After a pretty slow May, pop came back in full swing this June! There were so many releases, moments, and even a scandal or two this month—it was honestly hard to narrow it all down. These are the moments where I wish I could cover everything, but alas, there was just too much for little old me to handle. So without further ado, here are some of the most notable pop releases from June:
1.Sabrina Carpenter - “Manchild”
While I wish that “Manchild” departed a bit further from the country-pop sound we heard on Short n’ Sweet, I still really enjoyed this release. It’s classic Sabrina: cheeky, fun, and paired with one of the most fantastic music videos I’ve seen in a while (I literally need every single one of those 903583843 outfits). And of course, in true Sabrina Carpenter fashion, the men in the music video meet a painful end.
That’s why I was a bit confused about the outrage surrounding her upcoming album cover for Man’s Best Friend. I get why some people are uncomfortable—Sabrina on all fours, being pulled by her hair, doesn’t exactly scream “women empowerment.” That’s a valid critique. But I struggle with the argument that she’s appealing to the male gaze. It’s hard to claim that when Sabrina consistently writes songs about how infuriated she is with men and gleefully kills them off in her videos. I think people are confusing Sabrina embracing her sexuality with performing for men’s approval. Her audience has always been—and probably always will be—women.
But hey, I could be wrong. I’m not in her head. If she is appealing to the male gaze, she’s got to be the biggest man-hater to ever do it. I guess we’ll find out more when the album drops.
As for “Manchild,” I genuinely like it. I just miss the emails i can’t send era so much that it’s been hard for me to get into her recent releases as much as I have in the past.
2. KATSEYE - BEAUTIFUL CHAOS
I love KATSEYE. I love their members, their style, their choreography, their talent—everything except their music. I want to love it so badly. But even though I find myself bopping along to some of their songs, most of their releases leave me wanting more. I was hoping BEAUTIFUL CHAOS would be different, but I fear it’s more of the same.
- “Gnarly” has fantastic production but the lyrics are hard to listen to.
- “Gabriela” is one of the better tracks on the EP but it feels uninspired.
- “Gameboy” is growing on me but I still think it’s a bit of a snoozefest.
- I love that “Mean Girls” shouts out the T girls and in-between girls but even the wholesome lyrics can’t make up for the bland production and repetitive lyrics.
- And “M.I.A.”...is actually really good (you weren’t expecting me to say that, were you)? “M.I.A.” has the punchy production of “Gnarly” but without the lyrics that make me want to immediately turn the song off. It really reminds me of BLACKPINK’s more energetic songs like “Pink Venom” and “Kill This Love” and while that isn’t always my cup of tea, I can recognize that it’s a track well done.
The biggest issue with this EP’s isn’t even the songs inidivually—it’s the lack of cohesion across the body of work. This EP doesn’t tell me who KATSEYE is. Versatility is great, but not when it comes at the expense of a consistent brand. I’ll give them a some grace—it’s only their second EP—but I do hope they find their sound soon. There’s so much potential here, and I genuinely look forward to watching them grow.
3. Conan Gray - “This Song”
Okay, so technically this track came out on May 30th, but it was too late to make last month’s issue—and I knew I couldn’t write this month’s issue without mentioning it.
“This Song” kicks off Conan’s new Wishbone era. A sweet love song about writing a love song as a grand romantic gesture (kind of meta, I know), the track truly feels like a return to his pre-Found Heaven indie pop sound. Personally, I prefer this sound to the punchy 80s-inspired pop he explored on his last album. Plus, the music video serves the cutest queer coming-of-age movie vibes, which I loved.
4. Reneé Rapp - “Mad”
I wish I had more to say because I do enjoy this track and it’s earned a spot on my playlist—but I feel similarly about this track to how I felt about her previous single, “Leave Me Alone,” (check out last month’s review here), which is to say, I think the track feels very true to Reneé (cheeky & fun), but it’s missing that “je ne sais quoi” factor to make it truly interesting.
5. Addison Rae - Addison
After a successful single run, rising pop-star Addison Rae finally dropped her debut album Addison on June 6th. While I think the singles are still the highlights, the rest of the album proved she’s more than capable of creating cohesive and inspired body of work. My favorites include “Diet Pepsi,” “Headphones On,” and “Money is Everything.”
I am curious about where she’ll go from here, though. Much of the album sticks to a light and airy vocal style. I would love to see her push outside of that comfort zone in the future and explore other parts of her vocal range. Still, as a debut album, I’m impressed.
6. Mark Ronson, RAYE - “Suzanne”
The “RAYE is the reincarnation of Amy Winehouse” truthers are going to LOVE this one.
If I had a nickel for everytime Mark Ronson dropped a collab with a British female vocalist titled a woman’s name, I’d have two nickels—which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
“Suzanne,” is a masterclass in soul-pop. RAYE’s smooth vocals feel like being wrapped in a warm blanket, and Mark Ronson’s perfect blend of soul, jazz, and pop compliments her so well. This has to be my favorite track in this month’s issue of The Pop Drop, so be sure to check it out!
7. King Princess - “RIP KP”
Speaking of releases I’ve been loving this month, King Princess’s “RIP KP” is easily one of the most underrated releases this month. The chorus is undeniably catchy, and her signature raspy vocal delivery really completes the track. Definitely a standout.
8. Olivia Dean - “Nice To Each Other”
Okay, maybe I’m biased, but I’m convinced everything Olivia Dean touches turns to gold. Her new track “Nice To Each Other” delivers smooth vocals, a breezy melody, and that warm, classic Olivia Dean charm.
She has to be one of my favorite artists in the game right now, and though I can’t afford concert tickets for her upcoming LA show, you can bet I will continue to obsess over her ethereal voice from home. Also, quick shoutout to her feature on Sam Fender’s, “Rein Me In,” which also dropped this month. I didn’t include it as a standalone on this list since the original track came out in February, but it’s absolutely worth a listen—an indie-rock gem with a walking bass line and lyrics that explore sentiments of love and longing.
To end off my June issue of “The Pop Drop,” here’s a few tracks I’ve had on repeat this month— not all released in June, but all worth a listen:
1.The Wrecks - “I Didn’t Use To”
2 .Reneé Rapp - “Everything to Everyone - Extended Version”
3. flowerovlove - “congrats! u did it!”
4. Say Now - “Brick by Brick”
5. Ally Salort - “Pretty Face”
Check out the full playlist here: The Pop Drop: June 2025 (Issue #3)