Best pop music of 2023
In no particular order — my favorite songs of 2023 (Spotify playlist).
The Japanese House, “SUnshine Baby”
“Sunshine Baby” captures the essence of longing, of late summer and lost love. During the verses, Bain rues the “stupid rituals” she performs everyday, the inevitable end to anything good; the drudging percussion parallels the singer’s melancholy. It gives way for an anthemic chorus, a yearning for an ideal state of being — to be “sitting in the backseat, driving with my sunshine baby”. It aspires and reminisces, for things once and never had. (Also recommended: “Sad To Breathe”, “Touching Yourself”)
PinkPantheress, “Blue”
The only two things I comprehended this year — the delayed realization that ‘PinkPantheress’ refers to panthers not parentheses, and the casual magnificence of her debut album.
On Heaven Knows, PinkPantheress refines the formula that initially brought her stardom among online Gen-Z audiences — bite-sized doses of saccharine vocals, catchy hooks, and UK garage influences — with the help of producers like Mura Masa, Danny L Harle, and Sam Gellaitry. The result is a body of work that’s more grandiose and poised than before. The standout “Blue” is the prime example, with every moment of the song skillfully orchestrated. It starts with a particularly punchy bass, then to an earworm melody, to a sleek vocal chops section. Flutes momentarily enter, and we finish with a satisfying outro of distorted, metallic synths. (Also recommended: “Ophelia”, “Capable of Love”)
Olivia Rodrigo, “pretty isn’t pretty”
Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS is yet another breakup album, but it’s also a love letter to rock, a nod to musical influences from Wet Leg to Weezer. The resulting in a mixed bag of songs, from the outright annoying to “bad idea right?” to the clever, complex “get him back!”. These rock influences are decidedly loud and brash, often a bit one-note. It’s when Rodrigo strays from this typical rock formula where she really shines — like in “pretty isn’t pretty”, shoegaze-inspired pop track, akin to the discography of Snail Mail or Soccer Mommy. With jangly guitars, a sing-along chorus, and angsty lyrics about society’s beauty standards, “pretty isn’t pretty”embodies the sound and emotions of a quintessential teenage coming-of-age film. (Also recommended: “get him back!”, “making the bed”)
Doja Cat, “Agora Hills”
In this bewildering track, Doja Cat marries bubblegum pop, spoken word (in an obnoxious Valley Girl accent, laughably overblown), and alarmingly blunt expletives. The production borrows tasteful, bedroom pop aesthetics — like vocal distortion during the spoken passages — to accompany plainly ridiculous lyrics like, “sorry, I was takin' a sip of my root beer”. Yet, there’s a self-assuredness and sassiness through it all — the ability to craft a perfectly good pop song, and skillfully turn it on its head.
Troye sivan, “What’s time the time where you are?
Troye Sivan’s Something To Give Each Other is an unexpected album — hedonistic on its surface (for all of its house-inspired production and provocative imagery), but actually quite delicate and introspective on closer examination. Across ten excellent tracks, Troye navigates the complexities of queer love, from unabashed attraction on “Rush” to a perplexing relationship with a straight man on “One Of Your Girls”. On my favorite track, “What’s The Time Where You Are?”, Troye disguises a long distance crush as a poetic, international declaration of longing, of grasses greener elsewhere. “Is it better where you are?” Troye muses, later to admit, “I'm right on top of this groove, but, God, I wish it was you”. (Also recommended: “Silly”, “How To Stay With You”)
Caroline Polachek, “Fly To You (feat. Grimes and Dido)”
Desire, I Want To Turn Into You saw art pop’s Caroline Polachek expand her soundscape from the steely synths of Pang, to Spanish guitars, Irish bagpipes, and a children’s choir. Despite this maximalist and acclaimed creative evolution, it’s the Pang-esque tracks like “Fly To You” that are true standouts. The track’s minimalist production allows Polachek and her features’ vocals to soar, complemented by complex drum and bass and distant echoes of sirens (the mythological ones). (Also recommended: “Smoke”)
Lana del rey, “let the light in (feat. father john misty)”
Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd is Lana Del Rey at her most essential. In one track, she’s mourning the loss of loved ones over barren piano chords; in others, she’s swaggering about being called “Lanita” and joking about COVID over trip-hop production. Indeed, it’s her most personal record to date — a full embrace of everything Elizabeth Grant, her grief and controversy and all.
”Let The Light In (feat. Father John Misty)” is breezy, sepia-tinted love song, one of the best on Ocean Blvd. But despite its airiness, there’s something potentially foreboding beneath it all — where Lana’s desire to “let the light in” is less of a sweet nothing, and more a plea. Much like the artist herself, “Let The Light In” charms in its ability to be analyzed and read into as such, or perhaps not all. (Also recommended: “Kintsugi”, “Peppers (feat. Tommy Genesis)”)
NEWJEANS, “SUPER SHY”
An international moment, “Super Shy” is an amalgamation of drum-and-bass and the pristine sheen of commercial Korean pop. Its clever composition transcends the aging production styles of veteran groups (looking at you, Blackpink) in favor of truer Gen-Z tastes, a preference that lies somewhere around the likewise aging bedroom and hyperpop genres. The resulting sound is simultaneously retro but futuristic, familiar yet innovative, akin to the palettes of co-writer Erika de Casier, PinkPantheress, or "Unlock It (Lock It)”-era Charli XCX. While the majority of “Super Shy” is pure pop enjoyment, its distorted outro beckons its electronic dance influences, more broadly illustrating the duality of NewJeans’ global popularity and indie street cred. (Also recommended: “New Jeans”)
