BEST OF INDIE POP: WEEK 3

It seems to be that people love challenges and the stupider the challenge the more gung-ho they’re about it, like the tide pod challenge where people bite into the detergent pods. But I’ve seen and heard more idiotic things sadly. So how about this, let me challenge you to cleanse your ears rather than your insides. After a month of listening to our Best of Indie Pop column, not only will you be in the know of the hottest singles of the moment, but you will also save yourself from a rather pricey ER visit. This week we’re featuring Towkio, blackbear, Lilly Ahlberg, and more. Scroll, play, repeat, and don’t forget to share your favorite tracks.

TOWKIO - SYMPHONY FEATURING TEDDY JACKSON

Rick Rubin is one very happy happy man after signing Chicago rapper Towkio. He’s disrupting the genre, turning heads, and spicing up our playlist. By the way the beats are dropping and the rhymes are flowing out it sounds like Towkio will make himself a household name very, very soon.  Debut album WWW. drops February 16, 2018.

18 - RICH BRIAN, TRIPPIE REDD, KRIS WU, JOJI, BAAUER

Rich Brian formerly Rich Chigga seems to be trying to find his style. His latest piece “18” is equally as head scratching as when he first appeared onto the scene. Sounding somewhat choppy and disjointed the collaboration with Trippie Redd, Chris Wu, Joji, and Baauer seems to feel like the effects of a long night of chugging Red Bulls and puffing on a good one. Perhaps he’s not as lost as I think he is and he’s just trying to build up hype around his album Amen.

BLACKBEAR - ANXIETY FEATURING FRND

With Blackbear  soon to drop his latest album cybersex, he’s feeding us little bits and pieces of what we are to expect. Swaying away from his notable RnB style, balckbear lays out a new side to him. “Anxiety” featuring FRND is a hybrid of pop and dance that showcases the versatility and perhaps a new direction for the producer.

LILLY AHLBERG - BAD BOYS

Why is it that our hearts tend to lead us to lusting over the bad boys? One wink and they make us drop to our knees. That is why we can relate to Lilly Ahlberg’s hot new single “Bad Boys.” The Swedish YouTube sensation / songstress knows our pain way too well and knows how to make get our bodies moving while chasing after the douchebags that we know will break our hearts. Cheers to the bad boys and our bad habits.

LET ME DOWN - JORJA SMITH FEATURING STORMZY

When playing “Let Me Down,” time seems to stop for a short moment and the heavens break open when Jorja Smith starts singing “Sometimes, I wouldn't mind if I was less important
Would you think about them all the time?”  The haunting piece enlists grime artist Stormzy, and together these two create a majestic track that is solid enough to make Jorja Smith a star.

DUA LIPA - IDGAF

A once struggling heart crushed Dua Lipa seems to have owned her new rules and is now at the stage of IDGAF...and it’s sounding way to good. The single above taken from her debut album features a confident and fierce Dua Lipa against a once vulnerable Dua Lipa but find themselves coming together to fight against their struggles. Terrific! Maybe they can help me fight against mine.

YACHT - SHAME

Indie duo Yacht seem to have perfectly captured the millennial lifestyle quite accurately. We live in a world where life does not exist without Instagram because life without Instagram is no life at all. The perfect dewy skin, the perfect vegan meal, the perfect pottery session, the perfect garden, the perfect fam and friends is made possible by the daily use of  overpriced L.A. river water relabeled and sold as Kibu. Thank you Yacht for hilariously reminding us of the kind of world we live in. #Shame

KINGS DEAD - JAY ROCK, KENDRICK LAMAR, FUTURE, JAMES BLAKE

Caution: After listening to this song you may be inspired to quit your job and quit your bae because you’re riding high fresh off the beats. So recognize that “King’s Dead” is for entertainment purposes and not meant for you to empty your bank account or crash your car.

MISS YOU - CASHMERE CAT, MAJOR LAZER, TORY LANEZ

Oh my gawdd I love Palmistry! Wait, what? This isn’t Palmistry. Oh I see what they did there. But I won’t rant about the similarities or lack of credit on this post what I will do though is drop this link here for you to compare Cashmere’s track and that of Palmistry.

MIKKY EKKO - NOT THE ONE

Singer - songwriter Mikky Ekko pulls us out of whatever mental rut we find ourselves in and elevates our mood his single “Not The One.” I know, I know, even though the lyrics paint a different picture than the tone of the song, it’s the melodies, it’s the driving piano,  and vocal reach that have us feeling better than we were prior to listening to this gem.

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That’s all for this week’s favorite indie pop songs. We’ll be back with more next week. Until then, there is plenty of mouthwatering earworms for you on our Weekly Chart in Spotify.

Photo by Hưng Nguyễn 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.