With the Video Music Awards (VMAs) having happened Sept. 11, I wanted to take a second to look at the nominees for Best Pop and talk about some of their current works and standout songs to me and the media.Â
Taylor Swift is probably the biggest name in pop music right now. She is currently on the Eras Tour performing songs from her entire discography. While on the tour she announced and released her eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department. This album spent 12 weeks at the number one spot on the Billboard 200 since its release. The album’s lead singles are “Fortnight ft. Post Malone” and “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.” Across social media, I have seen “Fortnight” being praised by critics, however, “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” seems to be the fan favorite. While all three of those songs are truly amazing, they didn’t really stand out to me. My favorite song off of the album is “How Did It End?” The song is filled with raw emotion and encapsulates the feeling of a relationship ending and not understanding why. It shows how people only act empathetic in order to find out why you are no longer together. The Eras Tour is set to conclude Dec. 8 in Vancouver, however I don’t think that will be the last time we hear Swift’s name. Â
Another nominee is Sabrina Carpenter. Carpenter has recently released her sixth studio album, “Short n’ Sweet” and announced the accompanying tour. The lead singles from this album are “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” However, based on what people are saying on social media, “Bed Chem” seems to be one of the more popular songs on the album. I would have to agree, “Bed Chem” is a really fun song and has a lot of word play. I notice new references every time I listen to it. The tour is set to begin Sept. 23 and end March 26, which happens to be my birthday.Â
Tate McRae released her second studio album,“THINK LATER,” in Dec. of 2023. She is currently touring the album around the world. The song that stands out to me the most on this album is “Exes.” I like how the song has a really fun beat and has the vibe of not needing a man at all. Her tour is set to conclude in March.Â
Olivia Rodrigo is another nominee for this year’s Best Pop category. In March of 2024, she released “GUTS (spilled),” the deluxe version of her album “GUTS.” Rodrigo is also on tour for the aforementioned album. The lead singles from “GUTS” are “Vampire,” “Bad Idea Right?” and “Get Him Back!” However, the song from this album that I have seen the most on social media is “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl.” While all of those songs are incredible in their own ways, the song that stands out to me the most is “Love is Embarrassing.” I would have to say that this is my favorite because the climactic build up of the chorus is something that I always enjoy in her songs, and I like how she is making fun of being in love. Her tour is set to conclude Oct. 22. Â
Dua Lipa, another nominee, released her third studio album “Radical Optimism” this past May. The lead singles from this album are “Houdini” and “Training Season.” While I personally haven’t seen much about this album on social media, I enjoyed the song “Houdini” when it came out. I think all of her songs have a really fun beat and her lyricism is very enjoyable. Lipa is currently on tour and it is set to conclude in Oct. of 2025.
The final nominee for Best Pop is Camila Cabello. Her fourth studio album, “C, XOXO,” was released on June 28. The two lead singles are “I LUV IT ft. Playboi Carti” and “HE KNOWS ft. Lil Nas X.” Similarly to the recent Dua Lipa album, I have not seen much about “C, XOXO” on social media, however my favorite song would have to be “Pink xoxo.” I really like how it’s both soft and hyperpop at the same time. Cabello is planning on touring the album in 2025.