Nothing hits me like a solid pop song. There is something about a well-crafted song drenched in snare and bouncing with bass to make me love life just a little bit more. But it can’t be just any pop song that wins my affections. It needs to be heartfelt, timeless and believable. Enter Betty Who with her debut EP The Movement.
You’ll remember Betty Who from my interview with the singer a short while ago. I asked her about her musical influences, growing up in Australia and most importantly for readers of this blog, her veganism. Refresh your memory here.
Accidentally tripping over her single Somebody Loves Me sent me into a musical tailspin from which I’m yet to pull up. The song literally zipped to the top of my playlist and has barely been bothered since. My appetite for Betty Who had well and truly been awoken so it is with much joy and satisfaction that I present the songs from her new EP The Movement, available from today.
The four track collection is an exercise in pop purity. From powerhouse choruses through to softly spoken refrains, Betty’s voice stands across the EP as the combining force. Her delivery is both poignant and extremely well informed. Betty sings well and knows why she should.
Bass, snare and jangly vocals sweeping across the soundscape of You’re In Love are reminiscent of perfect pop moments born out of the legendary Janet Jackson/Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis partnership. As I listen, I can almost visualise Ms. Jackson driving with girlfriends in a convertible. Across a desert. In black and white. Someone would lose a scarf and they would all laugh because the song is just that damn catchy and fun.
Right Here takes proceedings to a slower place but certainly one that deserves to be on The Movement. Whispery vocals float almost separately above the rest of the track. I can’t listen without fearing they are going to get blown away. I would love to hear the vocal bare, without production.
Now. Down to the nuts and bolts. If universities taught people how to write the perfect pop song, High Society would be the required text. I could list all of the influences I hear such as Open Your Heart by Madonna, Affirmation by Savage Garden, I’ll Be Your Shelter by Taylor Dayne, Summerboy by Lady Gaga and others… but this songs needs no comparisons to warrant praise. It is pure pop perfection. I want it to last forever but am secretly delighted when it ends, allowing me to relive the experience all over again by pressing play.
And that my friends, is the sign of an irresistible pop record.
Do you like pop music? Do you support independent artists? Do you encourage vegans in their artistic pursuits? Buy The Movement today.
Listen to the full EP here: www.BettyWhoTheMovement.com
