With the holiday season in full fa-la-la-la-flow, it’s time to reflect. When the year winds down, we feel a bit of burn out — you stare blankly at screens without motivation, you don’t want to work, and you’ve just spent all your money on gift giving.
The year ends in two weeks, which means all of your social media accounts are wrapping up the past 365 days and holding a mirror up to who you truly are. For Snapchat users, you get a montage of photos and videos from those embarrassing nights out and the time you took a selfie crying.
At Popdust, we’ve always loved music. It’s why I have a
weekly segment rounding up popular new music and it’s why we report on so many of your most favorite artists. We’re constantly searching for the next big thing in music. And 2023 was massive for changing the soundscapes we know and love.
For instance, country folk was the breakout genre of the year thanks to artists like Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan. Popular DJ’s like John Summit and Dom Dolla have driven a surge in popularity of house music. We’ve seen Taylor Swift take over the world, alongside rapidly rising stars like Ice Spice and SZA.
With the recent announcement of the GRAMMY Award nominees, it’s never too early to hold our
own award ceremony to celebrate all of the awesome music released this year. The Popdust Music Awards are for all of those 2024 hitmakers who gave us viral moments, graced our speakers, and made us sing along.
That includes celebrating Taylor Swift, our Artist Of The Year, whose
Eras Tour is the highest-grossing tour of all time at $1 billion to date! Her album, Midnights, alongside re-releases like 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) were chart-toppers in their own right. Consistently breaking records like dominating the Billboard Top 10, Swift deserves her flowers.
And speaking of flowers, Miley Cyrus is having a huge year with her new album,
Endless Summer Vacation. “Flowers” is our Viral Song of the Year, only taking 112 days to reach Spotify’s Billions Club, the quickest in the app’s history.
There are plenty of artists to celebrate in 2023, which means 2024’s gonna be a truly thrilling year coming up. Here are some of Popdust’s favorite artists and albums from 2023!
Artist Of The Year: Taylor Swift
Best Album: Midnights - Taylor Swift
Best Deluxe Album: Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever)- Noah Kahan
Best EDM: Another Friday Night- Joel Corry
Best Pop: Something To Give Each Other- Troye Sivan
Best R&B: SOS- SZA
Best Rock: But Here We Are- The Foo Fighters
Best Alternative: Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard- Lana Del Rey
Best Rap: Like…?- Ice Spice
Best Country: Zach Bryan- Zach Bryan
Best Collaboration: Most Viral Song: “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
Popstar Watch: Tate McRae
Honorable Mentions: The Record- boygenius, Heroes & Villains (Villains Version)- Metro Boomin’, The Show- Niall Horan
When it comes to a band as versed as Radiohead — whose fifth album Amnesiac turns 20 years old today — it's nearly impossible to imagine the sheer quantity of all their recorded material.
Much to the appeal of diehards, the British alt-rock legends have made their intimidatingly expansive history a little easier to parse. In January 2020, they launched the Radiohead Public Library, an infinite-scroll database filled with virtually every TV performance, newly-reissued merchandise, iconic live shows, B-sides, music videos, and plenty more. It's all neatly sorted by studio album, making it easy for fans to fully dive into their favorite era. But, for those not in the loop, the Radiohead Public Library might make getting into the band even more daunting.
Never fear, because we've mapped out a guide for each era of Radiohead, so you can more accurately pinpoint where to start.
Grunge Radiohead: 1992-1995
The instant success of Radiohead's first big single — the self-loathing "Creep" — had naysayers thinking they'd be one-hit wonders from the get-go. However, with Pablo Honey and its infinitely better follow-up, The Bends, Thom Yorke and company had made themselves crucial players in the typical grunge-rock scene indicative of the '90s. Much to their chagrin, Radiohead haven't been able to shake off the ubiquity of "Creep" — they very rarely perform it live, despite it remaining their highest-charting single — but little did fans know at the time that the band was fated to change the shape of rock to come.
If you listen to one Radiohead album in your lifetime, make it OK Computer. Widely regarded as their best record — even among the best of all time by any artist — OKC was still rooted in Britpop and post-grunge but revealed a band more interested in experimentation, dense song structure, and diverting from the norm. Tracks like the stadium-sized "Paranoid Android" featured a computerized voice, while more haunting numbers like "Climbing Up the Walls" reached sonic depths that'd be imitated, but never expertly replicated, for years to come.
If that's not enough, check out the OKNOTOK White Cassette, an 80-minute run of bonus material included in the deluxe version of OKC's 20th-anniversary reissue. It's not nearly as tidy as what would be the final product, but it's an enthralling look at the spellbinding beginnings of Radiohead staples.
Expanding on the electronic influences teased by OK Computer, 2000's Kid A proved Radiohead wasn't just a rock band anymore. Inspired by the ambient and techno of artists like Aphex Twin, Yorke put his minimal piano skills to the test with tracks like "Everything In Its Right Place." To combat the writer's block he faced when trying to write on guitar, he also taught himself the ins and outs of electronic instruments like a vocoder and Moog Rogue keyboard. While there are clear moments of a blissed-out tranquility — such as the wordless "Treefingers" — the album isn't always so calm. "Idioteque" is driven by a thudding beat inspired by club music, while "The National Anthem" utilizes a horn section to create a sense of chaos.
Kid A was recorded during the same sessions as its follow-up, Amnesiac. Although the latter doesn't always bear the same profundity, there are still standouts like "Like Spinning Plates," "Life in a Glasshouse," and the anti-government "You and Whose Army?" Appropriately, Amnesiac feels like a steady stream of dark thoughts that keep you up all night.
The first moments of Hail to the Thief show Radiohead inching back towards square one, which is to say, it's very much a guitar record. But Hail to the Thief and the subsequent In Rainbows laid the blueprint for rock music on Radiohead's own terms; both albums still brought the artistic flair and idiosyncrasies fans adored. Just take the 5/4-time-signature shuffle of "15 Step," or the disorienting loop that drives "Backdrifts." Thankfully, they didn't try to make another OK Computer, instead figuring out their own ways to make different types of rock music.
Radiohead's last two studio albums, The King of Limbs and A Moon Shaped Pool, often feel more in line with Kid A's hypnotic electronica, a theme that can also be heard clearly on Yorke's solo material. These days, they've slowed down a bit as a band altogether, although most of the members have been busy in other endeavors. In addition to Yorke's three solo albums, he also composed the score for Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood has composed for a multitude of films, nabbing an Academy Award nomination for his Phantom Thread score. Drummer Philip Selway has dabbled in his own solo work and writing film scores, as well.
Time and time again over the course of nearly three decades together, Radiohead have proven themselves to be one of the greatest bands of all time — rock or otherwise. With all their shapeshifting throughout the years, they've become as enigmatic as they are iconic.
Nostalgia is one hell of a drug, especially once the stuff you liked as a kid gets unironically popular again.
If you're a '90s kid in the United States, you likely have vivid memories of Radio Disney. For over two decades, the radio station curated a constant array of family-friendly pop hits by teen idols and budding stars alike.
In conjunction with their radio station, Radio Disney also put out a series called Radio Disney Jams, which were compilation albums of the station's hottest tracks of the year. Whether you were in the car on your way home from school or dancing around your room listening to your Walkman, Radio Disney was always with you.
But alas, most listeners of Radio Disney's golden era are now adults, and the station ceased broadcasts earlier this year. There's no better time to reflect on the songs that raised us '90s kids — for better or for worse.
Below, we've rounded up some of the best songs from Radio Disney's prime around the turn of the millennium.
Myra, “Miracles Happen”
Few songs offer the same sense of endless possibilities as "Miracles Happen," which you might recognize from the iconic final scene of The Princess Diaries. The track's first notes evoke the possibility that you, too, might subvert all expectations and become complacent in a monarchy.
LMNT, “Hey Juliet”
Baz Luhrmann's 1996 thriller Romeo + Juliet? West Side Story? That one zombie rom-com with the guy from Skins? No — the best adaptation of Shakespeare's most-performed play is, of course, LMNT's breakout hit "Hey Juliet." Rhyming "you're fine" with "blow my mind" and "someday" with "run away?" Even our boy William would've been impressed.
Eiffel 65, “Blue (Da Ba Dee)”
No matter how often the song was memed (before memes were a thing), Eiffel 65 never got proper recognition for giving us the funkiest, catchiest metaphor for major depression there ever was. "Crying in the club" has never been so on-the-nose.
Skye Sweetnam, “Tangled Up In Me”
Never mind the naysayers who accused then-13-year-old Skye Sweetnam of ripping off Avril Lavigne; "Tangled up in Me" still goes hard. It's especially entertaining to revisit knowing that Sweetnam has been performing in the metal-punk band Sumo Cyco for the past decade.
Hoku, “Perfect Day”
You know it as the icing on the cake to the cinematic masterpiece that is Legally Blonde. Since then, it was also used in episodes of Lizzie McGuire and NCIS, as well as one of those Beaches Resorts commercials. And it still slaps.
Play, “Us Against the World”
In fact, Lizzie McGuire and its major-picture movie finale brought us a smorgasbord of bubblegum pop perfection. Lest we forget "Us Against the World" by tween girl group Play, who were essentially Sweden's answer to the Spice Girls. Nostalgia aside, this track would likely need very little tweaking to fit today's Y2K pop resurgence.
Simon and Milo, “Get a Clue”
Gorillaz were just getting started as everyone's favorite animated band, and then Simon and Milo said "hold our beers" and made one of the best Disney Channel Original Movie songs out there.
3 Doors Down, “Kryptonite”
At the intersection of dad rock and kid-friendly headbangers live 3 Doors Down, whose "Kryptonite" was likely suited for Radio Disney because the band's drummer was still a literal kid when he wrote it. Who hurt him?
Michelle Branch, “Everywhere”
You'd be hard-pressed to find a chorus objectively better than that from "Everywhere," Michelle Branch's most famous single to date. And if Gen Z pop-rock revivalists like beabadoobee are any indication, this track has aged incredibly well (even if its video feels painfully 2001).
"Transparent Soul" is a full teen-angst banger, the stuff of our adolescent dreams. With the new single, Willow Smith joins the ranks of Black pop punk/alternative artists changing the genre for the better.
Willow Smith just released her new single, "Transparent Soul," and it's an alt-rock, pop-punk influenced banger.
The song, stylized as "t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l," is a departure from her previous, more psychedelic and soul influenced sound, which has garnered comparison to artists such as Erykah Badu and featured other artists like SZA. She has also leant her dreamy vocals to her brother's more pared down tracks, bringing her floaty melodies and neo-soul vibes to their collaborations.
Her most recent track, however, is undeniably influenced by rock, pop-punk, and alternative music. It's a bold, energetic sound led by electric guitars and Travis Barker — former drummer of Blink-182 and recent collaborator for musicians such as Machine Gun Kelly, Demi Lovato, and now Willow — on the drums.
WILLOW - t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l feat. Travis Barker (Performance Visual)www.youtube.com
"Transparent Soul" is a full teen-angst banger, the stuff of our adolescent dreams. As always, Willow delivered. With lyrics about "fake friends'' and vanity, the track is the perfect balance of personal and social commentary without feeling preachy or overdone.
It's the perfect pop-punk track that is part of the reemergence of the genre, which is being led by people who were young fans of the big names in the early 2010s and are now old enough to put their spin on it. While Pop-punk and alt-rock in its heyday was predominantly white and male, that is not the case in this iteration of the genre.
While there were some major female-led bands like Paramore and Black-led bands like Bad Brains, the new generation is full of diverse talent from marginalized backgrounds. As a genre that is known for expressing discontent and frustration with social norms, it's fitting that marginalized communities are drawn to pop-punk — and now they're leading its revival.
In particular, Black women are at the forefront and, just like Willow, blending personal experience, angst, and social commentary into provocative pop punk bangers. Here are some Black, female-led alternative bands you should have on your radar.
Meet Me @ the Altar
Meet Me @ the Altar got a lot of attention after the release of their single "Garden" in late 2020, but they've been around for a while. The three-piece WOC pop punk band formed in 2015 and dropped their debut EP, Bigger Than Me, in 2019. "Garden" gained attention for its vibrancy and positive lyrics, which can be a rarity in the pop-punk genre.
You can hear their inspiration from bands like Paramore, The Story So Far, and Belmont in their music, but their youthful sound comes in the form of their shameless optimism. Other bands make their name by being edgy, but Meet Me @ the Altar is more in the business of inspiration than misery.
Upon the release of Willow's "Transparent Soul," their fans immediately demanded a collab — which they sent out a plea for on their Twitter account.
Their newest track, "Hit Like a Girl," was released in March 2021 as part of their prep for an album release that fans are eagerly awaiting.
Big Joanie
Big Joanie is a London-based trio of Black Women who write about Black female friendships and sisterhood, the theme of their debut album, Sistahs. The celebration of Black joy we all need, they refer to themselves as "Black Feminist Sistah Punk," and their sound has been described as a mix of "The Ronettes filtered through 80s DIY and 90s riot grrrl, with a sprinkling of dashikis."
They are embedded in the London DIY music scene, which produces bands with unique sounds like their experimental mix of synths, heavy basslines, and vocals inspired by grunge, punk, and alt rock. They are influential to a lot of upcoming artists and have also gained online attention for their incredible, inventive cover of Solange's "Cranes in the Sky."
The Txlips
The Txlips are an Atlanta-based Black rock band who are enviably adept at spinning the sounds of jazz, classical music, calypso, neo-soul, R&B, and more into their token rock sound. Led by Guitar Gabby, the collective is changing the way game for Black femmes in music. They recognize the industry pressures for Black women to conform to "rap, hip-hop and hypersexualization," but they resist the stereotypes and create music which is unapologetically complex and creative.
They also focus on advocating for Black and queer lives, donating proceeds from their music to causes they are passionate about.
Pleasure Venom
Pleasure Venom are heavily inspired by early 2000s punk, self described as "explosive experimental garage punk outfit Pleasure Venom of Austin, TX, explores topics of love, sex, resentment, racial injustice, and the general 'absurdity of it all.'"
Their most recent release, "We Get What You Deserve," explores the political and personal, confronting white supremacy head-on and accompanied by a must-see provocative video. According to the band, "In 'We Get What You Deserve,' Pleasure Venom visually and sonically illustrates this eruption in a fast-paced montage of incendiary imagery overlaid by lead singer Audrey Campbell's imploring shrieks to her congregation from her stage, her podium, her throne."
The song starts with the proclamation, "Getting tired of living this sh*t," and we agree.
Squid Ink!
The California-based band Squid Ink! are actively challenging anti-Blackness in punk-rock. Described as " Black women and women of color, whose songs reflect the politicized nature of their marginalized identities," for Squid Ink!, the personal is political, and it's great fodder for great art.
The band mates all have diverse backgrounds and complex personal identities, which they bring to their music to address structural inequality in a way that is nuanced but direct. Songs like "Sundown" reference the sundown towns of the past in connection to gentrification now, and "Poetic Justice" is a self-aware track which contemplates their place in the world with existential urgency — both of which, and more, are available to support on Bandcamp.
Mint Green
Mint Green is a Boston-based band whose music is less rock-based and more indie-inspired. The perfect cross section of pop-punk and sad indie alternative music, they have been compared to artists from Paramore to Soccer Mommy. The sound that emerges is contemplative, provocative, and gorgeous.
Their most recent track, following their 2016 and 2018 EPs, was released in late 2020 and is called "Changing." Like all of us, Mint Green are Phoebe Bridgers stans, so they released a two-song EP of Phoebe covers.
Aficionado
Proper.'s Twitter bio is: "Just 3 n***as playing emo music, don't overthink it," and we love it.
Proper. are tuned into the essential parts of all good pop punk and alternative music: writing songs about feeling sad and feeling excluded. Their two albums, 2017's The Suburbs Have Ruined My Life and 2019's I Spent The Winter Writing Songs About Getting Better, speak directly to the anxieties and loneliness of exclusion, especially as Black punk fans,
The Brooklyn-based trio blend their evocative instrumentation with their honest lyrics, which unravel their emotions to create music that is both artful and anti-racist. Their newest single is called "Aficionado" and is available on all streaming platforms
There's indie music. There's pop music. And then, there's indie pop.
Before indie pop was used as a descriptor for left-leaning pop acts like HAIM, Gus Dapperton, and King Princess, the subgenre embodied a very different ethos. Originally stemming from the British post-punk movement of the 1970s, the indie pop scene that followed appealed to young music geeks who appreciated DIY methods, a playful attitude, and good, old-fashioned songs about crushes.
Eventually, indie pop spawned what would be called "twee pop." Initially used as an insult towards indie pop's often cutesy, tenderfooted exterior, the word "twee" — like many of the best insults of history — was eventually reclaimed by the community it was used against.
Indie pop of the late '80s and '90s embraced a sort of childlike wonder. It still possessed the progressive motives of punk, but instead of spiking their hair and starting mosh pits in basement shows, twee pop bands sang pleasant melodies over basic guitar chords, expressing a delightful sense of innocent charm.
"I spent from age 13 to age 17 trying to act like I was 25 and trying to prove to boys I knew all about sex and I didn't and trying to prove I was cool and no one could hurt me when they could," Amelia Fletcher, of the iconic twee pop band Heavenly, said in 1995. "At 18, I thought 'f**k it, I don't care anymore. I'm just gonna be what I feel like being.'"
The influence of early twee pop bands can be heard in modern-day artists such as Frankie Cosmos, Sidney Gish, Remember Sports, and Diet Cig. At once scrappy and incredibly comforting, the twee pop subgenre persists among the indie community.
Below, we've listed some of the best and most important twee pop albums to emerge since the subgenre's original boom. Put on your Converse and polka-dots and dance along.
Beat Happening, “Beat Happening”
It's impossible to discuss the history of twee pop without mentioning Beat Happening, the Olympia, Washington-based trio fronted by K Records founder Calvin Johnson. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1985, was a landmark execution of stripped-down post-punk filled with guileless whimsy.
The members of Beat Happening weren't especially technical musicians, but the amateur candor of Beat Happening adds to the record's appeal. And it makes sense that Beat Happening went on to become so influential; nobody could match Johnson's booming, droning baritone, his band valued passion over finesse, which in itself adds to Beat Happening's charm.
Talulah Gosh, “Backwash”
While they never put out a proper full-length album during their two years together, English band Talulah Gosh were still able to establish a cult following that helped kick off the twee movement in the late '80s. All their recordings — as well as a handful of live performances — can be heard on their expansive compilation album, Backwash.
Heavenly, “Heavenly vs. Satan”
While K Records came to define the indie pop movement in the Pacific Northwest, the short-lived Bristol label Sarah Records was promoting the subgenre across the globe. Of the handful of bands to emerge from their roster, Heavenly found the most success. The band formed after the dissolution of Talulah Gosh by a handful of its members, including Amelia Fletcher and her brother Mathew.
With four albums in their discography, Heavenly carried out Talulah Gosh's legacy with a fuller indie pop sound. Their debut album, Heavenly vs. Satan, combines the lo-fi twee aesthetics with the rowdiness of riot grrrl, as well as the Britpop movement that was simultaneously taking over the UK.
Black Tambourine, “Black Tambourine”
Another record label that was crucial to the early days of twee pop and indie rock was the Washington, D.C.-based Slumberland Records, whose co-founder Mile Schulman performed in Black Tambourine. Blending indie pop sensibilities with the harsher guitar textures of shoegaze, Black Tambourine went on to inspire bands like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Vivian Girls; members Archie Moore and Brian Nelson also performed in another fantastic indie pop band, Velocity Girl. All the best songs by Black Tambourine can be heard on their self-titled compilation album.
Cub, “Betti Cola”
Vancouver band Cub formed in 1991, and embraced indie pop's cutesiness with their wholesome image and friendly live shows; they famously performed in their pajamas and were known for handing out party favors to their gig attendees. Cub's expansive debut album, 1993's Betti Cola, proves that their lo-fi recording processes didn't undermine their knack for infectious pop-punk.
Tiger Trap, “Tiger Trap”
Like Cub and Heavenly, Tiger Trap embodied the ferocity and spunk of the riot grrrl movement. Formed in the early '90s by high school friends Angela Loy and Rose Melberg, Tiger Trap only lasted for a year, but was arguably one of the most influential bands of twee pop's heyday, as their sound takes cues from the subgenre's punk origins.
Rocketship, “A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness”
A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness was the 1996 debut from Rocketship, a Sacramento band whose earlier releases often fused twee pop with elements of dreampop and jangle pop. They drew on similar influences to Belle & Sebastian — namely underground English band Felt — and both bands subverted the stereotype that twee was amateurish and unsophisticated.
Belle & Sebastian, “If You’re Feeling Sinister”
Stuart Murdoch, vocalist and songwriter for Belle & Sebastian, has stated that the Glasgow band's 1996 sophomore album If You're Feeling Sinister is probably his best collection of songs. Fans and critics alike have often agreed.
While Belle & Sebastian's more recent work has diverted from their indie-pop origins, Sinister holds up as not only a prime example of the subgenre at its best, but also probably one of the best albums of the '90s.
If you're anything like us, you're probably overwhelmed by the sheer number of albums being released on a weekly basis.
Popdust's weekly column, Indie Roundup, finds the five best albums coming out each week so that you don't have to. Every Friday, we'll tell you what's worth listening to that might not already be on your radar.
Dry Cleaning, New Long Leg
On their debut album New Long Leg, London rock band Dry Cleaning swirl post-punk, art rock, and guitar pop into their own delightfully bizarre universe. Vocalist Florence Shaw's droll intonations — comparable to that of Sue Tompkins from the short-lived Scottish band, Life Without Buildings — read like an aimless stream of one-off remarks and non-sequiturs. Strung together, it creates the perfect backdrop for forging your own observations.
Major Murphy, Access
Major Murphy — the rock quartet composed of Jacob Bullard, Jacki Warren, Brian Voortman, and Chad Houseman — have returned with their latest album, Access. The record is a striking confluence of the band's deep love for classic rockers like Paul McCartney, yet revamped with forward-thinking elements of psych rock and warm Americana. "In nine songs, it somehow takes a listener backwards and forwards at once, reckoning with intrinsic anxieties while conceptualizing a fantastical and vibrant happening, soothing in its familiar, occasionally childlike tone," writes Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield in the album's biography. (Watch our Popdust Playlists episode with Major Murphy here).
Hit Like a Girl, Heart Racer
Led by vocalist Nicolle Maroulis, New Jersey band Hit Like a Girl channel their confessionals and lovelorn woes into soaring, pop-punk-filtered indie rock. Beefy riffs and rollicking drums prove the band's knack for stellar arrangements, as Maroulis' lyrics offer a source of comfort for the similarly anxious.
Ratboys, Happy Birthday, Ratboy
Happy Birthday, Ratboy is a surprise LP celebrating ten years since Ratboys' first-ever release. In normal times, the Chicago indie rock band would be spending this milestone on the road; in lieu of in-person performances, Ratboys instead offer a collection of re-recorded songs from their first EP, as well as a B-side of rarities. Happy Birthday, Ratboy is both a testament to how far the band has come, and a heartfelt reflection on their scrappy dorm-room beginnings.
Fishboy, Waitsgiving
Fishboy is the project of Eric Michener, whose seventh LP in two decades, Waitsgiving, testifies to his self-described "unhealthy love of power pop and narrative songwriting." The Denton, Texas band are masters of cohesive pop melodies, leaning into their playful, theatrical side without ever sounding too cloying.
