Readers of That Grape Juice know how passionate we are about music – whether that be past or present.
However, unlike our other segments – Retro Rewind, TGJ Replay, and From The Vault – The Pop Stop is the most in-depth look at Pop songs that may have flown under the radar over the last week that you should know, rather they be from music’s biggest stars or those on the rise.
This week, we want to highlight cuts from Raye, Clinton Kane, The Image, and Heather Sommer.
Join us inside…
Raye – Love Of Your Life
After gaining momentum with her collaborations with David Guetta and Jax Jones, London-born singer Raye broke free from being a featured act and created a dance floor all her own with her debut album ‘Euphoric Sad Songs.’ The shiny disco ball at the center of this floor is the self-aware ‘Love of Your Life.’ Built around a combination of bass-heavy grooves and delicate strings, ‘Love of Your Life,’ creates the ultimate disco for these times spent at home. In a relationship or not, this song will become the love of your life.
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Clinton Kane – Chicken Tendies
Despite the title, the song is not actually about food, but the strained relationship with Clinton Kane’s religious mother. Constructed with the soft strums of a guitar that build into pounding drums that duplicates the subtle sound of a heartbeat on the verge of breaking. Kane’s throaty delivery hammer’s the wounded message home to draw the euphoric cry that comes when you realize that it is finally time to move on. If ‘Chicken Tendies’ is any indication of his career going forward, then it’s safe to say Kane has a long career ahead of him, and deservedly so.
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The Image – Morning Prayer
LA-based makes duo The Image has slowly been building buzz around the music scene and their latest single ‘Morning Prayer’ shows exactly why. Take one part keys, mix in a trap beat, add in some heavenly background vocals, and you have the recipe for one of the year’s most celebratory songs that is bound to get anyone on their feet. Without hesitation, The Image has once again found a way to bring their unique sound to a broader audience. Needless to say, it’s a bonafide hit in the making.
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Heather Sommer – and if i’m being honest…
Heather Sommer has amassed more than 40 million streams on Spotify and it’s easy to see how with her clever lyrics and ethereal voice. Case in point, ‘and if I’m being honest,’ the centerpiece of her criminally underrated ‘Nocturnal’ album. Sparkling synths and ticking clocks clear the path for Sommer’s emotive delivery to shine as she delivers clever turn of phrases such as “And now I’m so stuck on / photos, overexposed.” The perfect slice of ambient house-pop, ‘and if I’m being honest’ is honestly the perfect showing for one of pop’s future stars.
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Do you agree with our picks?