#DALEYPOP X JULY 2025

Music has been embedded in my life ever since I was in the womb, my Mum and Dad basically raised me on music, especially POP music! I grew up listening to Madonna, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, Spice Girls, Britney Spears and even AQUA and I’ve always been obsessed with pop culture and Eurovison! I love sharing my favourite songs and album every month with the world from Scene HQ!

Agnes - BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES

Following the critical success of Magic Still Exists-which earned multiple Swedish Grammy nominations—Swedish pop powerhouse Agnes is back with a new single BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES from her upcoming album and it’s-a banger.

BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES is a deep house anthem that marks the beginning of a bold new era and with each listen, the track reveals new layers-its sleek production, pulsing rhythm, and Agnes’s signature powerhouse vocals only grow more addictive over time! Agnes once again proves she’s unafraid to blend glamour with vulnerability.

Set against a surrealist catwalk, the visually arresting video follows Agnes as she moves through a dreamscape entirely of her own making-part performance, part fantasy and entirely unforgettable.

The video, directed by Fredrik Hvass of Swim Club, perfectly captures the song’s exploration of external glamour and inner vulnerability. The video creates a mesmerising world that pushes artistic boundaries.

Agnes shared the inspiration behind the track: "It all started with an image I saw in my mind: a person in the midst of chaos of luxury, parties, mess, and gazes. Someone who appears confident and glittery on the surface, but where something else is happening inside - behind those Balenciaga covered eyes. But the song was also born from a feeling that I wanted to write something I myself want to hear when I go out on a weekend."

Mariah Carey - Type Dangerous

It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since Caution, it felt like waiting for GTA7 but Mariah Carey makes a triumphant return with Type Dangerous-a sleek, hip-hop soul track that reasserts her place at the top of the pop pantheon. Sampling Eric B. & Rakim’s 1986 classic Eric B. Is President, the song fuses vintage swagger with modern finesse, driven by clapping percussion, a bass-heavy groove and sharp, playful lyrics and a confident delivery! Mimi proves she’s not just back-she’s evolving, and still setting the standard.

If this is the tone-setter for the upcoming sixteenth studio album, we're in for a fabulous ride dahhling lambs! Oh and don't forget Mariah will be at Brighton Pride in August. THE Mariah Carey, in Preston Park. In Preston Park. Wild!

Bagarre and La Grande Dame - Bouche à bouche

After stepping back from the drag spotlight, La Grande Dame-aka Yannick Androf-makes a powerful return with cathartic debut EP, Parfum Orange. The project marks a bold new chapter, blending theatrical flair with emotional depth.

A standout moment from the EP is the latest single, Bouche à bouche-a sultry, synth-soaked duet with electro-punk collective Bagarre. It’s a genre-bending gem that fuses Bagarre’s raw, rebellious energy with La Grande Dame’s signature cabaret-pop drama. Basically a sexy and hypnotic blend of French house beats and cinematic vocal interplay that feels like a dancefloor confession.

Speaking about the track, Yanni describes it as “the calm before the storm,” part of a two-song narrative alongside Les baisers amers-another track taken from Parfum Orange that recounts the same evening at the legendary Rex Club in Paris-once home to Daft Punk.

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Joel Corry and Jennifer Lopez - Get Right

Joel Corry x J.Lo = certified bop! The 2025 remix of Get Right takes J.Lo’s iconic 2005 hit and gives it a full on glow up. That legendary sax riff? Still there-just louder, sharper, and ready to soundtrack your next night out. Joel'’s production turns the original’s funky R&B strut into a high-gloss, bass-thumping house track that feels like it was made for Ibiza sunsets and LED-lit dance floors.

This version of Get Right doesn’t just nod to nostalgia, it grabs it by the collar and makes it hot again. It’s hawt, it’s slick, and it proves that some pop legends don’t age-they just level up. I can't stop thinking about seeing J Lo in Vegas next year! I haven't got tickets....yet.

FHAT - Guys

Meet FHAT-the queer, American-born pop duo you didn’t know you needed but now can’t imagine your playlists without. Composed of best friends IRL, Sedric Perry and Aaron Pfeiffer. FHAT was born from a deep creative bond and a shared vision for bold, fearless and infectious genre-blurring pop, and unapologetically queer!

FHAT’s journey began in a London writing session that sparked their radiant debut single Back to Life-a heartfelt tribute to friendship and chosen family. From that moment on S&A have been on a mission to create pop that’s not just catchy but meaningful. Their music blends slick visuals, raw honesty, and a powerful commitment to LGBTQ+ visibility.

Their latest single Guys is a perfect example: a sleek, sexy summer anthem that’s equal parts celebration and statement. Imagine Janet Jackson meets Ariana Grande with a dreamy Tame Impala haze layered on top. It’s a genre-blurring bop that radiates confidence, desire and unapologetic queer joy.

Ariana Grande - twighlight zone

Ariana Grande’s twilight zone is giving ✨emotional dissociation but make it aesthetic✨. Pulled from the deluxe edition of eternal sunshine, this track floats in like a late-night voice note you weren’t supposed to hear-soft, glitchy and lowkey devastating. The production is pure dream-pop haze: synths that shimmer like static, a beat that barely taps, and Ari whispering like she’s spilling secrets from another dimension.

It’s not a banger but it’s a vibe. Think We Can’t Be Friends but more ghosted, more surreal. She’s in her sad girl era, but it’s elevated: referencing the Twilight Zone to describe that weird, post-breakup limbo where nothing feels real and everything’s a little too quiet. It’s the kind of song you loop at 2AM while staring at your ceiling, wondering if you’re the problem (you’re not don't worry hun).

Kid Souf - HANDLEBAR

Kid Souf has released HANDLEBAR-a punchy, two-minute burst of electro pop energy that feels like a joyride through a retro-futuristic dance floor, you'll know what I mean when you listen to it! With nods to Charli XCX and 90s rave culture, the track blends industrial textures with club-ready beats, creating a sound that’s both nostalgic and forward-thinking.

Kid Souf delivers with charisma, riding the beat with a swagger that matches the track’s title. It’s the kind of song that demands movement, whether you’re in a club or just vibing with headphones on in the office.

Sarah McLachlan - Better Broken

After nearly a decade away from the spotlight, Sarah McLachlan returns with Better Broken, a luminous and deeply felt album that proves emotional honesty never goes out of style. The title track is classic SM-achingly introspective, yet quietly powerful. Her voice, still rich with warmth and vulnerability, floats over a restrained arrangement of piano, strings, and ambient textures, capturing the bittersweet beauty of healing through imperfection. It’s not about being fixed-it’s about finding strength in the cracks.

What sets Better Broken apart is its refusal to chase trends. Instead, Sarah leans into her strengths: poetic lyricism, emotional nuance, and a voice that feels like a balm for the soul. In a world obsessed with reinvention, Sarah reminds us that evolution can be quiet, graceful and absolutely necessary.

JADE - Plastic Box

JADE honestly doesn't stop releasing bops, I'm actually gagged. Plastic Box feels like a throwback to the golden era of Tumblr heartbreak anthems-equal parts emotional catharsis and synth-pop shimmer. It’s the kind of track that would’ve lived rent-free on a 2014 Spotify playlist titled “Crying in the Uber Home”. With its polished production and introspective lyrics, it taps into that millennial sweet spot: yearning, self-awareness, and just enough drama to feel cinematic.

Co-written with Lauren Aquilina and produced by Oscar Görres, the song blends nostalgic pop textures with a modern edge, echoing the emotional resonance of artists like Robyn and early Lorde. Plastic Box isn’t just a bop-it’s a mood, a moment, and a reminder that feeling too much is still totally valid. It’s perfect for those nights when you’re scrolling through old texts, sipping wine, and wondering if Mercury is in retrograde again.

AOTM:

MARINA - PRINCESS OF POWER

PRINCESS OF POWER is MARINA’s sixth studio album and-let’s be honest huns-her most iconic era yet I fear. She’s back, she’s independent and she’s serving glitter-drenched empowerment on her own terms via her new label, Queenie Records (in partnership with BMG).

Fueled by the ultimate superpower-love-this album isn’t just a vibe, it’s a manifesto. P.O.P. reclaims what it means to lead, to feel, and to thrive in a world that often tells us softness is weakness. Spoiler: it’s not!

This is MARINA at her most unfiltered, most theatrical, most Electra Heart-core. Imagine if Sailor Moon, Cher, and a Greek goddess started a synth-pop coven. That’s the vibe.

The album explores the concepts of power and leadership for a new generation. It’s a record that is built on the belief that love doesn’t make us weak, it’s something to be empower by and celebrated.

I can’t get enough of the smooth, pulsing electronic beats and the clever and slightly cheeky lyrics-they make the whole album feel fresh and fun.

The official video for I <3 YOU might just be my favourite MARINA visual to date. She's literally giving everything I knew Marina had in her. It’s tender, radiant, and full of that signature MARINA magic. She recently said, “One of my lessons in the last few years is that love-and showing love-is not a weak thing,” and “Of all the superpowers we have as humans, love is our greatest one.” and she’s right. In a world that often feels cold or chaotic, this song and this video are a beautiful reminder that love is still the most powerful force we have.

I love how confident and playful MARINA is in this era btw-it’s clear she’s genuinely enjoying herself yay. Her performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has been such a standout moment so far for this Diamond, she radiated joy and charisma, and all of the interviews too. It’s so good to see her shining again not that she ever stopped!

Marina said “So often, women don’t think they’re allowed to feel their sexuality in a way that doesn’t involve how it looks for men. They feel that it’s been co-opted – I would love to be able to free younger women of that, the feeling that our bodies don’t quite belong to us. You can look or dress a certain way, but that doesn’t mean that internally, you feel free,” she says. “And that’s what I’m after.”

My favourites tracks are....in no particular order, drumroll🥁🥁the album title track Princess of Power! Final Boss, Digital Fantasy, Cuntissimo, Metallic Stallion, I <3 YOU, Everybody Knows I'm Sad, Je ne sais quoi, Cupid's Girl, Rollercoaster, Butterfly, Hello Kitty and Adult Girl-so basically every track obvs!

Fifteen years into her career-when many artists begin to plateau or fade-MARINA feels more vibrant, more fearless, and more creatively alive than ever. Princess of Power doesn’t just signal a new chapter, it feels like the true beginning of something extraordinary. And honestly, what a time to be alive-and to be a Diamond.

Let me know your thoughts below!