The Drop: Your Guide To New Music Friday Featuring Jack River & Poo Bear
Fridays can be overwhelming for pop fans. Every week you’re bombarded with a glut of new music, which can lead to ear candy falling through the cracks. I’m hoping to circumvent that tragic scenario with The Drop — a cheat sheet (of sorts) to get you through New Music Friday. By now, you have probably already dived into Tove Lo’s brilliant Blue Lips album and possibly checked out Sia’s seasonal opus. But that’s still just the tip of the iceberg.
Let’s stark with a trio of moody electro-pop singles. Maggie Lindemann struck gold with the Cheat Codes remix of “Pretty Girl,” racking up more than 300 million streams on Spotify. She could find similar success with the follow-up. A feisty kiss-off with a catchy chorus, “Obsessed” cements the 19-year-old’s status as one of 2017’s breakout artists. Next up is 7Chariot, who previously released (great) music as Clairity. The Nashville native has a new moniker, and a new sound, as evidenced by the hooky-heavy “Ricochet” — a relatable anthem about sabotaging an otherwise healthy relationship. Tove Lo explores a similar theme on “Cycles,” the highlight of her aforementioned new LP.
If you like your synth-pop with a retro twist, Aly & AJ come through with “Promises” — one of the four perfect pop songs of their Ten Years EP. After dabbling in folk-pop under the name 78violet, the “Potential Breakup Song” legends detoured into dark and dreamy, ’80s-tinged electronica and found their true calling. New Zealand’s Gin Wigmore takes it back even further on “Cabrona” — a rollicking, ’70s-inspired anthem that showcases the hitmaker’s raspy vocals as well as a newfound pop sensibility. Her 4th LP, Ivory, is shaping up to be something special.
How about some bangers to kick off the weekend? Lauren Jauregui is quietly carving out a solo identity away from Fifth Harmony with impressive features on Halsey’s “Strangers” and Ty Dolla $ign’s “In My Phone.” Her winning streak continues with “All Night,” a massive dance anthem produced by Steve Aoki. This sounds like a hit. The same applies to Noah Cyrus and Matoma’s “Slow.” The thinking man’s Cyrus has had a…