...i love to have fun

50. Audrey Hobert – Who’s The Clown?

49. Amaarae – Black Star

48. Bassvictim – Forever

47. Geese – Getting Killed

46. Rose Gray – Louder, Please

45. FM Skyline & Equip – Music 2

44. LIGHTS – A6

43. Disiniblud – Disiniblud

42. Annahstasia – Tether

41. Asian Glow – 1100011

40. Japanese Breakfast – For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)

39. Rochelle Jordan – Through The Wall

38. Tyler, The Creator – Don’t Tap The Glass

37. Deftones – Private Music

36. Frost Children – Sister

35. Youth Lagoon – Rarely Do I Dream

34. Ayesha Erotica – Precum

33. Ethel Cain – Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You

32. EsDeeKid – Rebel

31. Panchiko – Ginkgo

30. Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer

29. Lady Gaga – Mayhem

28. Food House – Two House

27. Momma – Welcome To My Blue Sky

26. Florist – Jellywish

25. Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out

24. Danny Brown – Stardust

23. Wisp – If Not Winter

22. Sudan Archives – The BPM

21. Hatchie – Liquorice

20. Erika De Casier – Lifetime

19. CMAT – Euro-Country

18. Joey Valence & Brae – Hyperyouth

17. Wednesday – Bleeds

16. Hayley Williams – Ego

15. FKA twigs – EUSEXUA

14. Big Thief – Double Infinity

13. FKA twigs – EUSEXUA Afterglow

12. Ichiko Aoba – Luminescent Creatures

11. Perfume Genius – Glory

10. Lorde – Virgin

9. Jane Remover – Revengeseekerz

8. acloudyskye – This Won’t Be The Last Time

7. Rosalía – Lux

6. Venturing – Ghostholding

5. Baths – Gut

4. Yeule – Evangelic Girl Is A Gun

3. Oklou – Choke Enough

2. PinkPantheress – Fancy That

100. Asian Glow – “Jitnunkebi (Winter's Song)”

99. The Knocks & Dragonette – “Revelation”

98. Hotline TNT – “Julia’s War”

97. 2hollis – “Nice”

96. LIGHTS – “White Paper Palm Trees”

95. Adéla – “SexOnTheBeat”

94. Annahstasia – “Waiting”

93. Miley Cyrus – “End Of The World”

92. Wet Leg – “Davina McCall”

91. Charli XCX & John Cale – “House”

90. Ariana Grande – “Warm”

89. EsDeeKid, Fakemink & Rico Ace – “LV Sandals”

88. Audrey Hobert – “Sue Me"

87. Ava Max – “Lovin Myself”

86. LSDXOXO & Boys Noize – “True Religion”

85. Rochelle Jordan – “Doing It Too”

84. She’s Green – “Figurines”

83. Doja Cat – “Jealous Type”

82. The Beths – “Best Laid Plans”

81. Beddy Rays – “A Million Times”

80. Blondshell – “T&A”

79. Tyler, The Creator – “Sugar On My Tongue”

78. Allie X – “I Hope You Hear This Song”

77. Royel Otis – “Moody”

76. XG – “Gala"

75. Madison Beer – “Yes Baby”

74. Taylor Swift – “The Fate Of Ophelia”

73. Chase Icon – “Missed Connections”

72. Carly Rae Jepsen – “More”

71. Rebecca Black – “Twist The Knife”

70. That Kid & 6arelyhuman (feat. underscores) – “Spencer Needs A Ladder”

69. Sabrina Carpenter – “15 Minutes”

68. Bassvictim – “Alice”

67. Ela Minus – “Upwards”

66. The Terrys – “Catalonia Dreams”

65. HAIM – “Relationships”

64. DJ Travella – “Mchakamchaka”

63. Tame Impala – “End Of Summer”

62. Lily Allen – “Pussy Palace”

61. Confidence Man & JADE – “Gossip”

60. Malcolm Todd – “Florence”

59. Ayesha Erotica – “Star 69”

58. f5ve – “Magic Clock”

57. Fontaines D.C. – “It’s Amazing To Be Young”

56. Jae Stephens – “Boyfriend Forever”

55. Beach Bunny – “Just Around The Corner”

54. JADE – “FUFN (Fuck You For Now)”

53. Youth Lagoon – “Gumshoe (Dracula From Arkansas)"

52. Mayday Parade – “Under My Sweater”

51. Ninajirachi – “Delete”

50. Zara Larsson – “Midnight Sun”

49. Wavves – “Goner”

48. Tate McRae – “Sports Car”

47. Egoism – “Addison Road”

46. Ichiko Aoba – “Sonar”

45. Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – “For Good”

44. MARINA – “Princess Of Power”

43. Ethel Cain – “Nettles”

42. Clipse & Tyler, The Creator – “P.O.V."

41. Erika De Casier – “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”

40. Amaarae – “S.M.O.”

39. Wednesday – “Elderberry Wine”

38. Danny Brown & underscores – “Copycats”

37. Hatchie – “Only One Laughing”

36. Panchiko – “Lifestyle Trainers”

35. Florist – “Gloom Designs”

34. Wisp – “Serpentine”

33. Slayyyter – “Beat Up Chanel$”

32. Magdalena Bay – “Human Happens”

31. Kesha, Slayyyter & Rose Gray – “Attention!”

30. underscores – “Do It”

29. Perfume Genius – “Clean Heart”

28. Dean Blunt & Elias Rønnenfelt – “7”

27. Chappell Roan – “The Subway”

26. Geese – “Au Pays Du Cocaine”

25. Rose Gray – “Just Two”

24. Kim Petras – “I Like Ur Look”

23. FKA Twigs – “Girl Feels Good”

22. Big Thief – “All Night All Day”

21. Sudan Archives – “Dead”

20. Lorde – “Shapeshifter”

19. CMAT – “Take A Sexy Picture Of Me”

18. Chanel Beads – “The Coward Forgets His Nightmare”

17. Joey Valence & Brae (feat. Rebecca Black) – “See U Dance”

16. Momma – “I Want You (Fever)”

15. Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”

14. Frost Children – “Falling”

13. acloudyskye – “Basin”

12. Addison Rae – “Headphones On”

11. Food House – “Now 2”

10. PinkPantheress – “Stateside”

9. Japanese Breakfast – “Winter In LA”

8. Rosalía – “Divinize”

7. Yeule – “Evangelic Girl Is A Gun”

6. Venturing – “Dead Forever”

5. Jane Remover – “Professional Vengeance”

4. Hayley Williams – “Mirtazapine”

3. After – “300 Dreams”

2. Oklou – “Blade Bird”

10. DJ Travella – Twende - Dance Classics

9. Kacey Musgraves – Sounds From The Heart Of The Woods

8. Big Thief – Passional Relations

7. She’s Green – Chrysalis

6. Tim Hecker – Shards

5. Ethel Cain – Perverts

4. Dean Blunt & Elias Rønnenfelt – Lucre

3. After – After EP

2. After – After EP 2

10. The Knocks & Dragonette – Revelation

9. Gingerbee – Apiary

8. Amaarae – Black Star

7. After – After EP

6. Rose Gray – Louder, Please

5. Miffle – Goodbye, World!

4. JADE – That's Showbiz Baby

3. Jane Remover – Revengeseekerz

2. Ninajirachi – I Love My Computer

1. Perfume Genius – Glory

June 27, 2025

The euphoric synth explosion on opening track “Hammer” is sublime – I listened to it for the first time on a plane just as the wheels lifted off the tarmac, and there couldn’t have been a more appropriate moment. It sets the tone perfectly for Virgin: an authentic, cathartic album that feels like a career re-invention (and really, after Solar Power… it is). 

The production is recognisably Jim-E Stack (at least for this fan of his work with Empress Of), and it feels fresh, if not ever-so-slightly at odds with Lorde’s songwriting vision, although it’s hard to beat her soulmate-perfect collaborations with Joel Little on Pure Heroine and Jack Antonoff on Melodrama. Certain moments undeniably hit, like the hollowed strings that punctuate the pre-chorus of album highlight “Shapeshifter”, accentuating the pathos of the gut-punch lyric “I’ve been up on the pedestal / But tonight I just wanna fall”. Other production choices don’t, like the entirety of “Clearblue”, who’s a capella autotuned vocals feel uninspired and dated.

At this stage being cringe has become a loved part of Lorde’s brand, and it’s how she gets away with certain lyrics (like “You tasted my underwear / I knew we were fucked” on “Current Affairs”), as well as stunts like the “What Was That” music video, and her out-of-pocket sampling of “Suga Suga” by Baby Bash on “If She Could See Me Now”. These are all odd and somewhat abrasive choices, but for fans of Lorde it’s exciting to see her continue to be her weirdo-auteur self and to once again pair it with legitimately great music on Virgin. She’s back, she’s really back!

Favourite track: “Shapeshifter”

July 4, 2025

Ever since her second act, launched by 2017’s Rainbow, there has been much discussion about Kesha revisiting the trashy, hooky electropop sound that catapulted her to stardom, but with a newfound sense of agency. Her new album Period is the first project that delivers on that promise in all aspects; both the artistic vision and the music itself.

Keyword 1 is trashy. Longtime Kesha fans will remember Animal’s “Dinosaur” and Cannibal’s “Sleazy” as deep-cut highlights, not in spite of their bratty choruses, and over-sexualised lyrics, but because of them. To see people dismissing new track “Yippee-Ki-Yay” as immature, empty-headed drivel, is to miss the point of what makes Kesha Kesha. It’s the loveable niche she’s worked hard to carve out for herself in the last decade-and-a-half, and has separated her from the other pop girls (many who’ve come and gone). So when on bonus track “Trashman” she says “hold up, may I get cunty for a minute?”, you better say yes.

Keyword 2 is hooky. Massive first single “Joyride” was one of last year’s biggest pop moments, thanks to its sirens-blaring chorus and high-speed-circus-sideshow production. It pushed forward Kesha’s sound into a new, exciting territory, as does the hyperpop-inspired “Boy Crazy” and the house-backed posse cut “Attention” (which was inexplicably left off the main album). Mid-tempo cuts “Delusional” and “The One” are callbacks to Kesha’s early 2010s synth-led production, but the hooks are equally huge, with Kesha’s vocals soaring over melodies as strong as on early career ballads like “Blind” and “The Harold Song”.

Period isn’t a perfect album, but Animal and Cannibal weren’t perfect either. It is a motley of sometimes annoying, sometimes euphoric, often in-your-face pop that is full to the brim with personality, and always feels like Kesha. Both with the dollar sign, and without.

Favourite track: “Joyride”

August 15, 2025

The other day, on a music forum I read someone explaining that their favourite albums were different to the albums they considered the best – for example, they personally enjoyed 5 albums more than Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly but still ranked TPAB in their 5 best due to “objective merit”. Sorry, but I think that’s the dumbest thing I’ve read all week.

If you enjoy one artist more than another, own it. If you like fun music, joke music, club music – more than so-called serious music – own it. Music should be an even playing field, and shaking your ass has just as much merit as poetry.

That’s where Joey Valence & Brae comes in – the American rap duo makes punchline-ridden, amped-up, sweaty music for the mosh pit. It’s no lyrical bible, nor are the rappers’ flows particularly technical, but their new album HYPERYOUTH might end up being my hip-hop AOTY. Not just my favourite album, the best.

Firstly, the beats are crazy. Joey Valence has grown tremendously as a producer across 3 albums; “See U Dance” is a tribute to peak Timbaland, and Rebecca Black superbly glides across the instrumental like Nelly Furtado in her prime. You can see how the Skrillex-worship and Kanye-inspo has shaped JVB’s brash, pop-rap lens on bangers like “Hyperyouth” and “Have To Cry” – they’re innovative, inspired, and incredibly fun.

The bars are also incredibly memorable throughout, with Brae especially landing some laugh-out-loud moments, sometimes in spite of their sheer stupidity (the “I’m am-Asian” line in “Bust Down”). Importantly though, the boys balance this with some introspection, the best example being the crying-in-the-club banger “Live Right”, who’s themes of anxiety about growing up are something we’ve all been able to relate to.

In summary, if you like fun turned up to the max, bump this album. HYPERYOUTH might not end up being for you, but if you do like it, I hope you shake your ass and own it proudly.

Favourite track: “See U Dance”

May 30, 2025

Something Beautiful has something to prove: an elevated creative and artistic vision that Miley Cyrus has clearly bottled up for most of her career. However, the results are mixed. I often find myself scratching my head at the artsier elements, such as the interludes peculiarly placed either side of the pop-leaning “Easy Lover”, or the spoken-word opener “Prelude”, which feels like an 8th grade poetry piece. They hint at a concept album that isn’t really there. The wall of sound in “Something Beautiful” is complex and musically interesting, in a way that is shocking for Miley, but it’s not entirely pleasant to listen to, and beneath the cacophony is a ho-hum ballad.

But when the album gets into a more straightforward groove, it starts hitting. “End Of The World” is pure ABBA-fied joy and deserved all the global success had by the much more generic “Flowers”. “Easy Lover” is another effortless dancefloor-filler, and Miley sounds like a true 80s rockstar as she extends the word Easy into 10 funky syllables. Her vocals are consistently the best part of Something Beautiful, she sounds stronger and more confident than ever. Where Creative Miley and Pop Miley cross over most successfully is on “Walk Of Fame”, which infuses rock and disco into a crescendo for the ages – it isn’t artsy for the sake of it, it’s just a damn good pop song, made artfully.

Favourite track: “End Of The World”

May 9, 2025

She put crack in this one.

“Tonight” and “Stateside” were the most immediate, dopamine-boosting, sugar-rush inducing pair of singles to get me hyped for a project in years. The former is the ultimate TikTok song, in that its whispery come-on of a chorus is an endlessly repayable and danceable 15-second snippet, but the full 3-minute song is somehow even more addictive. Every time that four-on-the-floor bass kicks in, sounding like someone dribbling a bowling ball, my ass involuntarily starts shaking again. The latter is a sultry mix of dance-pop, breakbeat and throwback R&B, injecting a cheeky shot of Junior Senior’s “Move Your Feet” into Estelle’s “American Boy” – referentially, it’s basically a fabergé egg of bangers from the last 2 decades.

The new tracks on Fancy That don’t necessarily reach the same colossal heights as its singles, but all 20 minutes of this mixtape are effortlessly exhilarating. The fact that there are unapologetically prominent Basement Jaxx samples on two separate tracks tells you exactly where inspiration is drawn from – I can’t claim to be an expert on U.K. dance music but this mixtape just feels like a love letter to its history. It’s then to PinkPantheress’ credit that she isn’t swallowed by her influences, metamorphosing her sampling into a new sound that is definitively her own: an electrifying window into the future of the scene, and of pop music altogether.

Favourite track: “Tonight”