MUSIC

Ready To Pop | XYLØ, Riley Clemmons & More Dance Their Troubles Away

Also, Call Me Loop and Charlotte Lawrence Pick Up the Pieces on the Dance Floor.

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Shake it out with these soon-to-be smashes.

Ready to Pop gazes into the piercing reflection of the ever-spinning disco ball. Light bounces around our bodies and into the darkness lurking just outside the sparkling dance floor. We've left the sorrow at the door, at least for a couple hours, and the music washes over our hearts, sewing up the wounds and proving to be just the soothing agent we needed. Below, check out our latest obsessions, rated on a (slay) scale of "Super Chill" to "Shook" to "Wig Snatched."


XYLØ - "Tears & Tantrums"

XYLØ is a relentless tour de force. She's a badass boss just "dancing in the strobe lights," as she admits between layers of star-strewn synths and dreamy splatters of percussion. "My tears keep on falling down," she also sings, framing her pain as the fuel to her inner fire, slowly but surely crackling to a ferocious display.

Slay Scale: Wig Snatched

Follow XYLØ on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


Riley Clemmons - "Hold On"



It might not seem like it in the heat of the moment, but all those wasted tears will lead to a full-on personal revolution. Just ask pop's newest torchbearer Riley Clemmons. "By the grace of God, I'm a survivor," she sings, extending her own personal tragedy as a testament that she's risen far more victoriously than she could have predicted. Through glassy bubbles of ready-made rave beats and classically '80s synths, she is equal parts Selena Gomez and Betty Who and another otherworldly extravagance altogether. Clemmons awakens the senses in a way only she can. She's fearless and not going down without a fight.

Slay Scale: Wig Snatched

Follow Riley Clemmons on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


Charlotte Lawrence - "Stole Your Car"



Charlotte Lawrence isn't here to play games. After her heart is shattered to bits, she not only dances out her rage, but she pairs her outrageous emotions and lack of impulse control with sweltering tropical beats and a slinky flow as smooth as the island breeze. "I can't resist the taste of your lips," she sings before confessing that, in fact, the thought of it all makes her sick to her stomach. But by the time the beats drop from the heavens, the listener, a voyeur of sorts, is awash in blue dreams, baby. Nothing like grand theft auto to get some of your anger out.

Slay Scale: Super Chill

Follow Charlotte Lawrence on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


Call Me Loop - "Cut & Run"



After a short-lived romance turned to ash, and the sleazy guy had the nerve to come crawling back, Call Me Loop had had about enough. So, she poured her frustrations out onto a clanging and mountainous pop rallying cry, which pops and fizzes with summer-soaked synths that are fevered and unwavering. "Cut & Run" is a succulent slice of pop music, seasoned to taste, and should do the trick to get over that...well, trick.

Slay Scale: Shook

Follow Call Me Loop on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


Jason Scott is a freelance music journalist with bylines in B-Sides & Badlands, Billboard, PopCrush, Ladygunn, Greatist, AXS, Uproxx, Paste and many others. Follow him on Twitter.


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MUSIC

#WomanCrushWednesday | Malina Moye

From Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Silver Screen

"Know your craft, have boundaries for yourself, and always leave the situation better than it was before you got there."

Women are killing it in the music industry, and song lovers couldn't be happier! In our column, #WomenCrushWednesday, each week, we'll feature an awesome lady whose tunes are blowing up our playlists and ask them about their musical journey.

This week, Malina Moye is sharing about her experience in the music industry as one of the best guitarists around. She talks about the influences on her powerful sound, the process of writing her new records, and what advice she would give to other women who are looking to get into the music industry. Keep reading until the very end for more on her latest venture into the acting world for a film called The Samuel Project, about an outcast teen who connects with his grandfather for a school project.

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Katia Temkin

Women really do run the world.

Ready to Pop serves up some of the most talented women of pop music this week. As Beyoncé would say, "Who run the world? Girls!" From the tech industry to business to construction to music, women are laying claim to their lives, taking back the power and doing so with great boldness. Art is an especially important medium to express their hurt but also as a way to really reflect on where they're headed next. Below, check out our latest obsessions, rated on a (slay) scale of "Super Chill" to "Wig Snatched."


Felicity - "Pilot with a Fear of Heights"

As a reissue ⎯⎯ the song was originally dropped spring of 2017 ⎯⎯ Felicity's tight-rope vocal acrobatics hit just as hard today, maybe even moreso. "Pilot with a Fear of Heights" blends gospel, pop and rock into a high-flying routine, as she croons around the lyrics and the message of trying to get over someone. "I've been looking at the skyline and our timeline / I will soon run out of both / Steering clear of your face and the old days / Hoping they'll turn into ghosts," she manages to whisper through organ vibrations. She's in free-fall mode but takes flight with feathered, commanding ease. From a lush lower register to her pummeling head voice, she possesses one of the greatest voices ever. Big things are on the horizon.

Slay Scale: Wig Snatched

Follow Felicity on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


Brandy Zdan - "I Want Your Trouble"

Brandy Zdan is rock music's best weapon for survival. Her second album, Secretear, tears through musings on love and self-worth at a feverish rate. She rarely lets you catch your breath, as evidenced from this standout cut. "I Want Your Trouble" is her declaration that she wants her lover's ⎯⎯ in this case, her husband and fellow musician and songwriter Aaron Haynes ⎯⎯ beguiling rabble-rousing (and his irresistible touch, of course). "I want your trouble / How does it feel?" she barrels down the highway, leaving dust and grit in the wind. She's a devilish noise-maker, and no one could possibly catch up to her. And that's OK. She's in a masterclass of her very own.

Slay Scale: Shook

Follow Brandy Zdan on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


Tallia Storm - "Girls Are Changing the World"

In the age of #MeToo and #TimesUp, men are being held accountable, and women are regaining their self-worth. We've still got miles to go, but we are much closer than we were even a couple years ago. Pop newcomer Tallia Storm's new single speaks her truth and the truth of so many women across the world. "We are the movement making change / We are the power in history / We deserve better, now's the time / Fight for each other, the future," she sings, the synth-heavy mixture boiling over. It's a subdued pop track, separated from the usually bouncy club affair, and that's what makes it so special. It's pure and plainspoken, equipped to shed further light on what it means to be a women today.

Slay Scale: Super Chill

Follow Tallia Storm on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


SHAED - "Trampoline"

When I saw SHAED play the Music Hall of Williamsburg last May, I was floored. Singer Chelsea Lee is magnetizing onstage. Not only is her voice like a hot knife through butter, but her presence is seductive. So, after a bit of a hiatus, they return with a single called "Trampoline" that combines the very best of what they do. It's hooky and allows Lee to really command the conversation. "Suddenly the sky erupts / Flames alight the trees / Spread to falling leaves / Now, they're right upon me," she sings, depicting that moment a seemingly innocent dream turns into a sweaty, truly terrifying nightmare. She dips in and out of reality, and it's velvety production is oh-so spooky.

Slay Scale: Shook

Follow SHAED on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


Maggie Rose - "Change the Whole Thing"

"The world wasn't broken in a day / And it ain't gonna stay this way forever," Maggie Rose, one of the most underrated singers today, promises with a new song. It's one side of a double release, paired with the bouncy, throwback cut "Hey Blondie." But "Change the Whole Thing," smoothed with a classic soul sheen, is a timely piece of pop-country, detailing the struggle to come to terms with the world in 2018. "You're losing faith / So, what's the point of trying?" she questions. It's a harrowing inquiry but a crucial one. Her vocal is icy and gloriously moving.

Slay Scale: Wig Snatched

Follow Maggie Rose on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


Jason Scott is a freelance music journalist with bylines in B-Sides & Badlands, Billboard, PopCrush, Ladygunn, Greatist, AXS, Uproxx, Paste and many others. Follow him on Twitter.


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MUSIC

#WomanCrushWednesday | Shenna

Singing, producing, dancing, etc. -- there's nothing this woman can't conquer

"I love when I can beat my obstacles and know that I accomplished something because of my hard work."

Women are killing it in the music industry, and song lovers couldn't be happier! In our column, #WomenCrushWednesday, each week we'll feature an awesome lady whose tunes are blowing up our playlists and ask them about their musical journey.

Today we speak with Shenna, who is a multi-layered threat if there ever was one! Perhaps this stems from her multi-cultural background, which has led to her writing and performing a slew of indie/pop/R&B-flavored tracks that have lit up the likes of radio stations and television show scores across the world. As the powerhouse woman releases her most recent video and plans some upcoming performances, she discusses her influences in music and fashion, plus more.

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