Dance music is integrating itself deep into pop right now, and we can't get enough of the different styles coming out of these fusions. Here are five songs you need to hear right now.
Riovaz, Bleed Relief
New Jersey-based singer Riovaz has built a name for himself by moving between indie and electro-pop with an internet-adjacent savviness. The 22-year-old has defined his sound in online circles for his signature house-influenced grooves and new-age R&B vocals, and his newest single, Bleed Relief, refines these styles with moving saw basses and infectious plucks that add a whole new atmosphere to his work.
Hekt, Smerz, Forever
Jesper Nørbæk is one of the newest names emerging from Europe's evolving deconstructed club scene, a subculture of avant-garde dance music that is dominating underground dance floors everywhere. Hekt's newest album, titled Forever, explores plucky, glitchy textures rooted in traditional House. The title track, featuring Norwegian indie pop sensations Smerz, is full of clicking drums, Smerz's signature autotune vocals, and steady house piano plucks, setting the tone for the rest of the record ahead of its release.
Zara Larsson, PinkPantheress, Midnight Sun (Girls Trip)
Zara Larsson has become one of Pop's leading names in the last year. After a smashing return record and universally adored collaborations with PinkPantheress and Tyla, she's on top of the world. The Swedish pop star is back again with an all-star intensive remix record, including one from PinkPantheress, who turned Larsson's hit single Midnight Sun into a Drum and Bass ballad, duetting with Zara, and turning the pop hit into a driving dancefloor-ready D&B tune.
Nia Archives, Boys In Blue
Acting as the leading force in bringing Jungle to a new generation of ravers and pop fanatics alike, Nia Archives has been the pioneering face of one of England's most iconic music movements. Nia has blended Jungle with other genres for years, making the music accessible and palatable to younger generations experiencing this music for the first time. Leading up to her newest album, Emotional Junglist, coming out this summer, Archives has released two songs that show a tonal shift in her sound, falling into the Post-Punk adjacent sounds that executive producer James Ford is a master of. Boys In Blue is a bass-driven Jungle track that moves up and down the fretboard following Nia's free-flowing spirit, indie pop sensibilities, and drum break chops.
Junior Varsity, The Teenagers, Unflirt, Home
Junior Varsity has been quietly making waves in indie pop for years, with their signature grungy roots making them stand out with their heavier tendencies. The trio has been making earworms their whole career, but their newest EP, titled Ready, pulls back their traditionally heavier sound to focus on catchier hooks and tender melodies. The closing track, Home, featuring indie pop darlings The Teenagers and Unflirt, feels like an homage to all of the iconic names to come out of New York's Garage Rock revival, hinting at the sentimentality of musicians like LCD Soundsystem while also keeping a laid back presence on the track similar to Julian Casablancas on many of the early Strokes songs. The band is in their element, and this new EP shows them at their most refined yet.
You can find all these songs and many more in our "Now Playing At Activaire HQ" playlist on Spotify. We update it weekly, so hit the heart button if you like what's in rotation.