Recent pop music that's not in English
September 8, 2020 12:44 PM Subscribe
I enjoy listening to music in a variety of languages. I'm trying to discover more recent pop music and end up hitting a wall when it comes to stuff from outside of the US or not in English. I'd like some recommendations. What recent pop songs from countries outside of the US, that is not in English, have you liked recently?
Spotify isn't helping me out that much. For countries like Japan and Korea, it does okay - but it's really hard to discover recent music from countries with smaller markets. For example, if I like Suboi (from Vietnam), Spotify assumes that what I really want is more music from Vietnam, not necessarily more music that's similar in style. And if I don't already know an artist from a country, I might never get any suggestions.
Any language is fine, but things I'm less likely to find on my own are the best! Some artists I've liked recently are Rosalia, Kimbra, んoon, salyu x salyu, Billie Eilish ... hmmm...
Spotify isn't helping me out that much. For countries like Japan and Korea, it does okay - but it's really hard to discover recent music from countries with smaller markets. For example, if I like Suboi (from Vietnam), Spotify assumes that what I really want is more music from Vietnam, not necessarily more music that's similar in style. And if I don't already know an artist from a country, I might never get any suggestions.
Any language is fine, but things I'm less likely to find on my own are the best! Some artists I've liked recently are Rosalia, Kimbra, んoon, salyu x salyu, Billie Eilish ... hmmm...
How broadly are you defining "pop"? Are you aiming for radio pop specifically or just anything that's a fairly accessible listen with good hooks and melodies? Niyaz (performing on KEXP) are a group I discovered recently but have been enjoying a lot. They have a very accessible sound but aren't really background listening; their lyrics are mostly reworkings of Persian and Urdu Sufi poetry.
I like a lot of German electro-pop. I haven't really followed things there too closely in a while, but Barbara Morgenstern is always doing interesting things. Ellen Allien's stuff is still fun. My favorite Wolfsheim track is still one of the few in German. A lot of my favorite artists record in English, though.
Rock en Español is something where I haven't kept up with new releases very well in so many years, but I still love a lot of the classics: Soda Stereo, Charly Garcia, Duncan Dhu, Airbag, Bicicletas.
For Korean music, look into the indie and shoegaze scene. Bluedawn are one of my all-time favorite artists. Donawhale, Low-End Project, Tearliner and The Melody are also really nice. There's an older compilation called Cracker: A Compilation for Bittersweet Love Story that still stands are a great introduction to the genre.
posted by Lonnrot at 2:14 PM on September 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
I like a lot of German electro-pop. I haven't really followed things there too closely in a while, but Barbara Morgenstern is always doing interesting things. Ellen Allien's stuff is still fun. My favorite Wolfsheim track is still one of the few in German. A lot of my favorite artists record in English, though.
Rock en Español is something where I haven't kept up with new releases very well in so many years, but I still love a lot of the classics: Soda Stereo, Charly Garcia, Duncan Dhu, Airbag, Bicicletas.
For Korean music, look into the indie and shoegaze scene. Bluedawn are one of my all-time favorite artists. Donawhale, Low-End Project, Tearliner and The Melody are also really nice. There's an older compilation called Cracker: A Compilation for Bittersweet Love Story that still stands are a great introduction to the genre.
posted by Lonnrot at 2:14 PM on September 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
Lucie, Too! Three women doing Japanese Indie/College rock, very catchy imo, and part of a whole sub genre I've found really fun. See also Tricot for a more prog rock side of it, also all women. No Buses is a cool part of that crowd but a lot of their lyrics are English. If you're interested in English/Japanese mixed together, see also Kero Kero Bonito.
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:21 PM on September 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:21 PM on September 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'd recommend using TuneIn to find overseas radio stations and have Shazam in hand. I mostly listen to US stations so can't give specific recommendations, but you can find a country you want to explore and check some out.
A lot of bands on Elefant Records record in Spanish, if you're into indie-pop.
posted by mippy at 2:38 PM on September 8, 2020
A lot of bands on Elefant Records record in Spanish, if you're into indie-pop.
posted by mippy at 2:38 PM on September 8, 2020
Response by poster: I guess it's a hard thing to define.
I know that if I ask for only "mainstream pop," people won't want to suggest less popular artists that I might like. I also don't want to suggest I only want the most boring, most mainstream pop ever.
But mainstream pop is the thing I want. Radio pop. Think slickly produced electronic pop like Rosalia, Dua Lipa, and Billie Eilish. Maybe things that are even a little quirkier, like Grimes and Kimbra, but that aren't pushing so far into avante-garde or experimental territory that you'd only ever hear them on a college radio station.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 4:49 PM on September 8, 2020
I know that if I ask for only "mainstream pop," people won't want to suggest less popular artists that I might like. I also don't want to suggest I only want the most boring, most mainstream pop ever.
But mainstream pop is the thing I want. Radio pop. Think slickly produced electronic pop like Rosalia, Dua Lipa, and Billie Eilish. Maybe things that are even a little quirkier, like Grimes and Kimbra, but that aren't pushing so far into avante-garde or experimental territory that you'd only ever hear them on a college radio station.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 4:49 PM on September 8, 2020
I wanted to recommend the French Canadian artist Coeur de Pirate and discovered, to a certain amount of horror, that the album of hers I love (Blonde) came out nearly a decade ago. Obviously we've all lost all sense of time lately but I think this is more about me being old. If it's still of interest, though, here are some seem-recent-enough-if-you're-40 pop songs in French:
Adieu
Danse et Danse
(more of a ballad) Place de la Republique
posted by babelfish at 8:11 PM on September 8, 2020
Adieu
Danse et Danse
(more of a ballad) Place de la Republique
posted by babelfish at 8:11 PM on September 8, 2020
YouTube is actually not too terrible (only somewhat terrible) for finding new artists - there will usually be at least two or three related recommendations by different artists for a given track. (I searched for Suboi and got a bunch of other Vietnamese pop music - the ones I listened to did seem more melodic in style but I didn't listen to them all.)
Another approach can be to Google the artists you like and see what kind of places they show up in - top hits lists, music blogs, Twitter recommendations, etc - and then look for other names being mentioned in those contexts.
posted by trig at 11:04 PM on September 8, 2020
Another approach can be to Google the artists you like and see what kind of places they show up in - top hits lists, music blogs, Twitter recommendations, etc - and then look for other names being mentioned in those contexts.
posted by trig at 11:04 PM on September 8, 2020
Right then, some European music recommendations and ideas coming up...
Let's start with some quick hits on YouTube;
'A Un Passo Dalla Luna', by Rocco Hunt and Ana Mena, has been a fixture at the top of the Italian charts all summer long.
Sie Ruft, by Apache 207, German melodic rapper who went huge in August 2019 and has been riding high ever since.
Frida, by BEHM, I think is going to hit your mainstream pop tastebuds.
The modern problem in all this is of course the algorithm, trying to keep you listening as long as possible by only recommending things that you are expected to like because other people like it. It's very restrictive when exploring for 'something new' and following the Spotify/YouTube recommendation engines always seems to lead me back to the same songs.
This is actually where the Eurovision Song Contest comes in really handy. Not necessarily the Contest in May, because for competitive reasons it's very much in english. You need to head to the National Selections to find the music that was written for 'home' consumption. Here YouTube search is really useful if you search for [name of selection][year]. I'd suggest you start with 'Melodifestivalen' (Sweden, although it's mostly English), 'Festival da Canção' (Portugal), 'Eesti Laul' (Estonia), 'Songvakeppin' (Iceland), and 'Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK)' (Finland).
Three picks from this year;
'Cicciolina', by Erika Vikman (Finland).
'Ringo Starr', by Tactical Nuclear Penguin (Italy).
'Vamos amigos', by Mendez (Sweden).
As noted above, you can break out of the algorithm with the likes of TuneIn and Mixcloud, by going old school and allowing a DJ to use their skill and judgement to select the songs for you. Shameless plug for my own show coming up... Europe's Heartbeat. I'll also highlight Radio International, Meanwhile In Europe, and Eurobliss.
Finally, MeFi favourite Tom Scott has 'Europlop' where he and Tim Jeffries 'argue about music that isn't worth arguing about', which always finds a few gems.
Let us know how you get on, and can you share what you find?
posted by ewan at 2:34 AM on September 9, 2020
Let's start with some quick hits on YouTube;
'A Un Passo Dalla Luna', by Rocco Hunt and Ana Mena, has been a fixture at the top of the Italian charts all summer long.
Sie Ruft, by Apache 207, German melodic rapper who went huge in August 2019 and has been riding high ever since.
Frida, by BEHM, I think is going to hit your mainstream pop tastebuds.
The modern problem in all this is of course the algorithm, trying to keep you listening as long as possible by only recommending things that you are expected to like because other people like it. It's very restrictive when exploring for 'something new' and following the Spotify/YouTube recommendation engines always seems to lead me back to the same songs.
This is actually where the Eurovision Song Contest comes in really handy. Not necessarily the Contest in May, because for competitive reasons it's very much in english. You need to head to the National Selections to find the music that was written for 'home' consumption. Here YouTube search is really useful if you search for [name of selection][year]. I'd suggest you start with 'Melodifestivalen' (Sweden, although it's mostly English), 'Festival da Canção' (Portugal), 'Eesti Laul' (Estonia), 'Songvakeppin' (Iceland), and 'Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK)' (Finland).
Three picks from this year;
'Cicciolina', by Erika Vikman (Finland).
'Ringo Starr', by Tactical Nuclear Penguin (Italy).
'Vamos amigos', by Mendez (Sweden).
As noted above, you can break out of the algorithm with the likes of TuneIn and Mixcloud, by going old school and allowing a DJ to use their skill and judgement to select the songs for you. Shameless plug for my own show coming up... Europe's Heartbeat. I'll also highlight Radio International, Meanwhile In Europe, and Eurobliss.
Finally, MeFi favourite Tom Scott has 'Europlop' where he and Tim Jeffries 'argue about music that isn't worth arguing about', which always finds a few gems.
Let us know how you get on, and can you share what you find?
posted by ewan at 2:34 AM on September 9, 2020
I can't recommend you anything specific, but you might enjoy exploring Radio Garden - roam the globe, discover local radio stations from distant places.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 3:04 AM on September 9, 2020
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 3:04 AM on September 9, 2020
Super Furry Animals sing in Welsh (link goes to the album Mwng)
posted by Orkney Vole at 3:29 AM on September 9, 2020
posted by Orkney Vole at 3:29 AM on September 9, 2020
I do like Spanish music. The have lots of pop-singers. I think, you may just search such playlists in spotify. I also like German hip-hop. You should give it a chance.
posted by georgehanson at 4:01 AM on September 9, 2020
posted by georgehanson at 4:01 AM on September 9, 2020
They sing in a mix of English and Norwegian (and Joik) but the album from Eurovision supergroup Keiino is a delight. It's called OKTA.
posted by halcyonday at 4:29 AM on September 9, 2020
posted by halcyonday at 4:29 AM on September 9, 2020
Try local radio stations? For Poland RMF FM has their Poplista pop chart offering a good current sample. Under "Top 50" you can see the top-50 of all times or by year. Radio Zet is the other main pop station.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 4:30 AM on September 9, 2020
posted by I claim sanctuary at 4:30 AM on September 9, 2020
The Marias are fave of mine. They perform in both Spanish and English.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:17 AM on September 9, 2020
posted by Thorzdad at 5:17 AM on September 9, 2020
The French dance-pop outfit Yelle has a new album just out, which I haven't listened to much yet, but I loved their last one. Ba$$in, from that album, is probably them at their most fun.
If you like Rosalía, you might also like another (and a, to my mind, criminally underrated) Catalan artist occasionally mentioned in the same breath, Bad Gyal. Her lyrics, image, and general approach to dancehall can be a bit… much, but her breakout single, Jacaranda is a classic. Yo sigo iual is sad and pretty; Nicest Cocky is sad and raunchy. Anyway she's great.
posted by wreckingball at 6:59 AM on September 9, 2020
If you like Rosalía, you might also like another (and a, to my mind, criminally underrated) Catalan artist occasionally mentioned in the same breath, Bad Gyal. Her lyrics, image, and general approach to dancehall can be a bit… much, but her breakout single, Jacaranda is a classic. Yo sigo iual is sad and pretty; Nicest Cocky is sad and raunchy. Anyway she's great.
posted by wreckingball at 6:59 AM on September 9, 2020
Hopefully they'll be along later with more recommendations, but nangar posted about the Basque singer Izaro and she's great.
There was also a recent post by filthy light thief about Renata Flores, who sings covers and originals in Quechua.
posted by trig at 9:52 AM on September 9, 2020
There was also a recent post by filthy light thief about Renata Flores, who sings covers and originals in Quechua.
posted by trig at 9:52 AM on September 9, 2020
For Icelandic, there's the original version of Ásgeir Trausti's first album (he recorded it later in English too). Not sure if it's poppy enough, though. (Also the first track is the weakest imo.)
Are you okay with pop music that doesn't fall into the standard western categories? There's a lot of Arabic pop and African pop with its own genres and styles, for example.
posted by trig at 10:04 AM on September 9, 2020
Are you okay with pop music that doesn't fall into the standard western categories? There's a lot of Arabic pop and African pop with its own genres and styles, for example.
posted by trig at 10:04 AM on September 9, 2020
Response by poster: I'm more than okay with pop music that doesn't fall into the standard western categories - and I already listen to a lot of it. I'm the embarrassing friend who has a favorite subgenre of Thai pop music but couldn't recognize most of the songs in the current top 40.
But yes, I'm asking about "standard western" pop right now. I'm looking for more music specifically in that style, not just any popular music from other countries. But, as I said, with some allowance for less popular or more interesting pop artists, not just the most prototypical, popular boring thing you have ever heard.
(I'm looking for personal recommendations because it's nice when someone else can point you to a particular artist or song they like, instead of you having to listen to hours of bad pop music to find it. I appreciate the suggestions for how to find more artists on my own, though, and might use some of them when I'm on better internet.)
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 12:53 PM on September 9, 2020
But yes, I'm asking about "standard western" pop right now. I'm looking for more music specifically in that style, not just any popular music from other countries. But, as I said, with some allowance for less popular or more interesting pop artists, not just the most prototypical, popular boring thing you have ever heard.
(I'm looking for personal recommendations because it's nice when someone else can point you to a particular artist or song they like, instead of you having to listen to hours of bad pop music to find it. I appreciate the suggestions for how to find more artists on my own, though, and might use some of them when I'm on better internet.)
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 12:53 PM on September 9, 2020
Angèle - "Tout oublier". Beware, it's an earworm! Also, Stromae. Both are francophone Belgian artists. A little more out there, because she's Dutch and sings in Dutch: Eefje De Visser.
posted by Desertshore at 3:20 AM on September 10, 2020
posted by Desertshore at 3:20 AM on September 10, 2020
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