Arjan Writes Newsletter #9

Celebrating the state of Pop. Since 2002.

Nov 6, 2021

👋 Oh hey there, weekend! There’s lots of new music and new artists to cover this week. I’m still recovering from Måneskin’s sensational show at The Roxy on Monday that turned me from curious to absolutely obsessed with the Italian group. I also caught up with Tove Styrke in Stockholm about her poptastic new single, “Start Walking,” which is a prelude to more goodness to come. Plus, there’s a new ABBA album out this week. So let’s dig in!

🍭 Bop of the Week: “Holes In My T-Shirt” by Quinn Lewis. Lewis’ latest is a bop of the very honest kind. The Nashville-based crooner faces his vulnerability head-on with tons of honesty, integrity, and perspective. He sings, “There are seven billion people dealing with their evils, so these holes inside my t-shirt seem so small.” It’s a simple line that speaks volumes of truth and provides comfort. It’s a welcome message and reminder in a world where daily stresses and anxiety can get the best of us. We salute you, Quinn! (listen)

🎤 Mäneskin Rocks The Roxy. Like I wrote in my intro, Mäneskin brought down the house on Monday at The Roxy for a show that I believe will have historic significance. The group of high school friends went on to win the Eurovision Song Contest last spring, which set off a chain of success. One includes their TikTok smasher and global radio hit “Beggin’” that has GRAMMY watchers buzzing. Their L.A. show on Monday was the very definition of an underplay. The foursome could easily have played a room ten times the size of the iconic Sunset club, but the group wanted to keep it small and intimate. The audience was a mix of fans (both post and pre “Beggin’” era), Italian expats, and a large contingency of industry players and artists curious to see what this Italian tidal wave is all about. I saw Max Martin, Bebe Rexha, The Struts, and many other rock-loving and pop-obsessed folks.

The group played a high-energy show that had me dizzy on my feet from start to finish. Their discography is still limited, so there was a mixture of originals (some in Italian, so fun) and covers. As the show progressed, the group warmed up, and enigmatic frontman Damiano David put the audience into a wild frenzy by diving into the crowd not once but twice. Mammamia! David is pure star power—a total rockstar for the twenty-first century. With the right songs and the right plan, Mäneskin has the opportunity to slam the door right open for rock music to make a comeback on the pop charts. And as a pop fan, I’m here for it!

(My visit to the ABBA Museum in Stockholm in 2015)

🌟 ABBA Arrives (Again!) This newsletter would not be complete without spotlighting the release of ABBA’s comeback album Voyage this week. This long-anticipated LP is a signature ABBA effort. Instead of wildly innovating their sound with hot new producers, the group sticks to their tried and tested formula. The LP is filled with beautiful vocal harmonies from Agnetha and Anni-Frid, and the timeless melodies from Björn and Benny. The group’s familiar sound is instant comfort that existing fans will adore.

The state of Pop is strong—lots of great music out this week. Let’s dig in!

Artist of the Week: Tove Styrke

💬 Readers of this newsletter know that I’ve been gushing about Tove Styrke’s glorious new single, “Start Walking.” It’s a perfect, retro-inspired pop song written by Styrke with Carolin Ailin, Pablo Bowman, Sly, and Peter Rycroft. I last saw Styrke when she was about to release her brilliant 2018 EP Sway while on tour with Lorde in North America. Time to catch up with the Swedish pop singer and hear what is new and happening in her world.

“Right after touring with Lorde and Katy Perry, I went back into the studio,” Styrke tells me via FaceTime. “I started writing immediately, and I worked and worked and worked. And then COVID hit, and everything just came to a stop.”

Styrke used the last 18 months to stay busy and focus on opportunities at home. She took part in a music television show in Sweden, which led to the release of some tracks in Swedish. However, she also continued to write and work on music for her fans outside of Sweden and prepare for the world to open up.

She smiles, “So now I’m back!”

Tove was able to stay productive and work with other songwriters virtually via Zoom. It’s not an ideal situation for many songwriters, but it suited Styrke’s writing style well. “I'm the kind of person who easily gets overwhelmed by social situations and meeting new people,” she explains. “So having the possibility to just log on to the computer or call somebody on FaceTime to quickly go through something and get straight to work has been very helpful for me.”

“[‘Start Walking’] is a breakup song, but doesn’t have this overwhelming sadness. It’s an uptempo track and I love that combination.”

Believe it or not, but “Start Walking” was created virtually during the pandemic. “I know Caroline Ailin. She’s such a genius, and she worked with me on Sway as well,” Styrke tells me. “But I never worked with the other writers before, and it was such a great experience, and I love how the song turned out.”

“Start Walking” is a Scandic feel-good pop song with a retro ‘80s disco vibe we’ve been craving. “I just loved it when I first heard the demo,” Styrke says. “It's a breakup song but doesn’t have this overwhelming sadness. It’s an uptempo track, and I love that combination.”

“I've wanted to do a song like that for years. I've had such a hard time making anything that's not mid-tempo. I don't know why I always end up in a mid-tempo sort of place. I love how this uptempo turned out.”

Is “Start Walking” a good indication of where Tove is heading sonically? “It's a good introduction,” she says. “This whole project that I'm working on is going to be a lot of different things. I tried not to keep it within any box. I tried to go in and have fun with it and make songs that I think are great.“

Styrke is not rushing to put out a full-length project soon. “These are still strange times. And I feel like the right thing will be to keep releasing songs that I like. And when the time is right, there will be a bigger collection of songs.”

We can’t wait to hear what Styrke will cook up next, and in the meantime, we’ll have “Start Walking” on repeat. I suggest you do the same.

🎵 Listen to Tove Styrke “Start Walking”

Office Hours Playlist Updates

(Office Hour playlist cover art by @bongangart)

📅 Office Hours is a new passion project of mine to support and nurture new artists. Periodically, I will open up my Twitter DMs for official office hours to meet new artists, listen to pitches, and provide instant feedback. It’s been a gratifying experience to help out and lend an ear.

Every week, I add a selection of pitched songs to my Office Hours playlist on Apple Music. This playlist also includes tracks that I feel are extraordinarily great and fit the spirit of the Office Hours playlist: new, next, noteworthy, and very pop.

Thanks for all your pitches and suggestions for the Office Hours playlist.

🎵 Listen to the Office Hours playlist

🔥 My quick takes on some of the tracks I added this week:

“Holes In My T-Shirt” by Quinn Lewis. My bop of the week. Thank you for the honesty, Quinn. (listen)

“Dressed Up In A T-Shirt” by Jordy. Jordy dropped his album this week, and it’s filled with excellent pop and great storytelling. This is one of my favorite tracks on the LP. It tells the story about the imperfections we all feel at times and totally being okay with feeling that way. Wonderfully articulated. (listen)

“New Shapes” (ft. Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polacheck) by Charli XCX. Ever since first hitting the rave-pop scene in the late ‘00s, Charli XCX has continued to push the ever-expanding pop frontier by amplifying the very essence of pop music. Charli favors hyper melodies and crisp, forward-thinking productions that reflect a sonic aesthetic that’s both very now and very global. On “New Shapes,” Charli collaborates with fellow genre-pushers Caroline Polack and Christine and the Queens. Charli notes in the song’s first verse, “Don't know why I'm always pushing for a sweet escape,” regardless of the reason, I’m glad she always does. “New Shapes” is a high-grade pop production that has bop written all over it with its ‘80s retro stylings, punchy synths, and deliciously catchy hook.

“Pressure” by Alexander Stewart. The Canadian pop crooner delivers the perfect sparkly sad bop with “Pressure” from his new EP, Aftermath, a meticulously shaped and performed coming-of-age record. “Pressure” is a buzzing, ‘80s inspired track perfect for a sunset drive down Mulholland Drive. Written by Stewart together with Sophie Rose, Flynn Tanner, and Nate Miles. (listen)

“Let’s Go To Hell” by Tai Verdes. Rain or shine, Tai Verdes brings out the smiles and sunshine with his happy-go-lucky brand of pop. His trajectory is endless because happiness will never go out of style. This new single is proof of that. (listen)

“Home By Midnight” by Jamie Miller. It’s November and the holidays are upon us. I adore this holiday original by bright new star Jamie Miller who has the voice of an angel. Sleigh-bells included. Just perfect. I stan. (listen)

“Deep Water” by Rozes. Rozes delivers a stomping anthem with “Deep Water” that delivers a hopeful message. “Deep water, but you’re not alone. Take my hand, and we can float,” she sings in the chorus. (listen)

“Pictures” by Chaz Cardigan. Cardigan continues to put out great peppy pop. His latest tells the story about trying to move on after a relationship clearly has gone sour even though it still feels right to keep the pictures up. It’s a dilemma that may ring familiar with many. (listen)

“New Trick” by Cxloe. Blazing new dance-pop track by the Aussie pop starlet. Love this one. (listen)

“Strange Love” by Reiley. The social media superstar shows off his pop chops and impressive falsetto on this funked-up disco stomper. (listen)

“Company” by Mark Tambor. Tambor’s latest glows with optimism. He says, “It’s about all the people that I love and that make my life better. Thanks for being here and for allowing me to make music every day. I hope this one makes you smile. It sure did, Mark! (listen)

The state of Pop is strong.

Thanks for tuning in to the newsletter. Our new little pop community here is growing and I’m so excited about that. I appreciate all the readers sharing the newsletter with others! Spread the word! 🙏