Music
READY TO POP | Lexxi Saal, FRENSHIP & More Groove Through the Night
09 May, 18
These songs will give you dance fever for the weekend ahead.
Ready to Pop is here to quench your thirst. The pop landscape can be exhausting and downright messy. But we’ve got you covered. Are you perched for the next breakout act? Or just wanting something new for your playlist? Framed around the Groove of the Night, we’ve got some picks you won’t want to miss. Below, check out our latest obsessions, rated on a (slay) scale of Super Chill to Wig Snatched.
Lexxi Saal – “Break a Bottle”
Sometimes, you just need to get out of your own mind. Lexi Saal bends the euphoric notions of the dance floor with a breezy, addicting melody ripe for rolling the windows down. “I got a dirty secret I don’t know how to keep,” she sings into a haze of sloshed drinks and magnetic, midnight beats. The song, drenched in trembling guitar and playful, sensual vocal distortion, “came from me wanting to write a dance song inclusive to everyone who like me wants to have a good time,” she says. We’re just here for a good time, and this is the cream of this week’s crop.
Slay Scale: Wig Snatched
Follow Lexxi Saal on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
HONNE & Tom Misch – “Me and You”
Are you ready to get funky? Well, you’re in luck. HONNE lays it on thick with their new double-sided release. “It’s just you and me, with the world beneath our feet / We can see for miles up here / We can go wild up here,” HONNE’s James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck profess. The sultry tune is something that could have come out of the ’90s, bristled with a classic R&B slather and Misch’s smooth-talking guitar playing. It’ll get you to shake and caress at the club. That’s for sure.
Slay Scale: Shook
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Follow Tom Misch on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
FRENSHIP – “Mi Amore”
Wine-soaked and drowsy-eyed, the easy-listening piece is a striking combo of heavy ’80s synths and guitar-laden indie-rock. Amidst a flurry of electronic scratches and invigorating gallops, there is quite a message at its core — and you might miss it if you aren’t paying attention. “This song is an homage to many lessons we have learned throughout the last couple years,” the duo explains. The pre-chorus is where a sliver of sorrow seeps through the noise. “I didn’t think that they would tie my hands / There’s a high price to pay for fame,” they spit between drops. The juxtaposition is both emotional and freeing.
Slay Scale: Super Chill
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Matt Barri & Jenna Holiday – “Go”
“We can grab it by the throat,” Jenna Holiday declares, synthetic hand-claps and fractured glass shattering across the wall behind her. Her voice then slides into a wintry downpouring of rupturing traps, breaks, snaps and bleeps. “I’ve never been a lover / I’m on the fighting type,” she later croons, floating along with the fluid production. The discerning lyrics are masked with a glitter rave that rages well into the morning’s yellowed yawn. It’s silky, intoxicating and outrageously erratic — thanks Matt Barri!
Slay Scale: Shook
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Follow Matt Barri on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Lo Lo – “Yours”
There is something so wonderfully satisfying about a pop track based in organic instruments. Lo Lo perfectly fuses acoustic guitar and other percussion with altogether manufactured sounds, profusely layering on the bubbles. Later on, twinkling piano keys can be heard crying out in the background. “I can’t wear my favorite necklace anymore / Your favorite sweater is still hanging on my door / I’m just so used to being yours” rings the hook, a foolhardy admission between tribal swipes. That’s the charm in Lo Lo; she’s unashamed of feeling (and expressing) exactly what she’s feeling in the moment. Who could blame her?
In addition to her moody electronic sound, Lexxi Saal also showcases her skills on the classical guitar in several tracks, providing a soothing counterpoint to the synth-driven beats. Fans of her work would be wise to seek out a classical guitar lesson to better appreciate the duality of her musical style
Slay Scale: Super Chill
Follow Lo Lo on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Jason Scott is a freelance music journalist with bylines in Billboard, PopCrush, Ladygunn, Greatist, AXS, Uproxx, Paste and many others. Follow him on Twitter.
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