A little bit of Pop! for the new year.

There is nothing wrong with a bit of Pop music every now and again, no matter what anyone might say. It is always going to be populist, and as such it will always be either cynically designed attempt at mass appeal or a lighter / more accessible version of whatever genre it is coming from. But that doesn't mean it can't have good lyrics (often very universally meaningful) , that it can't have a good tune (to get big it needs to have decent hook), or can't just be enjoyable (they have to be likable to get big). So whilst most of the charts is filled with boybands (as their fans buy the most singles) or cheesy reworks (because people like a good 'of-its-time' ear-worm) you often get a couple of gems, like these two:

It's big, it's bouncy, and it has an uplifting sentiment. Maybe not profound but certainly well meaning and if this came on near the end of a party you would need to be dead not to want to join in on it.

It's got fat soul horns, a nice bit of disco backing, and a certain majesty that comes from a decent backing line of singers. The breakdown is also a killer, especially with the bonus hidden wubs that give it a modernity you wouldn't really expect.

So two great examples of the genre that give you some faith to keep your ears open from time to time. Hopefully it will also do something to counter Blurred Lines being the #1 single of the year, but even then the tune itself wasn't that bad (even if Robin Thicke is a misogynistic prick).