This edition of LITM Pop Picks brings to you energetic pop-rock tracks, electro-pop tracks, and more. The list features artists Rosie Haze, Drew Swords, Tori Lord, and more.
Rosie Haze - Million Reasons
A delicately beautiful piano progression starting off the track, ‘Million Reasons’ by Rosie Haze is created with a kind of magic that is sure to make its way to your heart. The instrumentation builds through simple layers whose base is the piano. This simplicity in the arrangement allows for the focus to be on Rosie’s achingly beautiful vocals and the story those vocals try to convey. There is a melancholy in the song, a quiet but intensely painful acceptance of circumstances that emerge out of the absence of the one person you want most by your side. Such vulnerability in the song make it an intensely relatable one, and many of us, in different ways, will find our experiences finding a sound and words through this track.
Drew Swords - Better Without Me
Catering to those nights where you can no longer avoid the questions and they open up within you like a dam let loose, ‘Better Without Me’ by Drew Swords is all the words you cannot get yourself to say. The song leans towards an alternative pop-rock sound, with restless guitar riffs and equally restless pounding drums, and subtle synths strewn around. The song feels like a coming together of The Neighbourhood and 5 Seconds of Summer. The lyrics emerge out of the days, weeks, and months post a breakup, where you are still grappling with the loss of the person, and endlessly questioning without any answer on the horizon.
Tori Lord - CONMAN
Capturing the idea of fakeness and duplicity in love, ‘CONMAN’ by Tori Lord is a sharp, unfiltered commentary on the double-faced life one leads upon entering another relationship. The song has a classic 2020s pop sound instrumentally, with dark, emotive tones being employed to give off that sound. The lyrics see how a person tries to put on a mask when with someone else after they are no longer in your life, and how you are able to see right through that mask. Tori’s vocals are brimming with sharp edginess and the tone of condescension as she points a finger at the duplicity of the man.
Introsoul - Trains of Time
With a unique sound driving the song, ‘Trains of Time’ by Introsoul sees elements of folk music coming together with electronic pop sounds. The instrumentation sees a generous share of acoustic guitars and an equally generous share of electronic beats and synths, but both are combined in a balanced measure.The layers come together while maintaining their own distinctness. One sound does not complement the other, but instead create a beautiful harmony. The vocals in the song paint a philosophical story for you and are steeped in richness and wisdom. With its very different musicality and concepts, this song deserves a sure listen.
Lana Karlay - For the Weak
Taking you on a bandwagon to the yesteryears, ‘For the Weak’ by Lana Karlay will captivate your heart with its 2000s pop-rock sound. The instrumentation balances itself on a balance of restraint and free-flowing cathartic energy. Emotive, unrestrained guitars layer themselves with fast-paced drums, giving the song the kind of rhythm that will make you want to sing your heart out to the song in the car. The fast paced energy of the song reflects the fast paced, high intensity nature of situationships that leave you feeling high and dry. Lana’s vocals will remind you of Avril Lavigne and modern day Olivia Rodrigo, with their energy and a simultaneous softness.
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