BEST OF INDIE POP - WEEK 31

If you are here reading this and your week hasn’t been good enough, I’ve taken it upon myself to bless you all with beautiful music that is killing it this week … or as We Are: The Guard likes to call it, The Best Indie Pop Songs. Yup, I’m taking your dull hump day and turning it into fun, fun, fun. I personally think that this week’s featured artists are worth more hype than the current Shark Week on TV … heck, they’re worth more hype than the real shark warnings on the beaches. But don’t take my word for it, how about you just hit play on the below and get back to me with your opinion when you’re all done.

JADEN - FIRE DEPT

Well, this is a real nipple twister/mind-bender. Jaden Smith is out to change the world, and by the sounds of “Fire Dept” it’s a wake-up call to everyone and anyone who has ever doubted him as an artist. He’s basically a kid like any other kid who is speaking his mind. No matter the genre, it’s all about what speaks to the people. And this my friends is speaking to me. Vomit and all, “Fire Dept’ is freaking wildfire. MOSHPIT!!!!

BÜLOW - FINE

“Don't want me to make a sound / Give me one good reason not to chuck what we got.”
Indie songstress bülow is, in fact, doing just fine in case you were wondering. But if you were to judge by the breathy intro you might think otherwise. Listeners need not worry as the artist quickly lets us know that she is just fine, “I'm gonna say goodbye / But please don't waste my time.” “Fine” is taken from bülows latest EP Crystalline, available now.

MAGGIE LINDEMANN - FRIENDS GO FT TRAVIS BARKER

Yes, I know, not a new song … but it is. Maggie Lindemann takes her ska inspired summer hit “Friends Go” and revamps the sound. Together with legendary Travis Barker, the two take the once Gwen Stefani-ish sounding song and turn it into a punk song that even the hard-core punk fans will enjoy. Lindemann quoted that punk is her go-to music preference … so if that is the case, can we all sign a petition to have Lindemann release her upcoming EP?!

RICH BRIAN FT SZA - RAPAPAPA

Rich Brian has enough papapa’s to make one’s night explode. No, it’s not the most romantic song to serenade a woman, and no, it won’t make her jump into your arms, but it is the perfect song to heat up the night. Perhaps some liquid courage and “Rapapapa” will help you grind all night on the dance floor. It’s summer, have fun.

LIZZO - TEMPO FT. MISSY ELLIOT

Screw all them skinny hoes. It’s all about the curves and the ones with the biggest … cake. Sorry, got carried away, it’s just that Lizzo excites me and makes me want to eat a hot dog to help gain me some weight. Geez, between her freaking female empowerment and Missy Elliot’s presence my body is twerking in ways it’s never moved before. 

H.E.R. - 21

H.E.R. has had one amazing year, and she’s taking us through her journey in the video for “21.” She sings about how fame and of course a Grammy has changed her life, and at 22 she’s soaking it all in and making it count. Her hard work, talent, and charm will take her fancier after-parties where instead of orange juice and Bacardi it will be caviar and Don Perignon.

SNOOP DOGG - COUNTDOWN (FEAT. SWIZZ BEATS)

Leave it to the OG’s to drop it like it’s 1990. Snoop Dogg and Swiz Beats break it down for you. It may sound offbeat but when you’re high all day every day it all sounds good. #westcoast for life.

BAZZI - I.F.L.Y.

Bazzi is a mood. Yes, a dang freaking mood I wish I could bathe in every day of my life for the rest of my life. His latest single is another solid romantic tune that solidifies my assumptions about the artist. Bazzi eats hearts for breakfast … he breathes love, lives love, the man is LOVE and we can hear it in his super smooth delivery of “I.F.L.Y.”

AU/RA - DANCE IN THE DARK

If you’re a fan of Billie Eilish then you will most definitely dig AU/RA. She’s goth for sure, but it’s the kind of goth that jumpstarts your heart. She gets you and your emotions and sings them. You may not be goth at all or an angry teen, but there is no denying AU/RA is a star and that her single “Dance In The Dark” is a haunting smash that will stay in your mind.

NOAH CYRUS - JULY

We end this post with the most perfect title to wrap up this week’s Best of Indie Pop and the month of July. Peeling away from a pop sound, Noah Cyrus returns with “July,” a stripped country like single that carries a lot of emotional depth: “So  tell me to leave / I'll pack my bags, get on the road /Find someone that loves you / Better than I do, darling, I know / 'Cause  you remind me every day / I'm not enough, but I still stay.” I’m really digging this side of Noah Cyrus, I can only hope that her upcoming debut album NC1* will be along the lines od country/folk-pop.

Thanks for tuning in to another edition of best pop songs we’ve listened to this week. See you again next Wednesday.

Photo by Alexander Shustov on Unsplash

Beca Arredondo is easily unamused with all things not related to her interests. On her good days you can catch her avoiding the California sun and glued to her Mac plotting the next big thing. If you happen to run into her on the street and notice her wearing headphones do NOT disturb her. She is not responsible for any possible damage. Aside from the above she's very sweet and perky and responds well to good music and food.