@India Symone

Playlist converted by Soundiiz from another music platform! https://soundiiz.com

Japanese pop star Miki Nakashima, who attended 2017's Tokyo Rainbow Pride march, says, "Sometimes, you have to ignore what people say about you, and keep on living your life”. But that doesn't mean there won't be moments, she adds, when you feel like "bursting out crying, and want to give up”. That's when Nakashima's playlist can lift your spirits.

Songwriter and producer Michael “Blood Diamonds” Tucker started off in the indie trenches alongside future-minded artists like Grimes. His rebirth as BloodPop® led him to create lush dance pop for Justin Bieber (“Friends” and “Sorry”) as well as skeletal beats for R&B upstart Tinashe and hip-hop diva Dreezy. And his wildly diverse co-writes on Lady Gaga's album Joanne include the giddy “A-YO” and the thrashing “Perfect Illusion.”

He may be infamous for his collaboration with Mother Monster, but Swedish/Moroccan producer RedOne had already been working long before Lady Gaga showed the world her poker face. Get a taste of his earlier work with acts like Kat DeLuna and Darin, before he would get his big break in the U.S. with Gaga's ubiquitous first hits, Enrique Iglesias, and Jennifer Lopez.

Cherry Cherry Boom Boom—the <I>nom de pop</I> of producer and impresario Martin Kierszenbaum—has a keen eye for up-and-coming, far-flung talent: He boosted Lady Gaga toward superstardom on her breakthrough <I>The Fame</I> and helped the provocative Russian duo t.A.T.u. make headlines with the urgent “All the Things She Said.” His work with pop royalty like Madonna and Mylène Farmer uses 21st-century flourishes to showcase their storied talents.

A-List Pop is your weekly guide to what’s on top in pop music. Leading this week’s playlist is everyone’s favorite Midwest princess Chappell Roan with her long-awaited new single “The Subway.” Check back often, as our editors update this playlist regularly—and if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Armed with a mesmerizing soprano, Ariana Grande began her career as a child star on Broadway and Nickelodeon before evolving into a pop and R&B powerhouse. Across albums and hit singles—starting with 2013’s R&B jam “The Way” (featuring Mac Miller) and expanding into EDM with Zedd’s “Break Free,” retro-soul on “Dangerous Woman,” and diva trap-pop like “7 Rings”—she has consistently commanded the spotlight while using her stardom for activism. Grande’s pop journey has grown inward, using music as a therapeutic tool for spiritual growth. The Max Martin-produced “no tears left to cry,” which followed a deadly attack at one of her 2017 concerts, offered hope and healing. And after the loss of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller in 2018, <i>thank u, next</i> transformed heartbreak into catharsis with tracks like the graceful title hit. On 2020’s <i>Positions</i>, she blends sensuality (“34+35”) with self-assurance. And on 2024's <i>eternal sunshine</i>, she gives a quick wave to critics over the pulsing house groove of “yes, and?”

In most ways, the ’80s feels like a lifetime ago, but look around at the current state of dance pop and you might get thrown. The crispness, the brightness, the almost naive explosion of vibrancy and color: Is this now or then? Splitting the difference between classics and the contemporary tracks they’ve influenced, here’s a playlist designed to capture the tireless energy of ’80s dance pop. We update picks regularly, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Nobody said being a mom would be easy. And even when they said it’d be hard, they said it’d be rewarding—which, let’s face it, it isn’t always, especially not when you’re in the thick of it. We know it takes work. And we know work takes inspiration. The music here—a mix of pop, R&B, country, and more—isn’t just cuddly, aren’t-you-a-queen stuff (though it’s got a little of that if you need it). It’s music meant to empower, uplift, and remind you of the slayer you are. Because we see you. And none of us would be here without you.

Like the idea of the teenager, the definition of “teen pop” is always changing—just ask now-grown bobby-soxers, Beatlemaniacs, and Backstreet fans. But at its core, it’s always been synonymous with hooky songs that chronicled heartbreak, soundtracked dance crazes, and let adolescents blow off steam. The 2020s’ embrace of video-sharing sites accelerated the pace of teen pop’s evolution, with pop-punk and emo-rap just two of the styles that dominated trending charts. But the emotions expressed in song by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Tate McRae are timeless.