Dreams of Number One
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dreamsofnumberone.bsky.social
Dreams of Number One
@dreamsofnumberone.bsky.social
A weekly newsletter by https://bsky.app/profile/joeykavanagh.bsky.social, celebrating pop artists and their would-be number ones.

https://dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/
Dreams of Number One #36: Addison Rae

"...there’s something about the knowing vapidity and campiness of the music and persona that provide a welcome reprieve from modern music’s overemphasis on authenticity."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/36-addison...
#36: Addison Rae
My boom boom bass, to die for.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:38 PM
Dreams of Number One #35: LoveLeo

"The good news is that the music is really great... Pick of the bunch for me is ‘Big Talk’, which would sit nicely alongside recent releases from our favourite indie sleaze revivalists The Dare and XKYLAR."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/35-loveleo
#35: LoveLeo
Just shut up and try not to shatter my my facade.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:34 PM
Dreams of Number One #34: Oklou

"Latest releases 'harvest sky’ and ‘obvious’ do little to dispel the idea that Oklou is one of the most exciting players in pop right now."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/34-oklou
#34: Oklou
Put my heart on the table for somebody to eat.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:32 PM
Dreams of Number One #33: Georgie & Joe

"There’s a breezy, lightweight quality... but, delving into the back-catalogue of both iterations of the band, you can see this ‘effortlessness’ is underpinned by extensive musical invention and experimentation.

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/33-georgie...
#33: Georgie & Joe
I got a song that will make you sweat.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:30 PM
Dreams of Number One #32: XKYLAR

"Her more recent musical output sits somewhere between indie sleaze (with an emphasis on the ‘sleaze’) and electroclash, but the different flavours in her back-catalogue point to an artist with range."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/32-xkylar
#32: XKYLAR
I don't need to know your sign. You don't need to ask me mine.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:28 PM
Dreams of Number One #31: JADE

"JADE wasn’t by any means ‘The Beyoncé’ of Little Mix—each member held their own —but her outspoken advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, love of drag culture and enthusiasm for ‘90s and ‘00s pop set her apart."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/31-jade
#31: JADE
Love when you call me a star, you let me down in the dark.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:27 PM
Dreams of Number One #30: Annie

"Her brand of Tom Tom Club-spiked bubblegum pop was equally adored by tastemaker blogs and Popjustice forum frequenters in the mid-to-late ‘00s, but Annie never got the foothold in the music industry some felt she deserved."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/30-annie
#30: Annie
Every song I hear reminds me of you.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:25 PM
Dreams of Number One #29: Magdalena Bay

"Their genre-melding sound blends elements of synth-pop, electronica and indie, while the accompany visuals are vibrant and surreal. The overall effect is at once nostalgic and futuristic. And very ‘online’."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/29-magdale...
#29: Magdalena Bay
Tuesday, on a red star. Are we too late? Are we too far?
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:18 PM
Dreams of Number One #28: Pure Shores

"..a duo that embodies the quintessential qualities of Swedish pop: infectious hooks, polished production, and a knack for blending melancholy with euphoria."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/28-pure-sh...
#28: Pure Shores
I heard our song play on the radio and I just had to call you up.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:16 PM
Dreams of Number One #27: Lapsley

"...she’s covered soulful ballads, langorous R’n’B, moody electronica and more, with the through-line being her distinctive bluesy vocal."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/27-lapsley
#27: Låpsley
Thought I'd make it out, and I have done so far.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:15 PM
Dreams of Number One #26: The Dare

"The Dare’s music evokes the scuzzy synth-pop sounds of the ‘00s New York indie scene, drawing frequent comparisons to LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/26-the-dare
#26: The Dare
All the boys and the girls ask me: "What is that smell?"
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:13 PM
Dreams of Number One #25: Sega Bodega

"Sega Bodega’s own work is equally captivating, running the gamut from introspective balladry to glitchy club-pop, often in the same song."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/25-sega-bo...
#25: Sega Bodega
Huff you up 'til you're just a colour I can't see.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:11 PM
Dreams of Number One #24: Sevdaliza

"Since 2013, Sevdaliza’s blend of avant pop and audacious visuals has gradually earned her a devout following but, more recently, her music has begun to attract a much wider audience."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/24-sevdaliza
#24: Sevdaliza
Can you remember when the last time was you felt safe in the dark?
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:08 PM
Dreams of Number One #23: Cecile Believe

"Cecile has worked with many of alternative pop’s main players, but now her own music is taking stage."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/23-cecile-...
#23: Cecile Believe
I’m not afraid of the darkness. I relish the stuff.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:07 PM
Dreams of Number One #22: Doechii

"Equally skilled as a singer and rapper, each new release finds her venturing into new uncharted sonic territory."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/publish/post...
#22: Doechii
Whatever it is that you're doing, I don't really think I would call it a dance.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:03 PM
Dreams of Number One #21: Maude Latour

"Some of her earlier releases might as well be outtakes from Lorde’s ‘Melodrama’ sessions and latest single ‘Cursed Romantics’ is reminiscent of when MARINA still had her Diamonds."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/21-maude-l...
#21 Maude Latour
Samantha, get in the fucking car.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:03 PM
Dreams of Number One #20: Mahmood

"‘Tuta Gold’ intersperses moments of beautiful balladeering with one of the most infectious choruses of the year."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/20-mahmood
#20: Mahmood
Baby, non richiamerò.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:02 PM
Dreams of Number One #19: Isaac Dunbar

"...a diligent student of pop, pulling musical references from the likes of Bowie, Elton and Freddie and alchemising them into something of his own."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/19-isaac-d...
#19: Isaac Dunbar
I’m man enough to be a party girl and dance all night.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:01 PM
Dreams of Number One #18: CLYPSO

"On foot of a string of bombastic singles, including the excellent ‘D.Y.S. (Defend Your Situation)’, ‘Sidestep’, and an All Saints cover, she signed a deal with BMG imprint Astral People."

dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/18-clypso
#18: CLYPSO
Rejoin the delegation. It'll change if we insist.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:00 PM
Dreams of Number One #17: Florrie

"The newer tracks lean ardent and anthemic, with lyrics that reference self-acceptance and overcoming personal and professional difficulties."

Read the latest newsletter: dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/17-florrie
#17: Florrie
Our thorns are buried deep, but we see beauty in our dreams
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 11:00 PM
Dreams of Number One #16: Bashar Murad

"His music often tackles themes of injustice, including gender equality, and the Israeli occupation of his homeland."

Read the latest newsletter: dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/16-bashar-...
#16: Bashar Murad
Even if you do your best, and you pass the test, doesn't mean you'll make it.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 10:59 PM
Dreams of Number One #15: Otha

"...her own music has a harder dance-pop edge, pitching pithy lyrical mantras against throbbing bass and pulsing rhythms."

Read the latest newsletter: dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/15-otha
#15: Otha
We're all so tired and sick of all the stupid pricks.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 10:58 PM
Dreams of Number One #14: Blusher

"Swimming with musical ideas that coalesce into Muna-esque midtempos (‘Dead End’) or post-‘Art Angels’ alt-pop anthems (‘Softly Spoken’)."

Read the latest newsletter: dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/14-blusher
#14: Blusher
Somebody hand me the aux cord. This DJ sucks, I'm going home.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 10:57 PM
Dreams of Number One #13: Chappell Roan

"It’s perhaps not surprising that American singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, poised to crack the Billboard Hot 100, has come to the attention of the Industry Plant Police."

Read the latest newsletter: dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/13-chappel...
#13: Chappell Roan
We both have a crush on Regina George.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 10:56 PM
Dreams of Number One #12: Two Shell

"They may present as jokers, fond of stunts and pranks, but seem to take their pop music seriously."

Read the latest newsletter:
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com/p/12-two-she...
#12: Two Shell
Called you just to check you never wanna see me again.
dreamsofnumberone.substack.com
November 18, 2024 at 10:56 PM