Anywhere. That is exactly the answer when you ask yourself the above question. Usually, the audiences expect big music centers like New York, L.A., London, and a few others to provide the answer, particularly if that hit pop song is to be ‘heavenly.’
Yet, that is not always the right answer. After all, one of the pest jangly rock numbers of the past few decades, bearing exactly the title of ‘Heavenly Pop Hit’ came from one Martin Phillipps and his The Chills, all the way from Dunedin, New Zealand, one of the farthest corners of our world (unless you are located relatively close, say Australia). And this still doesn’t prevent Phillipps to come up with great music forty or so years on after he formed The Chills.
Now, many would debate what should constitute a pop hit, and there, again, we have an answer that begins with a letter a, anything. After all, pop started annotating anything that is popular, that someone designated ‘pop’ to become a specific music genre is their problem, not that of the music itself.
Well, maybe some of the singles, album teasers, or whatever you want to call them can at some point join that ‘heavenly’ category, like the song below.
Elke - I Can Help
Elke is a Nashville musician/model and this one, coming from her upcoming album, certainly fits in what is considered a pop, with the additional qualification as art-pop. Makes no difference, and Elke can certainly help to bring back a good name to a well-crafted song with a classy performance whose purpose is exactly to be a pop song.
Andrew Belle - Nightshade
Sure, a good ballad certainly qualifies for that pop category. Andrew Belle has got one here, and if popularity should be one of the designating factors of ‘pop’ Belle’s certainly got it. Some more than two million listeners per month on streaming platforms are telling. Shouldn’t be a problem if ‘Nightshade’ is the measure of quality.
Caius - ‘Be Thankful For What You’ve Got
You can fit this one into that ‘anywhere’ category. Caius is a DJ/producer from Copenhagen, Denmark. At the same time, this one fits more into the current concepts of pop, I.e. that it has a good beat to dance to, a groove if you will. Somewhere between the seventies r&b/disco and current dance trends. Good, nonetheless.
Amon Tobin - Rise To Ashes
Amon Tobin is no stranger to groove and beats himself, but the one certainly goes into quite a few other directions. And it certainly stretches the borders of pop if you want to classify it as such. Even though it comes from his forthcoming album ‘How Do You Live,’ it has that unfathomable quality that makes it stand by itself nonetheless.
https://music.amontobin.com/album/how-do-you-live
Ghost Woman - Demons
Ghost Woman maybe has some demons hanging around. If so, they certainly want to exorcise them with some fast-paced garage rock guitar sounds. In the process, they remind us that back in the sixties this stuff mostly came out solely on vinyl singles crate diggers would pay big money for now. I’m sure they can get this one for a relatively reasonable price. And they should.
Reb Fountain - Lacuna
Closing the circle a bit here. Reb Fountain is also from New Zealand and is also recording for Flying Nun, the label The Chills, and some other great New Zealand artists started with. Reb and her ‘Lacuna’ just confirm that they have quite a set of good ears. If you file this one under a certain category it will probably be uncategorizable.