shows and lots of travel, but I’m ready for it. We built this show to celebrate the magic that found me and my bandmates in my parent’s garage back in 1998 and the beautiful years of music that followed. I just want people to feel alive at these shows, to use this music as a time machine and make contact with the moments in their lives when this music was the soundtrack. Most importantly, I want fans to walk away with a new formative memory of all of us doing what we love most. Giving ourselves over completely to music for a couple of hours and singing these songs together. I want it to be visceral.
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We would love to hear from you! What do you think about this interview we got to do with Andrew McMahon? Let us know by commenting down below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
If you haven’t heard of Mark Ambor yet, brace yourself because we know the whole world will buzz about him sooner rather than later! Hailing from small-town New York, Mark has nailed his own refreshing brand of alt-pop guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings and get you on your feet. His singles and EPs so far have racked up hundreds of millions of streams, and we can’t wait to hear his debut Rockwood album, which he wrote and produced in his childhood home. Make sure you pre-save it and give it a listen on August 16th!
But that’s not all we have to look forward to! Starting in October, Mark is heading out on his worldwide Rockwood Tour, trekking across the U.S. and Europe through the spring. We already know these shows will be full of life and make amazing memories. To celebrate Mark’s success and get you excited for the Rockwood Tour, we’re choosing five lyrics you’ll need to yell at the top of your lungs if you get tickets! And Mark, feel free to take notes on this while you’re preparing the setlist.
“You and me belong together like cold iced tea and warmer weather…”
‘Belong Together’ is, simply put, one of the cutest love songs we’ve ever heard, and there are so many lyrics we debated putting here. But we ultimately decided on this one because it really speaks to the bond between two people who love each other… much like the bond you notice between a performer and a passionate crowd at a concert. How fun would it be to sing about warmer weather at the European shows or daydream about summer at the colder U.S. stops?
“I’ll be singing to the lights of a crowded sold-out room…”
First step: we need our fellow Mark fans to sell out as many of the Rockwood Tour shows as possible. Second step: yell this line from ‘I Hope It All Works Out’ back at him as loudly as possible! The song beautifully explores heartbreak and nostalgia, while this line looks forward to a future where Mark gets to pursue his dreams and find excitement in his life even if the relationship didn’t work out how he hoped.
“We might be lost, but we’ll find our way…”
Being in the right fandom can really feel like a found family, and we hope all Mark Ambor lovers get that comforting feeling around fellow fans! It’d be so special to sing this lyric from ‘Our Way’ with an audience as passionate about Mark’s music as you are. And can you imagine how powerful it would be to hear an entire crowd echoing this hopeful line? We have chills just thinking about it.
“Damn it, it’s so good to be alive!”
This lyric appears in ‘Belong Together’ and ‘Good To Be,’ so there’s a bit of a double whammy here! And yes, you should scream it both times if both songs make it onto Mark’s setlist. Concerts are one of the most thrilling things any music lover can experience, so singing along with this lyric will make you appreciate the present moment. It’d also be an adorable Instagram caption for your post-show photo dump!
“All the ways that I’ve held on to every single moment, all the promises you’ve broken…”
We got a little preview of Mark’s Rockwood track ‘Academy Street,’ with a title paying homage to his hometown, on a TikTok Live, and this line has lived in our heads rent-free since then. When you look back on a relationship, you probably see a mosaic of the good and bad times in your head: romanticizing the happy memories and still reeling a bit at the sad ones. This lyric will be so cathartic to sing along to for anyone who’s had their heart broken, along with the rest of the impactful bridge!
Which of these lyrics is your favorite? Is there a certain song you’re hoping to hear live on the Rockwood Tour? Be sure to grab your tickets, then tell us your thoughts in the comments below, or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
It’s no secret at this point, we are huge Greysons Chance fans, and have been for years, so this is a pretty huge moment for us! We got to pick Greyson’s brain about his latest releases, and about what’s next, as well as about his relationship with his fans and about displaying vulnerability in his music. We are still processing getting to have this conversation! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Hi Greyson! Thank so you much for taking the time to talk with us today! To start us off, how would you describe who you are as an artist to someone who is just tuning in for the first time?
Oh that’s rather hard isn’t it? Ever so often I have to tell my story in full, starting from the YouTube video to where I am now; and the whole thing really does read out like a movie. It’s a bizarre story. But if someone is truly tuning in for the first time, I would say my career started with me singing at the piano. And now 14-years-later, I’m still singing at the piano.
‘Rearview Mirror’ marked the start of this next musical journey you’re on, what was it about ‘Rearview Mirror’ that made you want it to be the first introduction to this new era?
There was something very classic about ‘Rearview Mirror’ that made me want to make it the lead. I am always chasing that feeling of nostalgia everyday I go into the studio, to make things that feel bigger than me and to make things that will stand the test of time. From the jump, ‘Rearview Mirror’ felt that way, and I didn’t second-guess it.
‘Haymaker’ is the track following ‘Rearview Mirror’ and you’ve said the track was born out of a place of conflict within your family, what was it like to be able to work that out through music? Was writing the healing process, or had that already come and writing was the result of the healing?
I’ve gone through a lot in my life, but nothing quite stings like the emotions of family conflict, and for three years, I watched my family crumble before my own eyes. It was awful. Writing was certainly the healing process for me, and it’s been that way since I started writing songs. I told my cowriter Sam Harris the day we wrote ‘Haymaker’ that a thousand pounds were lifted off of my shoulders once those words hit the page.
You’ve always been very personal with your music, with your songs chaptering parts of your life. Can you pinpoint something that you were hesitant to put to music, but ended up in a song that you released and got to see it resonate with people?
I was very hesitant to release ‘Haymaker,’ because it is my real life. I haven’t really spoken to my brother in a few years, so ‘Haymaker’ is this an encapsulation of everything I would say to him if I had the chance. So for these lyrics to be the first words he hears from me? Yeah, that shit’s raw, it’s ugly, it’s nuanced, but it’s necessary. Good art comes from vulnerability, I’ve always believed that.
Palladium was the last record, what is something that you learned during that album rollout/creative process that you’ve taken with you into creating the next project?
I learned through Palladium that I am an album artist, and I always will be. I want to world build, I want my music and my visuals to paint a scene for the listener, to bring them to a place that feels disconnected from their own reality. And that doesn’t necessarily mean that the world needs to be complex, it just needs to be purposeful.
You’ve been in the industry for a long time, and because of that, you’ve had fans that have been around for a decade+ going to shows and supporting the music, what has having the support that’s allowed for breaks (like going to college and stepping away from music) while aways sticking around meant?
When I tell you I am the luckiest artist, you have no idea. My fans know my life, they know what I’ve been through, they know that I’ve suffered a lot, both mentally and physically since I was kid … they keep me upright. Think of someone you’ve known for 14-years of your life? That’s the type of relationship I have with my fans. I don’t feel a pressure to make music for them, if anything I feel a pressure to be healthy and happy for them, because I know that is what they want for me more than anything. My relationship with them is the coolest thing I get to experience in my life.
We know that crafting any form of art takes a village and it is often easier to thank the other people involved and harder to pat yourself on the back, but what is something you’ve been really proud of yourself for during the process of crafting ’Rearview Mirror’/’Haymaker?’
I am proud of myself for pushing forward and continuing on no matter the adversity I’ve gone through. Music is a cutthroat industry, and it’s full of rejection. But the older I get, the more I realize the power in just surviving, waking up everyday and focusing in on the silver lining. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately, and that feels like a huge accomplishment.
When you look back at your discography is there a song for you that you have recently felt reconnected to? Maybe a track that you hadn’t revisited in a while and realized it still hits as hard as when you made it?
Boots, a song I released as a stand alone single around four years ago. “I’ve been western before all of these punks,” hits way hard in 2024. Don’t get me started on these fake cowboys out here right now.
Once again thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us! Before we let you go, what can fans expect as we finish out 2024? What’s on the horizon?
I’ve been working on this record for the past year and a half, and ‘Rearview Mirror’ and ‘Haymaker’ are just the first two songs; I’m ready to show everyone the full world. So I guess to answer your question … more music, and a lot of shows. That’s what is on my horizon.
We would love to hear from you! What is your favorite track out of the two recent tracks Greyson Chance has released? Let us know by commenting down below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
Afro Nation Detroit is coming in hot for 2024. The festival, set for August 17-18, dropped its initial lineup Wednesday and it’s already filled with bangers.
Nigeria’s “golden child” Rema is among the first round of headliners along with Toronto R&B singer-songwriter PartyNextDoor. The “princess of Amapiano” Uncle Waffles and Scorpion Kings are both making their U.S. debut at the festival. Detroit’s own Kash Doll is also on the bill along with South African singer and dancer Kamo Mphela.
Other performers announced so far include Adekunle Gold, Amaarae, Ayra Starr, King Promise, Ruger, Musa Keys, DBN Gogo, Kelvin Momo, TxC, 2woBunnies, and DJ Moma.
The international African diaspora music festival featuring Afrobeats, Amapiano, rap, R&B, and more made its Detroit debut in 2023. The festival takes place at Bedrock’s Douglass Site, the former location of the Brewster-Douglass Projects where Motown legends like Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson once lived.
Tickets for Afro Nation Detroit 2024 go on sale on Wednesday, April 3 at 10 a.m. via detroit.afronation.com. Those who signed up for pre-sale access will be able to buy tickets starting at 9 a.m. on April 3, an hour before sales open to everyone else.
As Aussie icons, The Veronicas have been the quintessential sound of many pivotal moments in Australian life. From the anthemic “4ever” to the hauntingly beautiful “In My Blood”, the Origliasso sisters have consistently delivered tracks that resonate deeply with their audience.
Now, on the brink of their latest musical venture, “Gothic Summer”, dropping on March 22, anticipation is soaring. Before the album’s release, POPSUGAR Australia spoke with Jessica and Lisa over Zoom to delve into the heart of their inspiration behind the album and uncover why it stands as their most intimate and personal work to date.
The Birth of “Gothic Summer”
For Jess and Lisa, the journey to “Gothic Summer” began with a burst of spontaneity and creativity. Reflecting on the album’s genesis, Jess reminisced, “It was such an interesting start to ‘Gothic Summer’ because it was completely spontaneous. We didn’t plan on going to even work that day.”
What transpired was pure magic, with the sisters crafting tracks like “Perfect” and “Invisible”, with legendary Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker joining them in the studio.
“Next minute Travis Barker walks in and listens to the songs and loves them, puts down drums for those two tracks,” Jess recalled. “And I think at that point it was just so much fun. It was super easy, it felt cathartic, and we were like, ‘Let’s keep going. Let’s see what we can do here’.”
Lisa added, “I think getting to work with John Feldmann [producer]… he naturally draws out more of that guitar-driven, pop-punk, pop-rock sound being a bit of the king of that himself. So definitely those roots within us were definitely drawn out working with him initially for that sound.”
Embracing Diverse Influences
But what sets “Gothic Summer” apart from The Veronicas’ previous work is its eclectic blend of influences and genres. Drawing inspiration from their Australian roots, as well as disco dance and funk bass, the album embodies a fusion of sounds that is both daring and irresistible.
“A lot of the influence was music that we grew up with,” Jess explained. “So ‘Jungle’ was very much influenced by our Australian roots and our parents. And then also just disco dance. We haven’t done it before. We love funk bass, we love Sly and the Family Stone.”
For Lisa, the energy of their live performances played a significant role in shaping the album’s direction. Their ability to captivate audiences across a spectrum of festivals — from heavy metal to EDM — inspired a sense of creative freedom that permeates “Gothic Summer”.
“Our live shows also have greatly influenced the energy behind this record as well,” Lisa shared. “We started to realise that the music and the songs have reached quite far and wide. And I think that also set such a freeing mindset for the trajectory of ‘Gothic Summer’.”
Inside the Tracks: Dissecting “Detox” and “Perfect”
As mentioned, The Veronicas have long been known for their unique blend of pop-rock, but with their latest album, “Gothic Summer”, the Aussie duo takes a bold leap into their most personal and introspective territory yet. The album’s lead singles, “Perfect” and “Detox”, serve as poignant reflections of the sisters’ inner struggles and the societal pressures they’ve faced throughout their careers.
The Power of “Detox”
Speaking about the meaning behind “Detox”, Lisa said that it’s a raw anthem about shedding toxic relationships and negative self-perceptions. The song’s punk rock vibe really nails that feeling of just letting it all out.
“It’s like going through a detox – shedding and purging,” Lisa explained. “That moment before you release, where you just gotta let out that scream and dive headfirst into letting go of what’s holding you back.”
Reflecting on “Perfect”
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Meanwhile, “Perfect” serves as a timely commentary on the pressures of perfection perpetuated by social media and societal expectations. In an era where every aspect of life is meticulously curated for public consumption, the song reflects on the challenges of maintaining authenticity in the face of relentless scrutiny.
“I feel like it’s a timely commentary on where things feel like they’re at,” Jess reflects. “With the rise of social media, we’re presented with a lot more alternative perspectives and alternative standards of things that were never pushed in mainstream media.”
Lisa added: “And even though it’s great to understand what’s cool, what’s trendy right now, what’s fashionable… You’re a master of your own design, and that’s the most important thing to remember… If it doesn’t feel good to you, then don’t do it.”
Get ready, because The Veronicas are about to take us on their most personal journey yet with “Gothic Summer”. From raw anthems like “Detox” to heartfelt reflections in “Perfect”, this album is like peeking into the souls of Jess and Lisa Origliasso. As we eagerly count down the days until its release on March 22, it’s clear that we’re in for something truly special.
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After Universal Music Group, the largest record label in the industry, took all their artist’s music off TikTok after failure to reach an agreement on AI usage of their artists and safety…people are now more than ever looking into how artists are treated on platforms where their music is the main focus. For TikTok, it’s detrimental- they tried to punish UMG, and now they’re paying the price.
At the 2024 Grammy Awards this Sunday, there were tons of controversial moments: should Taylor have brought Lana Del Rey onstage, should this person have won, what was that person wearing? But one of the more subtle digs was taken by host Trevor Noah, who commented on the UMG-TikTok battle by including another well-known streaming platform,
“Shame on you, TikTok, for ripping off artists. How dare you do that? That’s Spotify’s job!”
Without artists and their music, there would be no streaming platform to be had…and Spotify knows that, which is why they’ve been tracking their royalty payments to the music industry though their Loud & Clear report. The Loud & Clear report comes out every March and shows exactly how Spotify pays it back. According to their site,
“Nearly 70% of that revenue is paid back as royalties to rights holders, who then pay the artists and songwriters, based on the agreed terms.”
This means that whatever Spotify is making from these artists and labels, and their music, they’re making sure it gets back to them. It should be a mutually beneficial experience: one where both the artist and their representation feels safe that their work will be valued and protected (and thus, properly compensated), and where the platform also gains traction from the artist’s fans.
Today, Spotify announced that they’ve paid labels over $9 billion to give us a glimpse of their Loud & Clear report. In an exclusive statement to Popdust, a Spotify spokesperson states,
“Spotify paid record labels and publishers – which represent artists and songwriters – more money than ever in 2023: $9B+. That figure has nearly tripled over the past six years, and represents a big part of the $48B+ Spotify has paid since its founding.”
With the holiday season in full fa-la-la-la-flow, it’s time to reflect. When the year winds down, we feel a bit of burn out — you stare blankly at screens without motivation, you don’t want to work, and you’ve just spent all your money on gift giving.
The year ends in two weeks, which means all of your social media accounts are wrapping up the past 365 days and holding a mirror up to who you truly are. For Snapchat users, you get a montage of photos and videos from those embarrassing nights out and the time you took a selfie crying.
At Popdust, we’ve always loved music. It’s why I have a weekly segment rounding up popular new music and it’s why we report on so many of your most favorite artists. We’re constantly searching for the next big thing in music. And 2023 was massive for changing the soundscapes we know and love.
For instance, country folk was the breakout genre of the year thanks to artists like Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan. Popular DJ’s like John Summit and Dom Dolla have driven a surge in popularity of house music. We’ve seen Taylor Swift take over the world, alongside rapidly rising stars like Ice Spice and SZA.
With the recent announcement of the GRAMMY Award nominees, it’s never too early to hold our own award ceremony to celebrate all of the awesome music released this year. The Popdust Music Awards are for all of those 2024 hitmakers who gave us viral moments, graced our speakers, and made us sing along.
That includes celebrating Taylor Swift, our Artist Of The Year, whose Eras Tour is the highest-grossing tour of all time at $1 billion to date! Her album, Midnights, alongside re-releases like 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) were chart-toppers in their own right. Consistently breaking records like dominating the Billboard Top 10, Swift deserves her flowers.
And speaking of flowers, Miley Cyrus is having a huge year with her new album, Endless Summer Vacation. “Flowers” is our Viral Song of the Year, only taking 112 days to reach Spotify’s Billions Club, the quickest in the app’s history.
There are plenty of artists to celebrate in 2023, which means 2024’s gonna be a truly thrilling year coming up. Here are some of Popdust’s favorite artists and albums from 2023!
Artist Of The Year: Taylor Swift
Best Album: Midnights – Taylor Swift
Best Deluxe Album: Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever)– Noah Kahan
Best EDM: Another Friday Night– Joel Corry
Best Pop: Something To Give Each Other– Troye Sivan
Best R&B: SOS– SZA
Best Rock: But Here We Are– The Foo Fighters
Best Alternative: Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard– Lana Del Rey
Best Rap: Like…?- Ice Spice
Best Country: Zach Bryan– Zach Bryan
Best Collaboration: Most Viral Song: “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
Popstar Watch: Tate McRae
Honorable Mentions: The Record- boygenius, Heroes & Villains (Villains Version)- Metro Boomin’, The Show- Niall Horan
