Can you believe it’s already been 6 months since I started The Pop Drop? I’m genuinely taken aback by my consistency, but the pop music industry waits for no one, so without further ado, here’s your monthly round-up of some of the hottest releases of the month to give your playlist a much-needed glow-up (just kidding, your playlist is already beautiful).
1.Olivia Dean - The Art Of Loving
I’ve never been too shy about professing my obsession with Olivia Dean’s music, an English pop-soul singer, who has recently been taking off in the American music scene (finally, this side of the Atlantic is catching up!). On September 26, she released her sophomore album, The Art Of Loving—a deep dive into the complexities of love and relationships told through Dean’s warm vocals, which make you feel like you’re strolling down a sunlit street in the West Village. Each track feels like a personal anecdote, coated in a vulnerability that pulls you in. On “Lady Lady,” she reflects on her personal evolution, “God I used to love this hair / Now there’s something in the air.” The album’s breakout single, “Man I Need,” earned Dean her debut at 82 on the Billboard Hot 100, and for good reason. The romantic track feels like a cozy embrace as she urges her love interest to seize the moment and make his move. What makes this album remarkable is not just Dean’s voice or multi-genre influences, but the way she encapsulates the messiness of loving—whether it’s needing space, finding yourself, or enjoying someone’s presence—and turns it into something truly human. Rather than grand gestures, The Art of Loving wins you over with its soulful honesty and quiet tenderness.
2. JADE - THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!
Full disclosure: I was a die-hard Mixer in my early teens, so you can’t imagine the giddy anticipation I felt when JADE released her debut album, THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!, on September 12. She kicked off her solo era with “Angel Of My Dreams” on July 19th, 2024—a bold, electro-pop anthem about her experiences in the music industry. The track walks the line between being ambiguous enough for multiple interpretations, but clear enough for listeners to catch a couple of subtle digs towards Little Mix’s former label, “Syco,” run by the infamous Simon Cowell: “Sellin' my soul to a psycho / They say I'm so lucky.” As a debut single, it was daring, straying from the bubblegum pop sound of Little Mix for a darker commentary on the industry, but that’s exactly why it remains my favorite from the album.
Throughout the record, JADE leans into a campy, almost Gaga-esque energy, experimenting with synth-heavy pop and versatility in her voice. She proves that she really is the “IT girl” she declares herself to be on track two. Highlights include the infectious earworm, “Plastic Box,” the 80’s synth-pop inspired “Unconditional,” and of course, the standout “Angel Of My Dreams.” Special mention to the creative interpolation of The Supremes’ “Stop! In The Name Of Love” featured on “Before You Break My Heart.” A brilliant nod from a member of the biggest girl group of the 2010’s to the biggest girl group of the 60’s. With THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!, JADE begins writing a legacy that feels both fresh and entirely hers.
3. 5 Seconds of Summer - NOT OK
5 Seconds of Summer remains one of pop’s great chameleons. Their first two albums–5 Seconds of Summer and Sounds Good Feels Good–leaned into pop-punk, offering a tamer counterpart to bands like Fall Out Boy and blink-182. By their third record, Youngblood, they had shed their facial piercings, grungy band tees, and vibrant hair in favor of a sleeker, more mature pop-rock sound. They followed that evolution with the alt-pop textures of CALM and 5SOS5. Now, with their latest release, the band seems to be circling back to their edgier roots, though this time with an experimental twist that feels reminiscent of acts like Gorillaz or Muse.
Lead vocalist Luke Hemmings describes “NOT OK” as a track about “letting out the darker side of yourself and embracing it.” He also connects the single to his bandmates, stating, “The song is also a nod to the band itself. We pull those sides out of each other.” “NOT OK” is a bold comeback, one that suggests that 5 Seconds of Summer are once again reinventing themselves and finding fresh ways to evolve despite being over a decade into their career.
4. RAYE - WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!
As you may have picked up on from Issue #3 of the Pop Drop, I’ve been hooked on RAYE’s recent releases, and her new single, “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” is just another example of her pop-soul expertise. The track finds RAYE playfully questioning why her future husband is taking so long to enter her life. “Why is this beautiful man waiting for me to get old? / Why he already testing my patience…” she sings, pairing humor and candor in a way that makes the song irresistibly charming. Not to mention her rapid-fire melodic lines that scratch my brain in the most perfect way. At this point, RAYE is one of my favorite artists in the game, and this single only reinforces why.
5. Tate McRae - “TIT FOR TAT”
On September 26th, Tate McRae dropped her new single “TIT FOR TAT,” a track that sonically falls in line with her most recent body of work, So Close To What (which I’ve previously reviewed on KSDT’s blog—subtle plug). While she hasn’t confirmed anything yet, the release could hint at a deluxe version on the horizon. Widely assumed to be about her ex, The Kid LAROI, the song serves as a direct response to his most recent release, “A COLD PLAY,” in which he sings about wanting to “fix” his ex: “I tried not to listen when they all would say, ayy / This was temporary and you'd walk away… / But it's my fault for thinking I could / Fix you…” But Tate didn’t let him get away with the slander on her name, clapping back with, “Fix your fucking self, kiss my ass for that / That's the best you got, where's the good one at?”
Her vocals are delivered over a trap beat infused with pop synths, layered with background chants of the chorus that open up the track—a creative touch that immediately grabbed my attention. Much like So Close To What, “TIT FOR TAT” doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and while I still wish she’d lean more into personalizing her sound, the track is undeniably catchy, and I do love seeing men get humbled.
To end off my September issue of “The Pop Drop,” here’s a few more tracks I’ve had on repeat this month— not all released in September, but all worth a listen:
1.Holly Humberstone - “Lauren”
2. RAYE - “Ice Cream Man.”
3. Adrian Lyles - “Peace of Mind”
4. Beeson - “Keeping Score”
5. Wild Rivers - “Thinking ‘Bout Love”
Check out the full playlist here: The Pop Drop: September 2025 (Issue #6)