The following three pop albums are objectively perfect from every direction, and while two of them play a little fast and loose with the “under 30 minutes” criteria, that doesn’t discredit their perfection. Whether they’re under half an hour or a few minutes over the mark, one thing is certain: we’d listen to these pop albums non-stop no matter what.
‘Emotion: Side B’ by Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen released Emotion: Side B in August 2016 as a companion EP to her 2015 pop album Emotion. After writing roughly 230 songs over two years for the main album, Jepsen had to narrow the tracklist down to 17. While she was on tour, fans demanded more songs from those writing sessions, as she’d moved away from a mass-produced formula and had more creative input on this album.
Emotion: Side B features eight tracks heavily inspired by 80s synthwave and dream pop, much like the main album. It accompanies the first release well, shimmering with a bright, bouncy sound that never strays into over-saturated bubblegum pop. It’s electropop for a more refined audience without losing its youthful energy.
‘El mal querer’ by Rosalía
El mal querer was Rosalía’s second album, released in November 2018 when she was still an independent artist. She actually presented it as her final project when graduating from Catalonia College of Music with a bachelor’s degree. It’s a suitably intellectual conceptual pop album creating a musical narrative for a 13th-century novel. But it’s Rosalía’s blend of flamenco, experimental pop, and Latin R&B that makes this album objectively perfect.
The album shifts seamlessly through genres and styles. From traditional instrumentation and expressive vocalizations in one moment, to slick modern beats and R&B-style vocals in the next. El mal querer is an emotional journey, but even with a language barrier, the feelings are universal.
‘Super Sunset’ by Allie X
Allie X released the EP Super Sunset in October 2018, but each song had its moment in the spotlight when she released them all as singles. This is an undoubtedly perfect album all the way down, but the crowning jewel is really “Not So Bad In L.A.”. Lyrically clever with a slick beat, it disarmingly satirizes the Los Angeles lifestyle.
For only eight tracks, Super Sunset is surprisingly conceptual. It was inspired by Allie X’s tumultuous experiences over five years in L.A., which she represented with three character archetypes. Sci-Fi Girl was an exaggerated, alien version of Allie X; The Hollywood Starlet represented the vapid delusions of L.A.; and The Nun was the embodiment of artistic purity. Together, these concepts make Super Sunset an exploration of creative integrity at war with the ridiculousness of show business.
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