Back catalogue: Pop

Review: Gracie Abrams returns with the deluxe edition of her sophomore album The Secret of Us (Deluxe), released via Interscope Records, now available on a special "moonlight" 2xLP vinyl. This release is her most expansive work yet, both sonically and narratively. Adding fan favourites like 'That's So True' and 'I Love You, I'm Sorry (Live From Vevo)' to the 20-track project, Abrams showcases her growth as a songwriter and vocalist. Collaborating again with Aaron Dessner and her best friend Audrey Hobert, the album captures the urgency and raw emotion of her live experiences over the past year.

Review: Gracie Abrams's The Secret of Us gets served up as a special edition here and it marks her most expansive album yet. This ambitious project shows her growth as both a songwriter and vocalist and adds in already assured fan favourites like 'That's So True' and 'I Love You, I'm Sorry (Live From Vevo).' The record finds Abrams collaborating once again with Aaron Dessner and she also worked with her best friend Audrey Hobert on several tracks. Together they reflect the urgency of recounting a meaningful night to a close friend with live experiences over the past year shaping its narrative and sound. A nuanced pop album with plenty to explore.

Review: Short n' sweet is perhaps the prevalent ideal of pop music today. Sabrina Carpenter's nectarous new record is a delightfully brief pick-me-up, one that nails the style. Described as a "pocket-sized popstar with a larger-than-life artistic presence" by Polydor, Carpenter's depiction as an idol of convenience and portability feels apt for today's always-on, attention-frazzling zeitgeist. Quick songwriterly syrups brightened-to-perfection productions help Carpenter trade in themes of youthful exuberance and glib spirit, as echoes of country music efflux through trap and ratchet pop; a quick rinse-off in an infinity pool of post-Taylor-Swift gloss. Titles like 'Sharpest Tool', 'Espresso', '15 Minutes' and 'Bed Chem' all seem to affirm the record's effective immediacy: and Carpenter owns the stimulant shot, as she taunts a romantic rival: "you'll just have to taste me me when he's kissing you..."

Review: Sabrina Carpenter's sixth studio album Short N Sweet defines an era, triply word-playing on the briefness of her first romances, media runtimes, and the artist's height. Exploring the Gen Z icon's love life and perspectives on 2020s dating, the title refers to Carpenter's shortest ever romantic relationship, as she endeavours to honour the validity of said encounter in a glacial climate of a staid romantic culture that emphasises long-termism as the only possible form of true love. And yet despite the imaginary spirit of carefreeness, Carpenter's lyrics are pretty pessimistic if you listen past the poppified blitz of sound: the sense is that generations of lovers have failed to account for the true polyvalence of love, where even the shortest of encounters can engender the worst of heartbreaks.

Review: Sabrina Carpenter's latest release offers a mix of catchy pop melodies and introspective lyrics, perfectly captured on this limited edition olive green vinyl LP. Each track feels like a personal reflection, blending playful pop elements with deeper emotional moments. Carpenter's vocals transition effortlessly from light-hearted to deeply resonant, mirroring the complexities of self-discovery and relationships. With its honest lyricism and vibrant production, the album presents a refreshing take on pop. The indie-exclusive edition comes with a postcard, making it a must-have for collectors and fans who appreciate a blend of engaging music and tangible, personal touches.

Review: London-born neo-soul sensation Olivia Dean has soared to stardom since the release of her debut album, Messy, back in the summer of 2023. By May 2024, she headlined three sold-out nights at London's iconic Hammersmith Apollo and the second performance, captured on Live at Eventim Apollo, is a fine example of her remarkable stage presence and soulful vocals. The album features fan favs such as 'Dive,' 'Touching Toes' and 'Time' which highlight her heartfelt storytelling and signature sound. This is a great testament to her talent and meteoric rise and one that celebrates Olivia Dean as one of the brightest voices in contemporary neo-soul.

Review: Lana Del Rey is back with a title that promises to intrigue, 'Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?"' If her previous works are any indication, we can expect a hauntingly nostalgic exploration of life in California, where the artist grew up. With her velvety voice and dejectedly poetic lyrics, Del Rey has made a name for herself as a modern-day bard of the West Coast. This release is sure to add another chapter to her musical saga, charting three new songs and one remix, and collaborations across the pop spectrum including Father John Misty, Tommy Genesis and Jon Batiste.

Review: American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey does what she wants. Each new album is something of a curveball even for the hardcore fan - and that's the sign of a truly great artist. She's done pop, folk, spoken word poetry and plenty more in her already rich but comparatively short career. This time out on Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, her ninth full length, the six-time Grammy nominated artist again sets her own narrative. In the past, she has brought melancholy, baroque pop, sad core and more to the fore and always with real songcraft.

Review: Over the course of her last few albums, Lana Del Ray has evolved into a significant chronicler of 21st century American life, with sharper-then-ever lyrics accompanied by fittingly haunting, downbeat and bittersweet musical arrangements. Blue Bannisters, which like so many albums released this year was written and recorded during lockdown, continues in a similar vein to its predecessors, with Del Ray's fragile, melancholic vocals being accompanied by ghostly synthesizer chords, striking piano motifs, drowsy aural textures, simmering strings, gentle guitars and occasional rhythmic nods to trip-hop. It's more bittersweet than intense, but undeniably a creative response to the most testing of times. Considered in those terms, it's a hugely impactful and entertaining album.

Review: Lana Del Ray's reputation as one of the best songwriters of her generation is already assured. Rather than rest on this laurels, though, she comes through with another mesmerically original work that takes the form of a collection of verse. Written with all the lyricism and eloquence you would expect of the American, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is an at times vulnerable, at others intense, but always eclectic and honest, window into the artist's endless talents. There is also a hardback book version of these poems but when paired with raw and real acoustic guitar, they cannot bettered.

Review: This eagerly awaited album delves deeper into Becky Hill's passion for underground dance music, solidifying her position as a leading voice in the genre. It marks her debut on Astralwerks and follows her acclaimed 2021 album, Only Honest on the Weekend. Believe Me Now? features hits like the U.S. airplay chart-topper 'Side Effects' with Lewis Thompson, 'Disconnect' with Chase & Status, and her latest single 'Never Be Alone' featuring Sonny Fodera. Hill describes the album as reflective of her transition from her turbulent twenties to a more confident woman in her thirties. Drawing on influences from drum & bass, anthemic house, and techno, Hill infuses her powerhouse vocals, creating an album rich with personal integrity and global appeal.

Review: This record marks a bold return to Lady Gaga's pop roots. It fuses the eclectic energy that first captivated her fans with a new and ever-fearless artistic vision that means she delves into themes of chaos and transformation while celebrating music's ability to unite, provoke and heal. Gaga has said that the album began as a response to her fear of returning to the pop sound her early fans loved. Far from merely nostalgic, Mayhem reinvents her signature style with a kaleidoscopic approach by drawing from her broad musical influences. Gaga compared the creative process to "reassembling a shattered mirror," and has created something beautifully new from the pieces.

Review: Harlequin, Lady Gaga's latest project, marks yet another bold and triumphant return for the pop icon. Initially seeming like an unusual conceptia Joker-inspired album with swingy jazz and American songbook classicsiit surprisingly works, showcasing Gaga's signature playful and bold artistry. The album's vibrant opener, 'Good Morning,' kicks off with big energy, while 'Oh, When the Saints' spirals into delicious chaos. Her potent vocal delivery paired with electrifying instrumentals means this is an album full of spark and even quieter tracks like 'Smile' and the original title cut form the movie 'Folie a Deux' reveal deep emotional sincerity. Harlequin is a playful and unapologetic work that proves Gaga is in fine form.

Review: Lady Gaga's brand new album Mayhem documents yet another modification in look and feel for today's North Star of pop music: the 'Bad Romance' conquistador has described her latest record as "utter chaos", fusing influences from 90s alt-rock, electro-grunge, Prince and Bowie-esque melodies, funk, French electro-house, and analog synths. Headed up by the lead single 'Disease', Gaga's visually striking yet newly gothicized turn is quite unsettling, offering a fresh "era" in the pop pantomorph's approach, which invites comparisons to Taylor Swift and David Bowie, yet more latexy.

Review: Lany frontman Paul Klein leave us in precious little doubt there that he's lovelorn - almost every song on this self-titled record bemoans some melancholic development in his romantic life, set to a cinematic soundscape that's equally beholden to the synth-starred soundscapes of the '80s and modern R&B. Luckily for all and sundry however, these plaintive and potent laments find a way to alchemically transform base angst into audial gold, arriving on a cinematic plateau in which the dislocation of the modern era is subverted to form a bittersweet party soundtrack looking likely to last the remaining days of summer at the very least.

Review: Rebecca Lucy Taylor blows stormy second wind our way with A Complicated Woman, her first full-length release as Self Esteem since the critically lauded Prioritise Pleasure. The record finds Taylor, who cut her teeth with Sheffield indie hopefuls The Slow Club, expanding her signature lyrical honesty and emotional intelligence over an increasingly vivid, ambitious landscape, convoking a potent collective of mostly female voices: friends, bandmates, and collaborators Nadine Shah, Moonchild Sanelly, Sue Tompkins, drag queen Meatball and actor Julie Hesmondhalgh all feature. Recalibrating the well-worn trope of female hysteria in indie rock terms, lead single 'Focus Is Power' channels a mantra first scribbled on a sticker in her parents' shed during lockdown into a full-bodied affirmation of self-worth, echoed by a moving choir and a communal performance in its accompanying video.

Review: Rebecca Taylor arrives at third album A Complicated Woman in a very different place to where she was before the release of her previous full-length, the Mercury Prize-nominated Prioritise Pleasure. Now a bona-fide pop star, the South Yorkshire chanteuse now has to deal with heightened expectations and her own experience of fame. By the sound of A Complicated Woman, she's handling both with aplomb. That's not to say that the lyrics avoid difficult subjects - her own worries remain front and centre - but the delightfully grandiose production, extensive use of choirs and orchestras, and Taylor's own penchant for penning stadium-sized sing-alongs deliver a maximal pop gem fitting her genuine star status. Rotherham's finest has never sounded so good (or, it should be added, explicit - there are some genuinely adult themes on display).

Review: The latest project of the singer Rebecca Lucy Taylor, who cur her teeth on the Sheffield musioc scene before heading south, sees her continuing to evolve her sharp, emotionally honest brand of pop. This album leans further into lush, layered production while keeping the confessional, anthemic spirit that made her previous work resonate so deeply. Tracks like 'Big Man' explode with bold rhythms and crisp, shimmering synths, pairing vulnerability with fierce, almost theatrical energy. Meanwhile, 'Love Second' rides a smoother, soulful groove, highlighting Taylor's ability to balance playfulness and pain within the same breath. Her vocal performances are even more dynamic here i full of defiant strength one moment and tender intimacy the next. 'Insert Girl' and 'Hard To Love' deliver some of the album's most affecting moments, weaving percussive pop beats with lyrical reflections on identity, expectation and resilience. There's an undeniable polish across A Complicated Woman, but it never feels cold; instead, the production wraps around Taylor's words like a protective armor. Brief but potent interludes and clever lyrical turns keep the album moving with a strong narrative flow. A Complicated Woman feels like both a natural continuation and a bold new chapter for Self Esteem i pop music that's brave, bruised and utterly alive.

Review: Pop stans rejoice: here be the third studio album by former YouTube star and queer pop icon Troye Sivan. It's also his first in five years, following his acclaimed 2018 album Bloom and his 2020 EP 'In A Dream'. The album is described as "a celebration of sex, dance, sweat, community, queerness, love and friendship", and was influenced by both popular and avant-garde music styles, as well as Sivan finding increasing freedom in the bombast of dance music in the post-pandemic era. Martin, OzGo and A.G. Cook, among others, are enlisted for production duties, second only to cameos from Charli XCX, Sam Smith and Lorde.

Review: The Saltburn soundtrack, released on red vinyl, is a great collection of tracks that capture the dark, humorous essence of Emerald Fennell's 2023 black comedy. This eclectic mix of songs enhances the film's twisted narrative. Side-1 opens with Bloc Party's 'This Modern Love,' a nod to the film's exploration of complicated relationships. Ladytron's 'Destroy Everything You Touch' and Cold War Kids' 'Hang Me Up To Dry' continue this theme of emotional turmoil. The infectious energy of Mason vs Princess Superstar's 'Perfect (Exceeder)' adds a pulse to the story's underlying tension. Side-2 is highlighted by Sophie Ellis-Bextor's 'Murder on the Dancefloor,' a playful yet sinister track that resonates with the film's dark humor. MGMT's 'Time To Pretend' and The Killers' iconic 'Mr Brightside' reflect the characters' hedonistic pursuits. The inclusion of the twisted 'Have a Cheeky Christmas' by The Cheeky Girls adds a bizarre, yet fitting, touch to this unusual collection. Encapsulates the film's edgy and eccentric atmosphere in the most ideal way.