Here at Swell Tone, we love a good pop song.
Whether it is a sing-a-long chorus that hits just right or the perfectly articulated bounce of synth, sometimes a well-written pop song is all we crave. We wanted to find a home for all of our favorite pure pop hits. Thus, Pop Up was born. Every month, we bring you the songs that won’t stop spinning around our minds and making our hips shimmy. Enjoy round 5!
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Tram Cops – “K Song”
We’re continuously for world’s biggest Tram Cops fan and this percolating pop tune is only making us want that title more. Of the all the magical song’s released thus far off of their upcoming album, California Way, this golden beauty is our favorite. It has that seemingly infinite atmospheric groove that Tram Cops is so good at manufacturing from the smallest little pieces of sound and really amps it up to the highest level of happiness. There are no real words and there really doesn’t need to be. It’s the kind of song that would be perfect to wake up to every morning.
Listen to more Tram Cops here.
The World of Birds – “Honey Money”
Sometimes you just know as soon as you hear a song that you’re just going to have it stuck on repeat for awhile. We instantly knew on this new song from South Africa’s The World of Birds. While we have always had a bit of a musical thing for South Africa’s pop scene, this particular track is relentlessly catchy. The focus is pulled from riff to riff in this song expertly so that the listener is always left with another sparkling morsel to grab onto. Be careful or you too will get stuck in its shiny pop trap.
Listen to more The World of Birds here.
Otha – “Tired and Sick”
We love this song because we can genuinely relate to it and dance to it at the same time. It’s like if anxiety was DJing at the club. It’s a warm blanket of repetition that says things our brains always say in a crowded room and the glitchy production perfectly matches it. The understated and yet unapologetic nature of the song is what makes it so magnetic and a true release from the stress that defines it.
Listen to more Otha here.
maxime. – “empty”
This track’s gentle hum makes it inviting from the start. The unlikely playful trio of bass, cowbell, and little whistling synths really gives this song a quirky vibrancy. Based on the EP title and cover, we expected a more direct sadness from this song but ended up falling in love with its sonic warmth that pushes through the sadness of the lyrics. It’s the cleverest representation of longing we’ve heard in awhile.
Listen to more maxime. here.
TWINKIDS – “I Luv You”
Boy oh boy, this is a pastel dream. Colored in pining and synth, this perfectly polished love song reaches for a former love with broad melodic brushstrokes. Inside a world of soft low synth and crackling and sparkling percussive textures, the melody floats gently with purpose. It’s sure to make any listener weak in the knees.
Listen to more TWINKIDS here.
Check out past Pop Ups here!
Stream all of our pop loves in one big playlist below:
