Ne-Yo, Bjork and Charli XCX comprise ZAXCY’s curated playlist of songs that “dissect a range of music I grew up with.”
We’ve already been treated to the genre-defying wizardry of ZAXCY, thanks to their recent album ‘What Do I Even Know For Sure’.
That project — with its effortless fusion of free-form jazz, electronic glitch and even future-pop — serves as a masterclass in free-flowing experimentation, which ZAXCY later told us was informed by “absorbing different sources of inspiration like a sponge.”
With such a broad sonic palette, it stands to reason that ZAXCY’s own playlist is one of similar diversity.
Below, the Ipswich-born musician delves deep into the reaches of pop music history, from the off-kilter glory of Bjork to the hyperpop visionary that is Charli XCX.
Catch ZAXCY’s full curated playlist of classic pop moments and timeless songs below, and scroll down to listen to ‘What Do I Even Know For Sure’.
I have put together a playlist of some songs I keep coming back to with a bit of reasoning why I keep coming back, and never tire of.
When making a conscious effort to focus on pop music, I thought it would be easy, because that’s what artists do when they “sell out”—they just go pop, right?
I was talking to a friend who articulated quite the opposite, arguing that pop music, at its best, is actually the hardest genre to craft.
You have to do everything really well in a short amount of time and still be quickly relatable to the listener and infinitely replayable and catchy to catch the listeners attention quickly and sustain and reward it.
Throughout the process of my sophomore album, I was constantly referencing playlists, moods, and different qualities I wanted to keep at the forefront of my mind while working on the body of work.
My debut and early material is much darker and esoteric, so with the sophomore album being influenced by a more pop sound palette, I found myself listening to and dissecting a range of music I grew up with in the hopes of understanding what hooks me in a song and keeps me coming back and some more.
Closer – Ne-Yo
I had never heard this song until late last year—well, sort of. I would later realize it was sampled by XXYYXX, but I digress.
Hearing it as a friend screen-recorded his camera app and lip-synced the song dramatically in his room, my ears were piqued. What was this song?
Early 2000s leads, a catchy guitar riff, and a passionate, dynamic performance from Ne-Yo, killer melodies all made this song stand out.
It has a clear intro, climax, and ending. The hypnotic, sleek, euphoric progression keeps this song fresh and resonant for me today, despite it coming out back in 2008.
A Thousand Miles – Vanessa Carlton
I would steal my mother’s pink iPod shuffle, which had this song on it. I wouldn’t find out its name until years later when it became prominent in memes online and I revisited it.
To this day, everything about this song still slaps. With push-and-pull moments, a progressive brisk structure, and a blissful hook, it has all sorts of cute, endearing qualities that make it infinitely replayable and sweet even today.
Iris – The Goo Goo Dolls
Originally made for a movie soundtrack, this is another song that I’m late to the party on, only really listening to it this year. It’s a potent, powerful song that swells with passion.
Featuring a progressive structure with instrumental detours, a guitar solo before the final chorus, and an ultimate crescendo, this song is one I find myself almost calling perfect and returning to over and over.
Jóga – Björk
Björk’s soaring vocals over the vast strings that build and bloom in the hook, along with the gradual introduction of glitchy IDM elements into the beat before a funky bass grooves into the mix, make this track exceptional.
Björk croons through each chorus, “State of emergency is where I want to be, how beautiful to be,” and each listen makes me feel like emergency is also where I want to be.
Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye
I remember when this one dropped; it was played a lot on family car trips and on the radio, going viral worldwide. When I return to the song today, I still find it coming back into the daily rotation and holding up to many listens as I’ve gotten older.
Powerful melodies and drama from the Kimbra feature lead to a cathartic payoff at the peak of the song, where Gotye and Kimbra harmonize through the final chorus. The song is an Australian national treasure.
Naysayer Godslayer – Clarence Clarity
The first song I heard from what would become my favorite artist, which I found through a certain busy online music reviewer. It gives me nostalgia for the ’80s, even though I wasn’t around then.
It’s an infectious, catchy pop song with fun production, and while the album version is good, I still bump the single version.
Everything I Want – George Clanton
For A ’90s nostalgia It doesn’t make sense for me to have, I can’t go without this. The opening track of his 23 album is a blissful tune with large, lush synths, as George’s washed-out vocals proclaim that he has everything he wants, except for you.
The second chorus builds further with refrains leading to the final release. The production, full of color and simple structure, and the hook are ever-intoxicating and endearing.
Genevieve – Jai Paul
Catchy, dancey, but still a little wonky and unpredictable with lots of quirks and details.
Despite the song being labeled unfinished due to its original leak years ago, and its release in this state after Jai was unable to finish it, I always come back to this song and find endless inspiration when listening.
Forever – Charli XCX
Charli’s pandemic album featured this song as one of the singles. Still as catchy as ever, even with more edge and distortion contrasting with the sweetness of the chorus and its unfolding sentimental chords.
A progressive structure and a fun, catchy outro keep me listening from start to finish over and over, showcasing how consistent Charli has been even before this brat summer.
BIPP – SOPHIE
I believe this was the debut single from the late visionary.
A proclamation of how SOPHIE will make you feel, with the line “I can make you feel better, if you let me” repeated through pitched vocals and punctuated with bubbly basses, as subtle textures and sounds whiz by the verses before switching back to the ever-infectious hooks. A beautifully catchy and endearing song that gives me pure serotonin.
