Lizzo’s - Cuz I Love You

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:: View as a web page :: With so much music coming out all the time, great albums are bound to fall through the cracks. But that’s probably even more common for pop-leaning artists who are on indie labels. They’re often eclipsed by the huge campaigns surrounding the massive pop stars, even if their music is just as good, if not better. Occupying this strange space between the ultra-famous and more established indie stars can be tough for emerging artists — or career ones — who exist in the middle realm. Luckily, it’s my job to keep a lookout for these albums that are bubbling just under the surface, and I’ve collected ten of them to get you through another month of staying indoors. Music is a great way to mark time, so maybe throw a couple of these records on this month to help make the days go by. There is an end in sight, and staying positively distracted with a good soundtrack is a good way to keep in a healthy frame of mind. — Caitlin White, Uproxx Pop Critic on overlooked indie-pop albums from early 2020. Check out all her picks here. NUMBER ONE STUNNERS THE WEEKND After a smash debut at No. 1 with “Tootsie Slide,” Drake has now taken a backseat to his once-protege, The Weeknd, who slid back into the top slot with “Blinding Lights” for a fourth total week. It’s not that Drizzy’s TikTok-ready anthem isn’t popular, it definitely is, it’s just that Abel Tesfaye’s nihilistic, dead-eyed electro-pop magnetism was made for these times. Who better to soundtrack an apocalypse than the pop star who has always seen the darkest side of everything, and still made it sound like a hit? “Blinding Lights” is the reigning anthem of this pandemic and quarantine period, and when things get back to normal, odds are Drake will have another carefree tune to keep us going then, too. LISTEN BUBBLING UNDER RINA SAWAYAMA If Rina Sawayama isn’t on your radar yet, then her latest album is guaranteed to put her there. The Japanese-born, UK-based triple-threat — singer, songwriter, and model — made a splash in early 2020 with the lead single “Comme Des Garçons (Like The Boys),” a subtle nod to the Japanese label and a celebration of female confidence so explosive it can only be compared to the male ego. Already hovering at 3 million plays on Spotify, the single is only a small taste of what Rina has in store for fans on her debut album Sawayama. K-Pop, I’m gonna let you finish, but Rina’s J-Pop is not a runner-up by any means — this album is one of the best pop releases of the year. LISTEN REMEMBER WHEN HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM GORDON! Happy Birthday to Kim Gordon, one of the reigning monarchs of indie rock, and a female icon so pervasive that her influence has swept past genre and inspired a number of women to get into music, regardless of sound or status. She isn’t quite a pop star, but her work as an author, activist, musician, and style influence is too pervasive to go unsung. She’s a bassist, producer, video director and star, and even an actress, and her work in bands like Sonic Youth and Free Kitten helped open up the music world to the novel idea — women are just as talented as men. Happy Birthday, Kim! If I look this good at 67 I’ll be absolutely thrilled. LISTEN LOVE LETTERS LIZZO Honestly, it’s hard for me to imagine a world without Lizzo’s debut album Cuz I Love You in it. That record got me through most of 2019, and I still turn to it for an upbeat, ball-busting, diva belted anthem, or the feel-good appeal of hits like “Juice” and “Good As Hell” on a regular basis. It’s a little crazy to remember that the record has only been out for a year, single-handedly catapulting Lizzo to the kind of fame that made even other massive pop stars like Ariana Grande, Harry Styles, and Billie Eilish sit up and take notice. Raise a glass of whatever your quarantine beverage of choice is and cheers to a happy one year anniversary to Cuz I Love You, officially one year old as of April 17th. REVISIT Warner Music Group 1633 Broadway New York, NY 10019 USA