'Golden': Kylie Minogue's Nashville-Inspired Ode to Heartbreak, Death & Dancing (Album Review)
I wanna find love, Make a great escape, get lost, Get away from everyone who tells me it's too late. The name Kylie Minogue - or Kylie, just Kylie, as she's still the only Kylie, thank you very much - conjures visions of disco balls, stilettos and oiled-up muscle men. And until recently, the only…
'One Shot, Two Shot': BoA Still Hits the Mark, Nearly Twenty Years Into Her Career
The cold, hard truth is that the music industry in South Korea isn't what it once was when BoA first debuted in 2000. Despite being hailed as the Queen of K-Pop™ for nearly two decades, the now 31-year-old superstar is vying for attention in a crowded arena that consists primarily of girl groups…
Kylie Minogue's 'Dancing' Is a Twangy Midlife Ode to Mortality
"When the final curtain falls, we could say we did it all." No, it's no "Can't Get You Out Of My Head." Nor is it an "All The Lovers." Nor a "Spinning Around." And yes, it's got a twang that aligns with the country-leaning, Red State America-appealing trend that's plagued at least several major pop…
'For You': Rita Ora Whips Up 'Fifty Shades' of Solid Pop With Liam Payne
Her name is Rita. She'll be your mistress tonight. It's become clear that Miss Ora is boldly carrying forward the torch of pop into the New Year, from "Your Song" to "Lonely Together" to, of course, "Anywhere," the distant second cousin to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Run Away With Me." (And let us never…
'God Save Our Young Blood': BØRNS & Lana Del Rey Lead Us Into the New Year With a Prayer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUiE_0GPqKE&feature=youtu.be If anyone ought to lovingly lead us into 2018, it might as well be the Queen of Coney Island and Casual Witchcraft herself. Miss Lana Del Rey's hopped on a BØRNS song called "God Save Our Young Blood," the opening track off of the…
'Pop 2': Charli XCX Auto-Tunes Out the Demons & Proves Herself to Be the Ultimate Curator of Cool (Review)
"Go fuck your prototype / I’m an upgrade of your stereotype." Look: Sophia isn't the only Femmebot poised to take over the world. After leading us into 2017 with her Number 1 Angel mixtape back in March, a collection of thumping, PC Music-produced future-bops that still holds up as one of the…
'Lip & Hip': HyunA Delivers the Horny, Porny & Polarizing Pop Anthem We Deserve
In a world full of cutesy schoolgirl concepts and aegyo-filled choreography, Queen HyunA is a breath of sleazy, sex-starved air. Barring a handful of exceptions, K-Pop exists within a fairly conservative bubble, rarely pushing the envelope in terms of sexuality. HyunA, however, flicks a middle…
'Full Moon': EXID Shines Their Light and Leaves 'Em Shaking (Review)
Earth might be canceled, oh...any day now, but EXID's already found their bliss out of this world. To be fair, it hasn't entirely been rainbows, sunshine and selcas for the five piece South Korean girl group: poor, sweet lead vocalist Solji was banned from promoting with the other four girls after…
'Dancing With a Broken Heart': STEPS Tap Delta Goodrem for Their Second Solid Pop Comeback of the Year
STEPS had no business storming back into pop culture in the year 2017 with their almighty, pop-saving comeback single "Scared of the Dark" back in March, nor their shimmering April LP Tears on the Dancefloor and the album's two follow-up tracks, the Benny & Björn-penned "Story of a Heart" and "Neon…
'Will I See You': Anitta's Debut English Single Showcases the Brazilian Bombshell's Softer Side
Brazilian superstar Anitta, who is currently on track to take over the world with her voice, her dance moves and her bunda (?), just made a massive next step in her cross-cultural conquest: her very first English language single. And surprisingly enough, it's quite...calm. "Will I See You" is…
"Take Me": Aly & AJ Are Back, and They're Tired of Waiting For You
"I don't wait long, 'cause I got better things to do." Look, Miley Cyrus isn't the only one moving past her Disney beginnings. Aly & AJ, known individually as Alyson Michalka and Amanda Joy Michalka and most highly regarded by The Gay Community™ for "Potential Breakup Song" (later covered by J-Pop…
"Younger Now": Miley Cyrus Just Ain't the Same These Days (Review)
"No one stays the same..." Evolving one's identity gradually over a period of time is a tricky thing to master in the pop world. (Not everyone can be Madonna, after all.) By now, in case "Mailbu" wasn't a strong enough visual and sonic indication, you should know: Miley Cyrus is scaling things…