It took us a long time, and today is probably not the best day to unveil it (sorry Santa, you’ll have to share some attention time), but we can finally present our favorite tracks of 2023. We can’t definitively claim if these are the absolute best or if they’re in the perfect order (although we’re pretty confident about the top of the list), but these 99 tracks were on constant replay this year in our HQ. We hope you’ll enjoy this selection as much as we do and that you’ll discover some overlooked talents. Before the end-of-year break, don’t forget to follow the playlist on Spotify and Apple Music, because we will kick off the best songs of 2024 as early as January. See you next year, share a nice moment with the people you love, and keep it dreamy.

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99. Valley Latini, Jack Payne – “Dark Corners”
98. Aurora Shields, Young Clancy – “People in Apartments”
97. Unflirt – “Had Enough”
96. Alan Palamo, Mac DeMarco – “Nudista Mundial ’89”
95. City Dress – “Empires of Honey”
94. Hanna Krischdюr – “Lucy”
93. Miljon – “Sad Eyes”
92. Ora Cogan – “Cowgirl”
91. Yumi Zouma – “KPR”

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90. Say She She – “C’est Si Bon”
89. Mia Porter – “Meditating in Asia”
88. 100 gecs – “Hollywood Baby”
87. yunè pinku – “Trinity”
86. Valentina – “Love Myself”
85. Sharing – “Curtains”
84. Jessy Lanza – “Limbo”
83. Shallowhalo – “Crystal Ball”
82. Sea Lemon – “3A”
81. Samantha Urbani – “More Than A Feeling”

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80. Ruth Radelet – “Shoot Me Down”
79. LST – “Everything”
78. PYNKIE – “Crushed Out”
77. People Museum – “Saturn Rings”
76. Doohickey Cubicle – “Super Smeller”
75. Ana Frango Elétrico – “Electric Fish”
74. Pearly Drops – “Take Me Down – Nourished By Time Version”
73. Overmono – “Good Lies”
72. Siren Of Lesbos – “Run Run Run”
71. NOIA, Buscabulla – “eclipse de amor”

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70. Akira Galaxy – “Virtual Eyes”
69. Peggy Gou – “(It Goes Like) Nanana”
68. Naomi Sharon – “Definition of Love”
67. Mind Shrine – “Runner”
66. Art School Girlfriend – “A Place To Lie”
65. Marina Zispin – “Surprise Party”
64. MARCI – “KITY”
63. Tennis – “Let’s Make A Mistake Tonight”
62. Sofie Royer – “Mio”
61. Jayda G – “Blue Lights”

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60. Sofia Kourtesis – “Si Te Portas Bonito”
59. Tensnake, Jessy Lanza – “Keep It Secret”
58. Yaeji – “For Granted”
57. Romy – “She’s On My Mind”
56. Mandaworld – “U CAN’T STOP ME NOW”
55. EFTALYA YAĞCI – “DARBUKA”
54. L’Rain – “New Year’s UnResolution”
53. Lipsticism – “Hold Me Release Me”
52. Le Pain – “Rachel Veut Danser”
51. Kelela – “Contact”

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50. Jouska – “Why’d You Leave Me In The Red?”
49. Claire Rousay, Helena Deland – “Deceiver”
48. Sweeping Promises – “Good Living Is Coming For You”
47. Harmony – “Good Things Take Time”
46. ggwendolyn – “my year of rest & relaxation”
45. Catherine Moan – “Undo Undo”
44. Katy Kirby – “Party of the Century”
43. MUNYA – “Un Deux Trois”
42. Buzzy Lee – “Cinderblock”
41. untitled (halo) – “el prado freestyle”

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40. Felixita – “Bureau/Music.xls”
39. Jess Williamson – “Hunter”
38. Canty – “Follower”
37. Fievel Is Glauque – “I’m Scanning Things I Can’t See”
36. Indigo de Souza – “You Can Be Mean”
35. Georgia Gets By – “Easier To Run”
34. Charlotte Cornfield – “You and Me”
33. Björk, Rosalía – “Oral”
32. George Riley – “Elixir”
31. Sun June – “Easy Violence”

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30. Water From Your Eyes – “Barley”
29. Wednesday – “Chosen To Deserve”
28. a.s.o. – “Go On”
27. Isola – “Too Soon”
26. awakened souls – “waiting”
25. Jam City, Wet – “LLTB”
24. Kylie Minogue – “Padam Padam”
23. Mali Velasquez – “Bobby”
22. Medium Build – “Never Learned To Dance”
21. Maybel – “Long Road Ahead”

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20. Meagre Martin – “All My Thoughts”
19. Frank Heat Waves, Cindy Lee – “In A Moment Divine”
18. crushed – “waterlily”
17. Allie X – “Black Eye”
16. A Beacon School – “Jon”
15. Avalon Emerson – “Astrology Poisoning”
14. Nourished By Time – “Daddy”
13. Troye Sivan – “Rush”
12. Annie-Claude Deschênes – “MENACE MINIMALE”
11. Magdalena Bay – “Exo”

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10. SZA – “Kill Bill”

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9. DJ Seinfeld, Confidence Man – “Now U Do”

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8. Fever Ray – “Kandy”

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7. Caroline Polachek – “Welcome To My Island”

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6. Laura Groves – “Sky At Night”

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5. George Clanton – “Justify Your Life”

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4. NewJeans – “Super Shy”

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3. Lana Del Rey – “A&W”

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2. PinkPantheress, Ice Spice – “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2”

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1. hemlocke springs – “enknee1”

One week after the 50 Best Tracks of 2021, we’re now unveiling our favourite albums of the year. We probably forgot some gems here and there, but we tried to gather the must-listens as well as some overlooked projects we totally fell in love with. As usual, we recommend supporting the artists you like: buy their music and merch. 2022 is already off to a poor start – and 2021 hasn’t even ended! As usual, at the end of December we will probably go a bit quiet on our website, so see you next year and, most of all, thanks so much for reading us.

50. Tomu DJ – FEMINISTA
49. Really From – Really From
48. Nana Yamato – Before Sunrise
47. Dolphin Midwives – Body of Water
46. MUNYA – Voyage to Mars
45. Pearl Charles – Magic Mirror
44. Ydegirl – Ydegirl
43. Men I Trust – Untourable Album
42. Pearl & The Oysters – Flowerland
41. SPELLLING – The Turning Wheel

40. Death’s dynamic shroud.wmv – Faith in Persona
39. Rosie Tucker – Sucker Supreme
38. Hand Habits – Fun House
37. Grouper – Shade
36. Vanishing Twin – Ookii Gekkou
35. Dawn Richard – Second Line
34. HTRK – Rhinestones
33. Maple Glider – To Enjoy is the Only Thing
32. Tirzah – Colourgrade
31. Mr Twin Sister – Al Mundo Azul

30. Loveshadow – Loveshadow
29. Lily Konigsberg – The Best of Lily Konigsberg Right Now
28. Green-House – Music For Living Spaces
27. Karima Walker – Waking the Dreaming Body
26. Mega Bog – Life, and Another
25. Midnight Sister – Painting the Roses
24. Devin Shaffer – In My Dreams I’m There
23. You’ll Never Get To Heaven – Wave Your Moonlight Hat for the Snowfall Train
22. Cabiria – Ciudad de las dos lunas
21. DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ – The Makin Magick II Album

20. Katy Kirby – Cool Dry Place
19. Water From Your Eyes – Structure
18. Indigo de Souza – Any Shape You Take
17. Skee Mask – Pool
16. Injury Reserve – By the time I Get to Phoenix
15. Ada Lea – one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden
14. JPEGMAFIA – LP!
13. Rachika Nayar – Our Hands Against The Dusk
12. Low – HEY WHAT
11. The Weather Station – Ignorance

10. Turnstile – GLOW ON

9. Dean Blunt – Black Metal 2

8. Tyler, The Creator – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST

7. Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee

6. Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra – Promises

5. L’Rain – Fatigue

4. Erika de Casier – Sensational

3. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

2. Magdalena Bay – Mercurial World

1. Cassandra Jenkins – An Overview on Phenomenal Nature

Ho Ho Ho, it’s that time of the year! Just before the Christmas break, our team ranked the best songs of 2021, so that you would all have plenty of great music to listen to during the holidays. You can stream these 50 tracks, as well as other songs that were close to making the cut, via our Spotify and Apple Music playlists below.

EDIT: You can also check our 50 Best Albums of 2021.

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50. Lily Konigsberg – “Owe Me”
49. Sofia Kourtesis – “La Perla”
48. Water From Your Eyes – “”Quotations””
47. Jenevieve – “Baby Powder”
46. Theodora – “For One Heart”
45. Dawn Richard – “Boomerang”
44. Dora Jar – “Scab Song”
43. Ydegirl – “breezing back and forth between”
42. Sylvie / Marina Allen – “Falls On Me”
41. Spellling – “Little Deer”

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40. Joviale – “Blow!”
39. Miho Hatori – “Tokyo Story”
38. Mild Universe – “Sunday”
37. 8485 – “hangar”
36. Katy Kirby – “Portals”
35. Makthaverskan – “This Time”
34. Renée Reed – “Fast One”
33. You’ll Never Get to Heaven – “Dust”
32. Cabiria – “Abrigo de sol”
31. Test Subjects – “Boy Next Door”

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30. Boyhood – “Don’t You Dare”
29. Caroline Polachek – “Bunny Is A Rider”
28. Maple Glider – “Good Thing”
27. Smerz – “Flashing”
26. PinkPantheress – “Just For Me”
25. Nana Yamato – “Do You Wanna”
24. Slayyyter – “Clouds”
23. Injury Reserve – “Knees”
22. Bleach Lab – “Old Ways”
21. Rebecca Vasmant, Emilie Boyd, Harry Weir – “Dance Yourself Free”

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20. Vanishing Twin – “Big Moonlight (Ookii Gekkou)”
19. Ginger Root – “Loretta”
18. Hand Habits – “4th of July”
17. Doss – “Puppy”
16. Caroline Loveglow – “Patience Etc…”
15. Rachika Nayar – “The Trembling of Glass”
14. Beach House – “Superstar”
13. Cherry Glazerr – “Soft Drink”
12. Indigo De Souza – “Real Pain”
11. Kero Kero Bonito – “Well Rested”

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10. Danny L Harle – “On A Mountain”

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9. Mr Twin Sister – “Expressions”

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8. Little Simz, Cleo Sol – “Woman”

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7. L’Rain – “Two Face”

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6. Wet Leg – “Chaise Longue”

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5. Mette – “Petrified”

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4. Erika de Casier – “Polite”

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3. Cassandra Jenkins – “Hard Drive”

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2. Magdalena Bay – “Secrets (Your Fire)”

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1. Japanese Breakfast – “Be Sweet”

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that even a 15-year age difference will result—especially in these modern times—in a completely different upbringing between generations. Case in point: this writer didn’t have regular or reasonable access to the Internet and its infinite World Wide Web until college, whereas the kids who are now in their mid-twenties never really knew a world without it. That has to have an effect on you—from its influence on the development of one’s aesthetic affinities to the evolution of how media is consumed, and beyond. And if there was ever a musical group that the existence of the Web was absolutely meant for, it’s the Los Angeles-based duo and HighClouds darlings, Magdalena Bay, who have wielded the Internet like a Roland Juno synth to reinvent the landscape of pop music.

Over the past few years, vocalist Mica Tenenbaum and producer Matthew Lewin have churned out jam after sticky sweet jam, often released as standalone singles while other times collected into EPs. Even these EPs range from something more or less resembling an album, as with last year’s A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling, to the spring cleaning of their two Mini Mix volumes of underdeveloped but no less awesome minute-and-a-half length songs. But for MagBay, the songs themselves are only part of the full experience; pop music is just as much about the overall image of the group, their public personas, the visuals used to enhance the music (and vice versa), and the marketing techniques used to attract and solidify a fanbase. Just google “Magdalena Bay” and, no matter what you click on, you’ll soon be transported to their eccentric brand of cyberspace—whether it’s one of their wacky trademark music videos, various communiques with the Twitch gaming community, a Y2K-obsessed and nearly cult-like website, or even Music Industry 101 tutorials via TikTok (check like this or this) that somehow strike an impressive balance between tongue-in-cheek and sincere.

Although Magdalena Bay has signed to Gorilla vs. Bear-affiliated label, the wonderful Luminelle Recordings, the duo remains firmly grounded in a DIY sensibility. Most of their music videos are self-directed and shot in their apartment against a green screen, allowing Tenenbaum and Lewin the ability to composite themselves into any background they desire—manufactured worlds crammed full of Word clip art, VHS camcorder footage, Windows 95 graphics, GIFs, memes, and obsolete Video Toaster editorial transitions. It’s all very low-budget and homemade, but rather than coming across as amateurish, the visuals instead create a kind of self-aware, droll-but-dystopian anxiety over just how much technology (or more specifically, the Internet) has affected and infected our everyday lives. And if none of this sounds conceptually mainstream enough for a successful pop act, just revel in the endless synth hooks, ear-candy production techniques, and irresistable vocal melodies that imbue their tracks with a euphoria typically reserved for names like Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX, and Robyn. Bump a bass-heavy Magdalena Bay tune next time you’re out driving, and the fact that they’re not playing to gigantic crowds in huge venues will seem criminal.

This is especially evident on their newly released and truly superb debut album, Mercurial World. Having honed their songwriting chops, production know-how, and visual aesthetic on early singles and EPs, Magdalena Bay‘s sound has now evolved into something uniquely their own, proving that they continue to get better with age. Everything we’ve loved about the group and their music is still intact, but on Mercurial World, it all feels more focused and cohesive, even as they branch out to experiment with instrumentation, arrangements, and styles that stray from their earlier templates.

Now that the album has been out for a couple weeks and we’ve had the chance to digest it, we here at HighClouds wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate Tenenbaum, Lewin, and their MagBay project by publishing our list of the Top 10 Best Magdalena Bay songs thus far. Many other iterations of this list could have won out, but that’s part of what makes their catalogue so special—not only are there tracks missing here that surely deserve to be included (justice for “Neon,” “Money Lover” and “You Lose!”), but their consistently prolific and solid output showcases the broad stylistic range they successfully traverse without ever losing a handle on the core elements that make Magdalena Bay… Magdalena Bay. And considering that fully half of the list consists of tracks from Mercurial World alone, it’s safe to assume that we kinda like it. Or to put it another way: it slaps. So join us for a jaunt through the MagBay cyberverse and share your own top 10 with us. Jeremy

10 – “Good Intentions” (from A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling)

I used to kick ass at Dance Dance Revolution – “Whip It,” “Where’s Your Head At,” “Butterfly,” they were my jams. I bring this up because “Good Intentions” brought me back to 2005 in my living room, jumping up and down on a styrofoam pad. There’s something about the crystalline production, the infectious chorus, the saccharine instrumental, that innovates as a modern marvel while bringing me back to an era I miss, when your body was free of worry, thriving on serotonin from movement to the music. Zach

9 – “Live 4ever” (from Mini Mix, Vol. 2)

Even for a band as self-aware and meticulous with their aesthetic as MagBay, “Live 4ever” feels particularly like a checkmate. Enthralling with its nonstop pulse and mood shifts – from emo-tinged R&B guitars adorning the background to rattling the room with that brittle hyperpop echo – you want the song to live forever, twisting and turning while you’re carried away by the enchanting melody. But alas, “Live 4ever” comes in at a whopping 2:33 – perhaps a bit cheeky, but certainly delivered with a wink. Zach

8 – “Only If You Want It” (stand-alone single)

A one-off single from a very different, pre-pandemic 2019, “Only If You Want It” could be easily and rationally misidentified as a new, shimmering Carly Rae Jepsen bop. Following a few initial bars of dark synth pads, Tenenbaum interrupts with a reverb-drenched “Aww hey!” before shifting direction and leaning into major chords, electronic handclaps, and bleeps and bloops. Vocally, she smartly opens with the insanely catchy chorus—you’re hooked before the song’s barely begun! It’s perfect pop, nonstop fun, and how this release didn’t turn MagBay into instant megastars still boggles the mind. Well, lyrically it’s about sexual cannibalism, so maybe that’s it? Jeremy

7 – “The Beginning” (from Mercurial World)

If the listener had any doubts by the last cut off of Mercurial World, The Beginning makes the album’s escapist intentions clear all while squeezing in one last synthpop banger. As a standalone song it boasts groovy keys, bass & pristine, layered production much like the rest of the record’s offerings, but its uplifting lyrics and enticing transition into “The End” have certainly convinced me on more than one occasion to give the whole thing another spin. Jeremy

6 – “Venice” (from A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling)

Arguably their most underrated single, “Venice” came out in August 2019 to make our summers brighter, shinier, and better. There is a tropical, beachy side to this song about the climate emergency that we wouldn’t mind Magdalena Bay revisiting at all. Alberto

5 – “Dreamcatching” (from Mercurial World)

The fact that this wasn’t the album’s lead single (or a single at all!) says it all about Magdalena Bay‘s ridiculously strong output throughout their “short life” as a band. It’s playful, it’s bouncy, and it’s got an edge to it. There’s a reason why Magdalena Bay drew SOPHIE comparisons at one point. Alberto

4 – “Hysterical Us” (from Mercurial World)

“Hysterical Us”‘s disco foundation and keys that propel you to the dance floor lend themselves excellently to Magdalena Bay‘s lyrical and production choices on Mercurial World. The hook is so upbeat and groovy that you forget that our protagonist is confessing her involvement in a relationship so problematic she’s “checking the locks again.” Oh well, I’m too busy dancing. Hopefully it turns out OK. Jimmy

3 – “Killshot” (from A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling)

“Killshot”, Mag Bay‘s biggest hit so far, speaks very much for itself. A serious step up from their past releases, the smooth and layered production is very much an indicator of what would be to come on their debut record. Not to be outdone by producer Matt Lewin, vocalist Mica Tenenbaum riffs on the harmfully-obsessive-love trope quite well, weaving in consistently delectable wordplay so seductive it may spur your own ill-conceived romantic fling. Jimmy

2 – “Chaeri” (from Mercurial World)

The announcement of Mercurial World was accompanied by the release of one of their best – and darkest – singles. Did you ever wonder what would have happened had Chromatics been fronted by Grimes? Well, Magdalena Bay did, and they took that scenario all the way to the dancefloor. Alberto

1 – “Secrets (Your Fire)” (from Mercurial World)

The only track to receive perfect 10s from all the HighClouds panelists, “Secrets (Your Fire)” is basically the Nadia Comaneci of pop music, as well as a 4-minute masterclass in everything a great pop track can do. The songwriting is unexpected yet familiar, the arrangement dense yet intentional. And production-wise, it’s a revelation. There are so many instruments and effects, so many disparate sounds fighting for their own space and attention, on paper it should sound a mess. And yet everything is so meticulously placed, timed, and mixed that the end result couldn’t work more perfectly—from the funk bass to the dynamic string tremeloes, from the saxophone solo to the orchestra hits to the dial-up modem squelches, there’s a place for everything and everything is in its place. Equally impressive is the stylistic amalgam created here, taking as much inspiration from 80s synth-pop and 90s techno as it does from 00s r&b and even g-funk rap. It’s all over the place in the best way, the sonic equivalent of throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and realizing that what’s left sticking there just happens to be a pop masterpiece. Jeremy

Like every June, our team hold a very serious – not so serious – committee meeting and pick their favourite tracks of the first semester. That way, you can go on holidays with a cool soundtrack. No need to thank us. You can find these 20 entries in alphabetical order below as well as in our Spotify and Apple Music playlists, which also contain some other great contenders that were released over the last six months.

Anika – “Change”
Bobbie Lovesong – “Organic Orange”
Burial – “Space Cadet”
Cabiria – “Abrigo de Sol”
Cassandra Jenkins – “Hard Drive”
Dawn Richard – “Boomerang”
Erika de Casier – “Polite”
Japanese Breakfast – “Be Sweet”
Jordana + Magdalena Bay – “Push Me Away”
Katy Kirby – “Portals”
Kero Kero Bonito – “Well Rested”
L’Rain – “Two Face”
Mette – “Petrified”
Mia Porter – “Pivot”
Mr Twin Sister – “Expressions”
Nana Yamato – “Do You Wanna”
Rachika Nayar – “The Trembling of Glass”
Slayyyter – “Clouds”
Theodora – “For One Heart”
Tirzah – “Tectonic”

Since Oh No (2016), her fiercest statement, the last couple of years have unfolded strangely for Jessy Lanza. A move from her Canadian home of Hamilton to New York where, she was, as admitted candidly, “emotionally up and down and felt very isolated and disconnected from everything and everyone around me.” She prods on the album’s spacious opener: “Anyone around? Anyone…?”. Sparse, elegantly deconstructed rapid-fire beats and subterranean bass pumps slack, punctuated with curious synth strokes unrolling without an answer as futile question marks.

It wasn’t apparent another album with her creative partner in crime Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys would even happen, but as the triumphantly melancholic titular track “All The Time” effortlessly took shape to their satisfaction, the new album was soon in the making. It fast became a constructive anchor for Lanza. “I felt very depressed, so experimenting with my instruments and spending time in my studio and working on ‘All the Time’ was something positive to focus on.” The duo, working long-distance, perfecting ideas back and forth, gave the record a feeling of highly accomplished sonic craft and emotional finesse without feeling overworked. In an unstable world, Lanza found a safe space and comfort in the form of her transient habitat, her beloved van which is featured on the cover.

Jessy Lanza by Milos Jacimovic

Unfortunate circumstances continued, further spreading globally, with the pandemic dismantling her early European tour and forcing another move to San Francisco. New home base, shared with her videographer partner Winston Case and family, proved fertile ground. A poignant visual identity resulted, capturing the lockdown moment in a series of videos and home Dj sessions, exemplary of a new global DIY aesthetic, running everything through the everyday filter. “I think there has been a burst of creativity for us despite the limitations. Maybe even because of the limitations,” she affirms. “I’ve been working on remixes and lots of new material too since I’ve been at home so hopefully I can share something soon.”

Lanza’s scholarly ear is as ever hooked on immaculate pop melodies and finding that holy grail of the perfect R&B song. Her sonic principles still draw heavily from 90s sophisticated bangers: divine vocals and ungodly beats as immortalized in Aaliyah/Timbaland era. But lately, her inspiration seems to be moving back a decade and further, towards softer soulful hues and slow burners. New sound is influenced by her more often excursions into DJ territory, where mixing mindset altered the structure of the new tracks to appear more fluid and changeable.

Still, prominent Lanza signature, crisp tones, playfully luminescent Asian-tinged melodies betray longstanding influences like Haruomi Hosono, and some less obvious informing the record’s carefully crafted sonic aesthetics. Of contemporaries, she was drawing on producers like “Chasethemoney, Pi’erre Bourne, Kara-Lis Coverdale” and trying to figure out what they were doing to get the tones and sounds on their records. “I listened to Grafts by Kara-Lis all the time,” Jessy is revealing. “The way she uses samples and frequencies to compose was a huge inspiration for me on All the Time. In a similar way, I was obsessed with the Playboi Carti song ‘Lean 4 real’ (produced by Bourne).” Labelmates like Inga Copeland and Dean Blunt still share much with her sonic DNA. While subtly emulating the atmosphere and aesthetic principles, you’d never guess any direct links with said artists in Lanza‘s finely crafted unique pop jewels.

“I made myself quite vulnerable on this album – the liner notes include the lyrics which is something I never would have done on previous records,” Jessy shares. Her most sincere statement to date, “All the Time” is easy to connect to, feeling like a certain coming out as a human being, isolated and vulnerable, dropping the shame, making it feel liberating and gleefully normalized. She uncovers the secret behind the greater self-acceptance: “I started doing psychoanalysis which really helped me to identify the source of a lot of sadness and anger in my life. I felt like I got to know myself a lot better and it became easier to articulate what I felt in my writing whereas before trying to understand myself was like looking at a big abstract blob.” Bewildered, she sings: “And it’s hard to believe I don’t know myself”, her voice fading in higher registers on the bonafide banger of the album, “Over and Over“, most rightful sonic heir to “Oh No”. Evidently, we can take ourselves for granted, sometimes straying so far, when we finally meet ourselves inside, it feels like a strangely familiar alien encounter.

The atmosphere of alien intimacy haunts the record deeply, in eerily retro synth work and vocal effects, oftentimes playfully overpitched. Despite toned down footwork and signature beat sorcery, subtle experimentation emerges throughout, rewarding careful listening. Lanza uncovers a conscious effort to leave mistakes, “whether it was weird sounds in the drums or a vocal take that may not have been perfect in pitch but captured a unique quality that I wouldn’t be able to replicate.”

Realizing a certain kind of discordant feeling is necessary to set the creativity off but still a formally pure artist, Lanza does not let it spill over too much into the body of the song, except in decidedly overworked glitch thrill “Face“.

Jessy Lanza by Jenia Filatova

Angry at its core, but sublimated, deceptively saccharine fun-spinning “Lick in Heaven“, shows up as zoned out 4×4 pop euphoria. Accompanying video made by Case is set on a morning TW show, all fuchsia power suits and fake excess smiles, with Lanza at the decks, studio turning into Ellen-inspired dancing spinning frenzy. What makes Lanza “go spinning” in anger are often ways things are marketed to women, the media and those morning TV shows exemplary in selling the one-dimensional images. She explains the frustration: “It seems to be challenging for people to accept that someone can be many things at once. It’s possible to be soft and assertive or submissive and domineering at the same time. A big problem with representation for women is that it can be very one dimensional and very boring. This drives me a bit crazy but I think that’s why it’s fun for me to play around with the tropes in the music so that I can steer the narrative in my own direction.”

There is the wizard of Oz kind of vibe, where she subtly draws the curtain to let you peek in, revealing clichés of the dream selling pop industry, without disrupting the structure at the same time wholeheartedly adopting the same “naive” pop song tropes. In her musical language, pop tropes are a kind of “small talk”, deceptively easy-going ice breakers that make way for dealing with the inner complexities and the lows comfortably camouflaged. Despite much of the album’s themes charged with romantic and erotic revelations, directed at a significant other, oftentimes frustratingly, equally lovingly, all that subtly conflicted ideal vs real romantic material is adopted for wider subversive play. “I think I use ‘romance’ as a way to talk about my own longing to be understood,” she finally concludes. As much as the album is a reflection on relationships, it stands as a radical statement of self-intimacy, its maturity found in self-acceptance, flaws and all. Without being self-helpy, it’s a fine document of personal knowledge and growth.

Asked about the near future of romance, Lanza shrugs off the fears post-pandemic blues might alienate us all further. “It’s human nature to seek out connection (romantic or otherwise) and despite the need to be distant the desire to be close is so powerful.” This uncanny timely collection of purest pop songs for the distanced, yet reaching out in longing, stands as her strongest argument, to be played over and over to the banishment of isolation.

Text by Danijela Bočev

We’re only 6 months into 2020 and it actually feels that the world as we know it is about to collapse. Who knows what’s coming next? For better or worse, a lot of things are simultaneously happening around us and music has been an essential way to find hope and kill time. In 2020, artists need us more than ever and, in case you did not figure it out while being stuck at home, we also need them. Can you really imagine a lockdown without music? We can’t. As we’re now at the mid-way point of this exceptionally horrible year, it’s time to share with you, like every year, the 30 tracks that have helped us to hold on so far. If you need more to cheer you up, you can also explore our other favourite tracks of 2020 via our Spotify and Apple Music playlists below.

070 Shake – “Guilty Conscience”
Agar Agar – “Nap”
Annie – “American Cars”
Boyish – “AnDroGay”
Caribou – “Never Come Back”
Charli XCX – “forever”
Christine and the Queens – “People, I’ve been sad”
Cindy – “Never Let Me Go”
Cindy Lee – “I Want You To Suffer”
Couch Prints – “Of Drawing”
Discovery Zone – “Blissful Morning Dream Interpretation Melody”
Dua Lipa – “Physical”
Fiona Apple – “Shameika”
Geranium – “Separate Life”
Kate NV – “Sayonara”
Magdalena Bay – “Airplane”
Moses Sumney – “Virile”
MOTHERMARY – “Catch Fire”
Perfume Genius – “On The Floor”
Phoebe Bridgers – “Garden Song”
Planet 1999 – “Party”
SAULT – “Wildfires”
Soccer Mommy – “circle the drain”
TOPS – “Direct Sunlight”
Waxahatchee – “Can’t Do Much”
Yaeji – “When I Grow Up”
Young Ejecta – “Crayon Cactus”
Yves Tumor – “Gospel For A New Century”
Zelma Stone – “Dreamland”
Zoee – “Rio’s”

Last month we hosted our Online Antivirus Party and were absolutely overwhelmed by how many of you attended. Thank you so much.

Many of you asked us to organize a follow-up and guess what… we’re back with another festival of music and performances. On May 16, download ZOOM for free, dress up and join the fun from 8PM (Brussels time) via the link we will share in this event and on our socials. The more the merrier, so don’t hesitate to spread the news and invite your friends!

The party is totally free but you can support the performers with our fundraiser or directly tip them via PayPal during the show. Artists need you more than ever in these corona times. Any donation is welcome.

DJ SETS

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Jackie Mendoza (Luminelle Recordings)

MOTHERMARY (ITALIANS DO IT BETTER)

ketia (kit ket)

Cralias

HighClouds

DJ SHADE (Kingdom of Absurd)

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES

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Lizette Lizette

Psychic Twin

Promis3

GIMI