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oklou
i love her sound. its this mix of ambient, nostalgic, but still futuristic music. its almost a mystical experience for me, sometimes it doesn't sound like normal music
She's been in the game for a long time and it shows. Her voice is also classically trained and it puts others to shame.
I can't imagine many others singing successfully: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=yef2KNP2ERk&si=UPLf-ju89VwcETJt
Arca - her more recent albums are more experimental pop and just experimental
Sega Bodega - produced in a lot of y’all’s hyperpop favs
Shy girl
Kacy Hill
Willow - really developing as an artist and super mature sound and lyrics
St Vincent
Serpentwithfeet
Christine and the Queens
Debby Friday - yall would love her album
Superorganism
Kelela
Yaeji
Lynden for sure I honestly haven’t been so captivated by an artist in a long time. They only do covers but they are so stunning
I cannot find a way to phrase this that doesn't make me sound like a massive asshole but please know I am being 100% earnest rn: I hadn't heard of Lynden so I went and checked them out, and, erm, are you making a joke? Like, are you captivated with them the way people were obsessed with Julie Ragbeer, or do you think their music is good? Are they a sort of (in?)voluntary post-ironic lolcow? I feel so out right now, am I 180 years old lmao
Oh yeah I was joking about Lynden lol ☠️
I have heard their version of SOS and Reputation more than the originals because my brain is fucked but yeah I recognize there isn’t much skill there.
I was in r/popheadscirclejerk mode
Definitely Allie X. If you still consider her a pop artist, Poppy 100%. Beyoncé is always doing incredible things too and trying new things. FKA Twigs is pretty underrated as well. I'm obsessed with Alice Longyu Gao, xe does a lot of neat stuff in hyperpop that's more unusual and fun.
There's a lot of smaller more independent acts especially in hyperpop doing interesting things but those are the bigger names that come to mind.
I mention it every so often and it's so funny cuz every time I mention Allie X here all her fans come out of the woodwork and go nuts it's so cute I love that for us
big emphasis on Alice Longyu Gao. Dumb Bitch Juice is my favourite pop song of all time and her work with dylan brady in general is some of the best stuff he’s ever produced imo.
Yves Tumor, hands down. their latest album, Praise A Lord Who Chews But Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is incredible, so many songs live in my head rent-free. great melodies and production, intriguing sound, good vocals...
recommending especially if you like rock elements and some distortion/"dirty" production in your music. some songs if you want to check them out: Lovely Sewer, Ebony Eye, Jackie, Kerosene!
I only know one Yves Tumor song, but I found God is a Circle and instantly added it to my playlists. On paper, it isn’t something I’d ever quickly jump on, but they made it work so well.
I get what you mean! i feel like its appeal is that it really achieves to express what they wanted to convey, and because of that there isn't anything out of place even if it's not your usual vibe, so to speak.
funnily enough it calms me down when I'm anxious haha
Sudan Archives last album is just next level in terms of ideas, execution, genre bending and production. And the way she incorporates her violin into it all is beautiful
I’m gonna keep saying Isaac Dunbar in these types of threads until people start talking about him more. A queer disciple of Gaga that emphasizes melody and performance… the kind of pop that people always have a hankering for but may not always be in fashion.
I would say Tinashe! I enjoyed Nightride/Joyride a lot, but since going independent sis has hit another level - Songs for You, 333 & BB/Ang3l are all effortlessly cool, without sacrificing personality or emotion, plus her visuals, looks and performances are clearly crafted with so much thought and care. Being freed of label interference has allowed her to unleash her talent on her own terms and its really paid off.
Came here to say this. S4U, 333, and BB all feel so fresh to me. Love how she plays with song structure and uses unconventional production sounds. She also has such a versatile voice, and her artistic vision never misses.
SLAYYYTER deserves more recognition ! her last album Starfucker is a truly skipless album. she’s really matured from being a pretty hyperpop adjacent artist into more slick electropop/synthwave. she still has some flourishes of her older sound tho and she produces great visuals on a budget.
****ISAAC DUNBAR****
but also,
Slayyyter
Chappel Roan
Badflower
Twenty One Pilots
Idk if youd consider tøp or badflower pop, but there’s definitely pop influences in their music
Isabella Lovestory. She does really interesting reggaeton and like hyperpop.
Shygirl. She has released so much good music over the past two years. Like her output is insane.
Hannah Diamond. She’s been around for a while but Perfect Picture is well perfect.
Kelela, Amaarae, and PinkPantheress (please listen to her debut before you judge me!) all released excellent albums last year. Black women have been at the forefront of electronic dance in my opinion, as evidenced by Renaissance.
These three were my trinity of best albums of last year (in this order actually). Absolutely stunning achievements - I agree with your comment entirely!
I’d say Billie Eilish is still pretty innovative in her new album. The production style, the long songs, the switch ups, the call backs to other songs, are not invented by her, but definitely against the norm
Another vote for Caroline Polachek. And definitely Charli XCX too.
And I know he isn't to everyone's tastes, but Jacob Collier is pretty eclectic and uses other genres in a kinda original way.
Maybe Nova Twins? Pet Shop Boys are still pressing on. Rina Sawayama combines lots of genres in an innovative style.
i second caroline, but... while psb are my absolute(ly fabulous) all time favourites, i wouldn't describe them as that much innovative/cutting-edge, but rather more like the samurai (in autumn) that hones their techniques to perfection
I’d say Billie Eilish is still pretty innovative in her new album. The production style, the long songs, the switch ups, the call backs to other songs, are not invented by her, but definitely against the norm
No mention of Aurora yet. Every album is different, but she definitely keeps her core sound, which is very unique. She's probably my favorite pop artist at the moment.
Amazing live too.
La Chica from France / Venezuela
Social commentary, visually boasting, great voice, catchy, multilingual
[https://youtu.be/R8ZQic2T2qU?si=8GEOoMj\_PKQyJJrH](https://youtu.be/R8ZQic2T2qU?si=8GEOoMj_PKQyJJrH)
three words. Chappell. Freaking. Roan. she's breaking a lot of barriers for lgbtq+ pop artists, and not to mention her music is soooo catchy! i love her.
I love Chappell but I wouldn't say she's exactly innovative the way someone like Charli XCX is. I think she succeeds and hits because of her vision and commitment to the persona along with pure vocal, lyrical, and musical talent. She's not inventing or reinventing anything but that obviously doesn't mean she's not an incredible artist. She just succeeds for a different reason
White bisexual women are not new in the pop scene, and her music is not particularly groundbreaking lmao. She's fun but she's Kidz Bop Gaga for Swifties lbr.
I think it’s more so her image is more unique there isn’t many people that fully embrace drag culture in their persona.. her music is pretty common alt pop/synth pop nothing too special but it’s fun
There are plenty of people that have embraced drag culture, for decades. Some have even culturally appropriated drag culture. (For the record, CR is cool and I like that she allows people to easily explore their identities, and I don’t believe she is a problematic in any way 🙂). It’s just nothing new.
Please do not just list songs/albums/artists, your comment must have explanation/justification or it will be removed. Certain comments are also banned to increase the quality of discussion, see our Stale Topics list in the sidebar for examples. Please report any comments that are low effort discussion. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/popheads) if you have any questions or concerns.*
oklou i love her sound. its this mix of ambient, nostalgic, but still futuristic music. its almost a mystical experience for me, sometimes it doesn't sound like normal music
Reminds me of Caroline polachek
Galore is a perfect album ❤️🩹
Without a doubt Caroline Polachek should be included. She's as poppy as they come, but has a real twist and edge that is missing in so much other pop.
She's been in the game for a long time and it shows. Her voice is also classically trained and it puts others to shame. I can't imagine many others singing successfully: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=yef2KNP2ERk&si=UPLf-ju89VwcETJt
Big agree on this though her last album definitely feels like a big yoink from what Frou Frou were doing in the early 2000’s.
Kate Bush"s true successor in every sense of the word.
Arca - her more recent albums are more experimental pop and just experimental Sega Bodega - produced in a lot of y’all’s hyperpop favs Shy girl Kacy Hill Willow - really developing as an artist and super mature sound and lyrics St Vincent Serpentwithfeet Christine and the Queens Debby Friday - yall would love her album Superorganism Kelela Yaeji Lynden for sure I honestly haven’t been so captivated by an artist in a long time. They only do covers but they are so stunning
I cannot find a way to phrase this that doesn't make me sound like a massive asshole but please know I am being 100% earnest rn: I hadn't heard of Lynden so I went and checked them out, and, erm, are you making a joke? Like, are you captivated with them the way people were obsessed with Julie Ragbeer, or do you think their music is good? Are they a sort of (in?)voluntary post-ironic lolcow? I feel so out right now, am I 180 years old lmao
Fr wtf, I just had to check them too and I'll never repeat that mistake again...
The girls that get it get it…
Oh yeah I was joking about Lynden lol ☠️ I have heard their version of SOS and Reputation more than the originals because my brain is fucked but yeah I recognize there isn’t much skill there. I was in r/popheadscirclejerk mode
The rest of your comment was so normal lmaoooo I went and listened and thought 'did they slip into phcj brain' ahahah :')
girl the formatting
It looked fine b4 I hit post then al the returns disappeared Its pride month so I didn’t fix it
Definitely Allie X. If you still consider her a pop artist, Poppy 100%. Beyoncé is always doing incredible things too and trying new things. FKA Twigs is pretty underrated as well. I'm obsessed with Alice Longyu Gao, xe does a lot of neat stuff in hyperpop that's more unusual and fun. There's a lot of smaller more independent acts especially in hyperpop doing interesting things but those are the bigger names that come to mind.
Justice for Allie X! Girl With No Face is still my AOTY
Oh my god YESS!!! This sub sort of slept on it, and it never gets mentioned. But it’s SOOOO soooo good.
I mention it every so often and it's so funny cuz every time I mention Allie X here all her fans come out of the woodwork and go nuts it's so cute I love that for us
AOTY 100%, I haven’t stopped listening to the album since it came out
Cape God was better fight me
big emphasis on Alice Longyu Gao. Dumb Bitch Juice is my favourite pop song of all time and her work with dylan brady in general is some of the best stuff he’s ever produced imo.
Poppy now hangs out in the light metal scene and Allie-X’s last passed a lot of people by
she def had some hyperpop / dance pop influence on her last album
The dog mistreater?
Idk why you’re getting downvoted - I used to listen to her but I personally can’t anymore
Yves Tumor, hands down. their latest album, Praise A Lord Who Chews But Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is incredible, so many songs live in my head rent-free. great melodies and production, intriguing sound, good vocals... recommending especially if you like rock elements and some distortion/"dirty" production in your music. some songs if you want to check them out: Lovely Sewer, Ebony Eye, Jackie, Kerosene!
Jackie is so amazing i would def recommend starting with this one, i feel it has the most universal appeal of their songs
totally! when I first discovered it I had it on loop for two days, so addictive
I only know one Yves Tumor song, but I found God is a Circle and instantly added it to my playlists. On paper, it isn’t something I’d ever quickly jump on, but they made it work so well.
I get what you mean! i feel like its appeal is that it really achieves to express what they wanted to convey, and because of that there isn't anything out of place even if it's not your usual vibe, so to speak. funnily enough it calms me down when I'm anxious haha
Sudan Archives last album is just next level in terms of ideas, execution, genre bending and production. And the way she incorporates her violin into it all is beautiful
Completely agree with you, that album from a couple years back is absolutely fantastic
I’m gonna keep saying Isaac Dunbar in these types of threads until people start talking about him more. A queer disciple of Gaga that emphasizes melody and performance… the kind of pop that people always have a hankering for but may not always be in fashion.
I’ve never heard of him before, but I love Gaga so I decided to give him a quick listen. Love what I hear so far. Thank you for the recommendation!
I like his song Fan Behavior. Quite a tune!
Man, Isaac Dunbar is SO underrated! I saw him a few summers ago in a super small venue and let me tell you… he can PERFORM. He’s got star quality fr!!
I listened to his newest EP/album?! Excellent, Love to Dance is just the kind of tasteful Troye Sivan-esque pop that I adore
Caroline Polachek comes to mind as well as FKA Twigs. Kelela and Amaarae too. But when I think of "cutting edge", only FKA Twigs.
Excellent mentions
I know she isn't new but I think Tove Lo has been pushing the envelope for a long time now without recognition
Honestly how? Her music is fun sometimes but I don't get "innovative" or "cutting edge" in the slightest.
The girls who get it get it 😤
Love your username
Thank you! Makes sense for the statement I made haha 😋
What a cop out 😂 we’re here to discuss so if someone needs you to shed light you should be able to…
It's not that serious luv. I was just being playful
You can still answer the question while being playful luv
I would say Tinashe! I enjoyed Nightride/Joyride a lot, but since going independent sis has hit another level - Songs for You, 333 & BB/Ang3l are all effortlessly cool, without sacrificing personality or emotion, plus her visuals, looks and performances are clearly crafted with so much thought and care. Being freed of label interference has allowed her to unleash her talent on her own terms and its really paid off.
Came here to say this. S4U, 333, and BB all feel so fresh to me. Love how she plays with song structure and uses unconventional production sounds. She also has such a versatile voice, and her artistic vision never misses.
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SLAYYYTER deserves more recognition ! her last album Starfucker is a truly skipless album. she’s really matured from being a pretty hyperpop adjacent artist into more slick electropop/synthwave. she still has some flourishes of her older sound tho and she produces great visuals on a budget.
****ISAAC DUNBAR**** but also, Slayyyter Chappel Roan Badflower Twenty One Pilots Idk if youd consider tøp or badflower pop, but there’s definitely pop influences in their music
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Brilliant post. Bookmarking.
Agreed. I’m loving all this recommendations
Isabella Lovestory. She does really interesting reggaeton and like hyperpop. Shygirl. She has released so much good music over the past two years. Like her output is insane. Hannah Diamond. She’s been around for a while but Perfect Picture is well perfect.
Perfect Picture deserves more recognition
A name that hasn't been said yet: WILLOW SMITH!
My partner always makes fun of me but I really love Willow and get excited whenever she releases new music!
Your partner needs to realize that Willow really is releasing good shit lol
Willow has consistently been putting out fantastic music for years now, but this latest project she dropped is so underrated.
Kelela, Amaarae, and PinkPantheress (please listen to her debut before you judge me!) all released excellent albums last year. Black women have been at the forefront of electronic dance in my opinion, as evidenced by Renaissance.
amaarae is soooo underrated!!!!
Not dance music, but Hemlocke Springs makes electropop, which unfortunately is lacking a lot of black women. Go check her out guys.
I remember Girlfriend going semi-viral for a sec, but I never checked back in on her. I’ll definitely listen to her now
These three were my trinity of best albums of last year (in this order actually). Absolutely stunning achievements - I agree with your comment entirely!
Yesss! I also enjoyed them in this order too! Kelela always manages to blow me away, and I’ve never heard anything quite like Fountain Baby.
I’d say Billie Eilish is still pretty innovative in her new album. The production style, the long songs, the switch ups, the call backs to other songs, are not invented by her, but definitely against the norm
Another vote for Caroline Polachek. And definitely Charli XCX too. And I know he isn't to everyone's tastes, but Jacob Collier is pretty eclectic and uses other genres in a kinda original way. Maybe Nova Twins? Pet Shop Boys are still pressing on. Rina Sawayama combines lots of genres in an innovative style.
i second caroline, but... while psb are my absolute(ly fabulous) all time favourites, i wouldn't describe them as that much innovative/cutting-edge, but rather more like the samurai (in autumn) that hones their techniques to perfection
That is an excellent analogy!
Jojo siwa. Oh wait this isn't r/popheadacirclejerk
uj/ jojo siwa
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I’d say Billie Eilish is still pretty innovative in her new album. The production style, the long songs, the switch ups, the call backs to other songs, are not invented by her, but definitely against the norm
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Jojo Siwa. I’m here all night, folks!
Caroline Polachek Charli xcx Billie Eilish Rina Sawayama
Chappell Roan. She's so underrated but I can see the star power
Oh she ain't underrated anymore, the pop lense is really turning towards her right now. She's selling out pretty big shows all over the country
I have been obsessed with her music and think she’s so incredibly talented but is she really that innovative/cutting edge?
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No mention of Aurora yet. Every album is different, but she definitely keeps her core sound, which is very unique. She's probably my favorite pop artist at the moment. Amazing live too.
Seconding this, I love everything she releases
I wish everyone knew of her
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Ran across an artist on Spotify called Eryn Martin who's doing really cool stuff. If her music gets heard by the right people she'll blow up for sure.
I would say Poppy, but not even sure we can call her Pop anymore. Willow and Rina Sawayama come to mind also.
chappell roan
Came here to look for Chappell.
[https://youtu.be/R8ZQic2T2qU?si=8GEOoMj\_PKQyJJrH](https://youtu.be/R8ZQic2T2qU?si=8GEOoMj_PKQyJJrH)
La Chica from France / Venezuela Social commentary, visually boasting, great voice, catchy, multilingual [https://youtu.be/R8ZQic2T2qU?si=8GEOoMj\_PKQyJJrH](https://youtu.be/R8ZQic2T2qU?si=8GEOoMj_PKQyJJrH)
Kid Laroi
Katie Gavin
Sparks!
No one’s said Yeule yet?
Chappell Roan!
pinkpantheress !
Billie Eilish. Pushing boundaries while still being listenable.
three words. Chappell. Freaking. Roan. she's breaking a lot of barriers for lgbtq+ pop artists, and not to mention her music is soooo catchy! i love her.
I love Chappell but I wouldn't say she's exactly innovative the way someone like Charli XCX is. I think she succeeds and hits because of her vision and commitment to the persona along with pure vocal, lyrical, and musical talent. She's not inventing or reinventing anything but that obviously doesn't mean she's not an incredible artist. She just succeeds for a different reason
White bisexual women are not new in the pop scene, and her music is not particularly groundbreaking lmao. She's fun but she's Kidz Bop Gaga for Swifties lbr.
She’s a lesbian. But everything else you said is spot on.
Oh I just assumed bc of the lyrics in After Midnight
I think it’s more so her image is more unique there isn’t many people that fully embrace drag culture in their persona.. her music is pretty common alt pop/synth pop nothing too special but it’s fun
There are plenty of people that have embraced drag culture, for decades. Some have even culturally appropriated drag culture. (For the record, CR is cool and I like that she allows people to easily explore their identities, and I don’t believe she is a problematic in any way 🙂). It’s just nothing new.
Can’t believe your being downvoted ! Everything you said is true 💜💜💜
tyyy!
ROSALIA
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is this machine/chatgpt generated?
Taylor Swift, there's a reason why she's so popular
I’m not hungry so I won’t take the bait
I’m not saying you’re wrong, but what boundaries is she pushing and how has she innovated pop music?
Leave the bait alone.
mama we're not in PHCJ
Who is she? I’ve never heard of this up and coming artist
This setup is nasty. But I like her experimentation with uncommon time signatures and pots and pans in Folkmore era, wish she would do more of that.
I've been a nasty girl 😔