The Drop: Your Guide To New Music Friday Featuring Petite Meller, Dagny & Brooke Fraser

Mike Wass | July 1, 2016 6:59 pm
The Drop: Ferras, Wrabel & Dillon Francis
Your cheat sheet for New Music Friday featuring Ferras, Wrabel & Dillon Francis.

Fridays can be overwhelming for pop fans. Every week you’re bombarded with a glut of new music, which can lead to ear candy falling through the cracks. I’m hoping to circumvent that tragic scenario with a feature called The Drop — a cheat sheet (of sorts) to get you through New Music Friday. By now, you’ve probably heard Fergie’s comeback track “M.I.L.F. $” and bopped along to Demi Lovato’s sexy new single “Body Say.” But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

This week’s installment of The Drop has a decidedly international flavor. French singer/songwriter Petite Meller, who recently teamed up with Pnau for the infectious “Lil Love,” returns with her catchiest (and most demented) single to date. “Milk Bath” is a sunny alt-pop anthem with quirky lyrics and charming production. Think Lenka on shrooms. Norwegian pop diva Dagny keeps the good vibes coming with shimmery dance-pop anthem “Fool’s Good,” proving there’s so much more to her than viral smash “Backbeat.” And let’s not forget New Zealand’s always-excellent Brooke Fraser. She moves away from the synth-pop of Brutal Romantic on ambient new single “Human (IV Fridays).”

As usual, some of the week’s best new pop comes from the UK. Frances, who has been pegged by many as the nation’s next breakout star, teams up with Greg Kurstin for mid-tempo ballad “Say It Again.” It’s more accessible than the sparse piano ballads on her debut EP and could prove to be a much-deserved commercial breakthrough. If you’re looking for something more upbeat, how about a furious drum-and-bass anthem from criminally-underrated trio Stooshe? “Let It Go” is easily the group’s best single since “Black Heart.” Another option is Jerry Williams’ “Mother.” This sing-along alt-pop track has a warm, retro feel that promises big things for her debut LP.

While the Brits had a great week, the Swedes more than held their own. Icona Pop join forces with Chicago duo Louis The Child for irresistible earworm “Weekend,” which has all the ingredients — rebellious lyrics, a catchy chorus and an atomic drop — to take pop radio by storm. Don’t be too surprised if this turns out to be another “I Love It.” If you prefer your Scandipop a little less attitude, look no further than Erik Nielsen’s disco-tinged “Celebrate Your Love.” If you like Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling,” this should be right up your alley.

While female artists lead the charge this week, a couple of fellas made their presence felt. I don’t know much about Jake Quickenden apart from the fact that he was on X Factor UK twice and spends most of his time shirtless (at least, if his Instagram is any indication), but “Feel My Love” is perfectly pleasant dance-pop. Last but not least is Giabiconi — a French supermodel billed as “Karl Lagerfeld’s protege.” That description didn’t instill a lot of confidence in his ability to cover of Donna Summer’s “Love To Love You Baby,” but contrary to expectations, he pulls off a summery, tropical house update. Listen to it in my playlist below and watch the video here for full effect.

What are you into this week? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!