Human Nature
Madonna
The fourth single from Madonna's 1994 album Bedtime Stories, “Human Nature” is a powerful celebration of self-expression.
Released in the wake of widespread public scrutiny she received when she released her SEX book and Erotica album, the song is an unapologetic and defiant doubling-down. The fuzzy R&B groove is a throwback for sure, but Madge's immortal words — “Express yourself, don't repress yourself” — ring truer than ever in our current age of increasingly conservative attitudes towards sex and self-expression.
BOY CRAZY.
Kesha
Kesha's debut album as an independent artist . (period), plays almost like a greatest hits record.
She draws on the cheeky, fun, party girl pop she first became known for, as well as sounds that have been popular in the years since. But this, the album's third single, is one of the few songs from the album that pushes Kesha's sound forward. This is exactly. the type of music Kesha should be making in the present day. The heavy hyperpop influence keeps things interesting but a mainstream pop melody makes for an easily-digestible earworm. And the unapologetically brash and flirty lyrics recall the empowering sexual liberation of her early tracks like “Blah Blah Blah.” This song has surely earned a permanent spot on Pride Month playlists and makes for a promising start to the next chapter of her career.
the cost of giving up
Poppy
After forays into several different rock-adjacent sub-genres, Poppy made a triumphant return to metal with her album Negative Spaces. The third single finds her “speaking from the dark side of my mind.”
“the cost of giving up,” is desperate plea for support during troubled times — “Why does it feel like help will never come?” — but Poppy is not as hopeless the lyrics might suggest. Her reflection on hopelessness leads to what seems to be an a-ha moment — “Maybe I'm the one I'm running from.” A surprisingly empowering turn in the bridge finds Poppy defiantly declaring she “will dig back out” from the rut she's in. The song provides the perfect type of catharsis for dark moods — it fully expresses heavy emotions without letting them crush you.
New York
Addison Rae
A joyful ode to the greatest city in the world, “New York” was a fitting choice for the opening track to Addison's debut LP.
It's a high-energy dance track remiscent of Charli xcx's “Club Classics” that immediately makes you want to dance. But it also is great scene-setting for the album's subtle narrative — a young girl leaves home, discovers the world and gets in touch with herself, her desires and her emotions. The song, expectedly, paints New York as a glamorous and liberating destination full of possibility (“Drop my bags at the Bowery hotel ... Oh god, I love New York ... Feel so free”). But the cheeky, unexpected humor that has become a trademark of Addison's lyrics (“Next stop to the club, I'm a dance whore / Kick drum, chew gum”), and a club beat that builds to an incredibly satisfying climax keep things interesting.
I'll Do It
Heidi Montag feat. Pitbull
2025 was the year Heidi Montag finally got her pop girl flowers, but the timing was bittersweet.
When “I'll Do It,” a deep cut from her only album at the time, 2010's Superficial, went viral on TikTok, she wasted no time releasing bonus tracks, remixes and even album reissues to capitalize on her surprise success — and not even an act of God could stop her from making the most of the moment. Just as the song was peaking in popularity, Heidi lost her home to the 2025 LA Wildfires.
Nevertheless, she persisted. In the wake of the tragedy, Heidi released a remix featuring Pitbull, and donated the proceeds to wildfire relief. It was a sweet gesture, and the song is a bop — but the thing is, it's a slutty electropop track about sexual roleplay. The remix starts with Pitbull referencing the tragedy, making for a darkly hilarious contrast. In typical hype-man fashion, Pitbull shouts, “You know what they say — God closes a door to open a window / LA one love! ... Let's use this song to bring the world together.” Then Heidi goes straight into the chorus, cooing about putting on stilettos, fishnets and a number of sexualized costumes for her man. “I'll be your blonde tonight, if that's what you like…” It is genuinely so funny, largely due to Mr. Worldwide's trademark lack of irony. I don't know if it's because his earnestness is contagious, because the wildfires — and so many other troubling events at the time — were so sad, or because I was just so desperate for hope, but those opening lines genuinely made me tear up a few times.
Aside from the lore of it all, the song itself is as much of a bop as the original. The remix doesn't stray too far from the album version, save for Pitbull's verse and one new vocal from Heidi — a playful “Who you?” in response to a call-out in the rap — but the additions do give the track a little something extra, and I found myself playing it more often than the original, which I also revisited plenty in 2025. It's not unusual for me to find strange comfort in darkly over-sexualized brainrot pop, but the way this song so nonchalantly combined vapid, sexual lyrics with a wholesome message almost made it feel like that makes sense. In these crazy times, I guess it makes as much sense as anything.
JOYRIDE.
Kesha
The debut single for Kesha's first album as an independent artist was a triumphant return to form.
Her previous album, EAT THE ACID (originally titled GAG ORDER) was a more introspective, atmospheric reflection on her years-long legal battle with her former collaborator Dr. Luke. She'd previously made attempts to recapture the party girl spirit she was known for with 2018's The High Road, but it felt forced, like drunken karaoke versions of her own past hits. With "JOYRIDE.", Kesha not only revived the carefree persona of her original records, but she introduced a delightfully experimental new sound.
The track opens with a jaunty accordion riff, an unexpected instrument for a pop song that signals we're in for a wild ride. The opening lines up the ante even further — “Are you a man? 'Cause I'm a bitch / Already rich, just looking for that (ah).” Like “BOY CRAZY.”, the unapologetic sexuality recalls her past hits. But her sex-positivity feels even more powerful the second time around. In her case against Dr. Luke, she alleged he sexually and emotionally abused her. While the case was settled out of court and Dr. Luke still claims innocence, the stress of a legal battle alone is enough to make someone want to hang up their dancing shoes.
But Kesha came back in full force — as wild as ever, but this time, she's in the driver's seat. The song features a series of come-ons and one-liners that make heavy use of the car imagery suggested by the title (“Rev my engine 'till you make it purr ... Beep beep, bitch, I'm outside”). And just for an extra dose of millennial nostalgia, there's a Mean Girls reference in the chorus — “Get in, loser, for the joyride.” It's a fun, experimental club banger that signals an exciting new era in Kesha's career.
If God is Real, Then Heaven Is a Club
Snow Wife
This song celebrates the power of nightlife without being weighed down by the dreaded over-intellectualization of the club.
Snow Wife doesn't spend much time elaborating on the idea expressed by the song's bold title. Instead, she embodies the bratty attitude of a hedonistic party girl. “Someone get my drink, I want it now ... Turn the music up, I like it loud.” It's silly, but I find it a lot more moving than something like Rosalia’s “Berghain,” another song that explored the complex emotional landscape of nightlife. That track is gorgeous and on another level musically, but this song expresses the same point with fun and humor. And if you ask me, that approach makes the point better than something like LUX or FKA Twigs' EUSEXUA — after all what is more heavenly than having your every bratty demand met?
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