My dear readers! I haven’t forgotten about you. I filled up my summer working on a creative project that I’m really excited to tell you about soon. I didn’t have the time to do this newsletter, so I come to you with an apology and a gift. Instead of one song, I have a whole playlist of songs. It’s all the pop songs I fell in love with this summer. 20 of them (1 one recipe)!!
(A lot of credit has to be given to my friend Ben Murray, who honestly would make an amazing A&R if he wasn’t so good at everything else already. Follow his iconic playlist “Groovin” on Spotify.)
I made the playlist for y’all on Apple Music and Spotify if you want to listen and you can click the links of the song titles if you want to listen to each of them on YouTube. I’ll probably keep adding to those playlists when I have more songs to add, so subscribe! (Also you can reply directly to this email and I’ll get it if you want to talk shop/songs etc. <3)
PLAYLIST ON APPLE MUSIC
PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY
20 bops:
I feel like I’ve been one of Sam Smith’s harshest critics, but there’s no denying this song. One of the best choruses of the year for sure. Excited to hear the rest of what he has.
Sabrina Carpenter, “In My Bed”
This year’s “Into You.” You need to wait until the chorus hits. Unreal pop song after the first minute mark.
Charlotte Lawrence, “Why Do You Love Me”
Classic bad girl pop but through the lens of what happens when the biggest pop star of the year is Billie Eilish. Great opening couple of lines, too.
Probably the strongest pop song I’ve heard this year. Sounds like the best of Bieber (written by Ed Sheeran). Can’t believe it’s not on the radio.
Charli XCX & Christine and The Queens, “Gone”
Two brilliant minds meeting somewhere in the middle. Hoping both will go down as innovators of the decade and will work together more often after this.
Tayla Parx f. Joey Badass, “Rebound”
Honestly obsessed with this whole album and this song shines through. Tayla is an incredible songwriter. If you want to know what the next 2-5 years of pop songs are going to sound like, listen to this album.
I thought this guy would be huge already. He’s very tumblr-core. This song in particular is very Alanis in 2019 to me. It’s cute!
She’s so next level. Like is there a cooler person in the world right now? How is this just a loosie? If this is the direction she’s moving into I’m 10000% in.
Very “Stillness Is The Move” type-beat! I’m into it and want to her more from her.
Listen to Julia Michaels two recent EPs. They’re a lot smaller in scale to what she put out at the beginning of her solo career. Great work from her as always. (Free idea: There’s something to be written about Gotye’s influence on 2019 pop. So many “Somebody That I Used To Know” clones.)
This song ruuuules. It’s everything I want Taylor Swift to make in 2019. This song is just gorg from beginning to end.
Michael Kiwanuka and Tom Misch, “Money”
Just a chill little groove. Michael Kiwanuka has such a voice and it’s fun to hear him do a pop song. More please!
My friend John found this song. It’s SO dumb but I love it. Very simple concept executed perfectly.
Mark Ronson f. Camila Cabello, “Find U Again”
I think this song is underrated (from a slightly overrated album.) Camila is underrated in general, I think!
Absolutely!!! Nicki’s best song since Pinkprint. I love this trashy drinking anthem. She sounds so free. (Bonus: Yung Baby Tate’s #MegatronChallenge is so great as well.)
Herve Pagez & Diplo f. Charli XCX, “Spicy”
I think this song can only be truly felt in car speakers (haven’t heard it out in bar/club but that’s probably a good test for it too.) Hated it at first but grew to really love it.
Very kooky lyrics. Just a cool song in general. Surprising choices throughout!
Beautiful dance floor jam. A nine minute disco moment. Get into it!
She’s literally the best pop star. “Did you let him leave a necklace?” LOL. She’s a genius.
Oh honey.
1 Recipe
This recipe from Bon App teaches you how to make this pasta sauce by cooking down squash until it gets “jammy” as hell. It’s so delicious. Lately, I’ve been making the jammy squash but seasoning it with cumin, coriander, chipotle etc. and then adding some chopped up mushrooms (and maybe a lil more olive oil) towards the end and then using the veggies as taco fillings. Bonus: been making a super quick green sauce with cilantro + shallot + oil + s/p to put on top (also add some tomato salsa + cotija if you have it in fridge but literally it’s fine if you don’t).
Here’s a pic of what you end up with. Really good, tbh.
