Happy New Year!
Am I still allowed to say that, or is it too late? I fear it might be…
Anyhow, I hope that your 2026 so far is going well, despite this awful grey and rainy weather in the UK.
Here’s what I’ve been enjoying in January. It’s a weird mix, to be honest, but we’ll roll with it.
I appreciate every visit and read.
Hope you find something you love!
Marc
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The Essential 5
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo – For Good
A breathtakingly beautiful song with sincere lyrics, gentle melodies and stunning harmonies that perfectly showcase how beautifully their voices complement each other.
Robbie Williams – Morrissey
A tongue-in-cheek electropop gem hidden within Britpop, packed with thumping beats, stabbing synths and an infectious hook that recalls Robbie at his pop best.
Charlie Puth – Beat Yourself Up
An exuberant, 80s-tinged synthpop banger bursting with colour, tight percussion and big, karaoke-ready melodies.
Justin Bieber – Bad Honey
A groovy, funk-driven highlight from Swag II featuring punchy bass, rattling guitars, quirky production and an irresistibly catchy chorus.
Cat Burns – How To Be Human
An honest, 80s-inspired synthpop anthem with introspective lyrics that feels cinematic, relatable and perfectly suited to a coming-of-age movie ending.
The Long List
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo – For Good
I love Wicked, obviously, but had forgotten all about this song until seeing the film just before Christmas. I think this just might be one of the most beautiful songs ever. The melodies are gorgeous and sung gently by both women over subtle strings and lovely chords. The lyrics are sincere and earnest, and I adore their harmonies and the way their voices complement each other. A gorgeous song!
Filed Under: musical theatre, emotional vocals, stunning ballad
Robbie Williams – Morrissey
Robbie Williams is BACK and critics and fans alike are loving his latest album, Britpop – a throwback to the sound he adopted upon leaving Take That in the nineties. Whilst I agree it’s a cohesive and solid album, it’s not one of my favourite Robbie records. Despite this, there’s a solid pop gem – an anomaly hidden between guitar-heavy Britpop. ‘Morrissey’ is everything you’d expect lyrically: a tongue-in-cheek love letter to the singer, but Robbie throws back to the likes of 2005’s ‘Sin Sin Sin’, taking on an electropop sound. A co-write with fellow Take That member Gary Barlow, it’s absolute pop perfection, with thumping Robin-esque beats, stabbing synths and an infectious hook. Brilliant!
Filed Under: synthpop banger, Take That alumni, pop gem
Charlie Puth – Beat Yourself Up
Another excellent 80s-esque synthpop banger from the impeccably talented Charlie Puth. ‘Beat Yourself Up’ follows in a similar vein to ‘Changes’, feeling like an explosion of colour and pop – tight percussion, flourishes of brass and karaoke-ready melodies. A triumph!
Filed Under: 80’s Explosion, Peter Gabriel-inspired, euphoric pop
Justin Bieber – Bad Honey
I’m still loving Swag II and its moody, alternative R&B sound. This groovy, funk-driven number is track 10, complete with a punchy bassline, rattling guitars and weird production elements, plus an irresistible chorus in which Justin’s voice pleads ‘I want you to stay’, followed by a catchy guitar riff. Pop bliss!
Filed Under: funky R&B, alt R&B, infectious melodies
Cat Burns – How To Be Human
Quite a departure for Cat Burns. Swapping the indie-pop and acoustics, ‘How To Be Human’ is more of an 80s-inspired synthpop anthem, with introspective lyrics dealing predominantly with Cat’s neurodivergence, but bound to resonate with many who are trying to find their place in the world. It feels like it would make an excellent end-of-movie song during the credits, especially at the end of a John Hughes film. It’s honest and relatable but never dirge-y. A brilliant slice of pop!
FIled Under: coming of age Pop, synthpop, John Huges movie music
Wet Leg – pokemon
Whilst I consider Wet Leg to be an interesting band, their music hadn’t really been for me up until this point. ‘pokemon’ is more mellow than a lot of their other work but still wild and wonderful in the band’s usual way. I really love the chord progression here, the song’s carefree vibes and the melody of ‘You wanna go for a drive?’ in the chorus. Utterly compelling.
Filed Under: weird indie, mellow vibes, carefree indiepop
Kinnship – Lighting Aisle
I used to love Kinnship under his old name, Favela, and attended one of his gigs in a small church in London a few years ago. He makes dreamy electronic music with warm hues, mixed-down vocals and cinematic soundscapes. I somehow missed his 2022 album Intenserenity and hugely enjoyed it when I finally got round to checking it out a week or so ago. This song is my favourite on the album – a six-minute epic comprised of two parts: the first a quintessentially Kinnship glitchy, unsettled electronic bonanza before morphing into a soft-rock dream. It has lovely lyrics such as, ‘Do you hear what I mean when I tell you that I wanna be yours? When you call me in threes, but I’m tryin’ to count in fours’. Lovely.
Filed Under: cinematic pop, electronic indie, dreamy electronic
Blue – Neon Honey
I loved Blue back in the day. They’re still going and, whilst for me the magic of their first albums hasn’t quite been replicated in their recent work, the odd song is hitting it for me. This is the standout from their latest album, Reflections. Is this cheesy? ABSOLUTELY. But is it huge fun? YES. Borrowing a guitar riff not dissimilar to Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Albatross’, alongside formulaic yet funky disco-guitar lines and autotune-drenched vocals with bordering-on-cringe lyrics (‘You’re my comfort, you’re my rock, you’re bumper, top notch, you’re my wifey, acting more like a side piece’), what ‘Neon Honey’ lacks in credibility, it more than makes up for in fun.
Filed Under: pop nostalgia, British boybands, cheesy pop
Five – When I Remember When
This is pure boyband slush, but I am absolutely here for it! A song originally recorded as a B-side back in the late 90s and featuring only Ritchie and Scott’s vocals, it became a fan favourite and was consequently included on the band’s Greatest Hits album in 2001. ‘When I Remember When’ is a sloppy pop ballad with programmed beats, 90s keyboards and string pads. The ‘Yes life goes on, you carry on, you do, and it’s okay’ middle eight is a lovely moment, as are the bridges leading up to each chorus. A really lovely pop ballad.
Filed Under: pop nostalgia, boyband slush, nineties pop
Taylor Swift – Opalite
I wasn’t big on the new album, if I’m honest, but have found myself coming back to two tracks recently, ‘Opalite’ being one of them -largely due to its radio play. ‘Opalite’ is my ideal blend of synthpop and soft rock. It feels like a pop gem hidden in the wilderness. I like the moody, almost Fleetwood Mac-esque verses before its metamorphosis into a karaoke-friendly chorus.
Filed Under: pop princess, smooth synthpop, softrock pop
John Barrowman – What About Us
I don’t know why, but I had a huge urge to listen to this in January and then got stuck playing it a fair bit. Yes, we can scoff that it’s by John Barrowman and, whilst it feels VERY musical theatre in its delivery, he has a bloody good crack at it. Written by Gary Barlow and one of my favourite writers, Chris Braide, this is an excellent, if slightly formulaic, pop ballad, released back in 2009. I like the songwriting and the way the melody soars over the piano riffs in the chorus.
Filed Under: Barlow Ballads, musical theatre, piano pop
Chilly Gonzales – You Can Dance
My boyfriend was asking if I knew a song by this name, which made me remember this absolute bop. Turns out we were thinking of different songs, but still, it led me back to rediscovering this INFECTIOUS disco-pop track by Canadian musician and producer Chilly Gonzales. Over fun, frolicking percussion, carefree piano riffs and soulful vocals are free to roam. It’s so brilliant, and I’m so glad I rediscovered it after forgetting its existence for possibly over a decade!
FIled Under: piano liberation, joyful pop, piano disco
Phil Collins – You’ll Be In My Heart
I’ve always loved Phil Collins’ music and ‘You’ll Be In My Heart’ has long been in my top five. I was drawn back to it after attending Young Voices – a huge singalong with thousands of children. Phil’s musical contribution to the Tarzan film has long been recognised and appreciated by critics and fans, but it’s evident in the music itself. The song’s transition between verse and chorus is powerful, the string section over the chorus is gorgeous, and the dramatic middle eight (‘Don’t listen to them, ’cos what do they know’) is excellent, before an absolutely necessary key change. My favourite bit (aside from that middle eight) is the song’s outro, where it’s left to breathe and Phil’s ‘Just look over your shoulder’ vocals feel like a warm hug. Beautiful.
Filed Under: poprock perfection, movie music, emotional balladry
Kanye West – Love Lockdown
Yes, Kanye is a divisive character, but here we discuss the music! 808s & Heartbreak, the album this is taken from, was brilliant – a huge move away from Kanye’s usual raps and instead leaning far more into pop. His reliance on autotune was heavily commented on at the time, yet looking back, it fits the tone of the dark, introspective album perfectly. This came on for the first time in years on my drive home a few weeks back and it hit the spot. Whilst repetitive, it’s infectious, with thunderous drums in the chorus, autotune-soaked vocals and sharp piano riffs.
FIled Under: moody electronic, 808s beats, autotune addiction
Ruel – Wild Guess
Spotify delivered this indie-pop anthem to me and I’m glad it did! I love everything about it, from the bridge chords to the song’s anthemic chorus. It has great energy and is hugely uplifting. Definitely a road-trip-in-summer song.
Filed Under: anthemic chorus, indie pop euphoria, uplifting indiepop
RIMENY – I can’t talk to my friends
I think Instagram might have got me into this one… it’s a little The 1975 in nature, with its poppy vibes, slinky and funky guitar riffs, effect-heavy vocals and meticulous production. A banger.
Filed Under: indiepop gem, The 1975-esque, funky guitar
Jade – Use Me
I LOVED Jade’s debut album, and the deluxe edition adds a few extra songs to the canon. ‘Use Me’ is my favourite of these – a thumping club anthem with sexual references and an undeniable nod to the dance-pop of Kylie Minogue. Thumping, euphoric and hypnotic. A club banger!
Filed Under: Kylie-esque, hypnotic pop, euphoric club
Miley Cyrus – Dream As One
Miley’s signature raspy vocals are a perfect match for this piano-driven movie ballad (taken from Avatar: Fire and Ash), a co-write with Mark Ronson and other pop songwriters. The song avoids flashy production and instead opts for an organic, live-in-one-take approach. I love the transition between the verses and the chords in the chorus. Gorgeous.
Filed Under: movie ballad, piano pop, dramatic pop
Dijon – Kinda
I’m still in my Dijon era. His music is a compelling listen, comprised largely of samples and textures rather than a strict focus on traditional songwriting. I tend to prefer songs that emphasise his songwriting more, however – and ‘Kinda’ does both. It leans on samples and flutters of instrumentation while still carrying a proper song through it. Lovely.
Filed Under: stuttery samples, alt R&B, smooth and soulful
Taylor Swift – Ruin the Friendship
Another of my favourite tracks from Taylor’s latest album. Almost a return to her country roots, ‘Ruin the Friendship’ is low-key in its production and instrumentation, instead letting Taylor’s songwriting lead the way. Agreed by critics to be a highlight of the album, it has a 1980s soft-rock groove and an autumnal feel. Lovely.
Filed Under: 1980’s soft-rock groove, country roots, coming-of-age pop
DNCR – Window
Instagram suggested this one to me too! A moody indie-pop track comprised of 80s synths over a soft-rock groove.
Filed Under: moody indie-pop, 80s synths, melancholic indiepop
Maddie Ashman – i hate goodbyes
I found this song through social media. Maddie has tuned her piano into an unconventional setting, resulting in a gorgeously eerie and stunning set of chords and riffs. She then built an entire song around it, which has resulted in this. Well worth a visit. Hauntingly beautiful!
Filed Under: piano pop, ethereal, stunning piano ballad
As always, here’s the full playlist with all of the songs featured here:
the-music-box.co.uk 