Melody on Music: Breakups, Breakdowns, Breakbeats

Melody on Music is Pop Heist's regular roundup of new releases from across the spectrum of recorded sound. Here, music critic Melody Esme singles out the most noteworthy drops, from major releases to hidden gems. Consider adding these to your rotation — and if you give them a spin, let us know what you think on Bluesky.

PinkPantheress: Fancy That [Warner]

Her name is Pink, and she's really glad to meet you. She may be the major pop artist least prone to faux-respectable rockist habits — always keeping things brisk (in terms of both song length and BPM), and also making albums like someone who's admitted she doesn't listen to albums. In other words, the concept of being greater than the sum of its parts never enters the equation, and structure and cohesion are less important than supplying consistent bangers. And supply bangers she does; eight of them, to be exact, plus a pleasant little interlude that you may not even notice if you zone out. My favorite: "Stateside" ("ha, ha, ha, ha"). Runner up: "Illegal" ("ah-ah, ooh-ooh-ooh"). Twenty minutes, total. Her second longest record. A-

aya: hexed! [Hyperdub]

Like attending a rave in Hell, and therefore a fitting album to have on repeat throughout Pride Month 2025. Demented, abrasive, throbbing. May cure your headache or create a new one, depending on how you're wired. Its lyricism sneaks up on you, too — I haven't been able to get "shit-eating chagrin" out of my head, and that's just from the record's first 30 seconds. Features the best song title of 2025, "the names of Faggot Chav boys." Also features either the best album cover of 2025 or the worst album cover I've ever seen in my life (maybe both). A-

HAIM: I quit [Columbia/Polydor]

The Haim sisters have always excelled at sounding elated while exploring romantic misery. But here, autobiographical heartbreak has them sounding neither elated nor miserable, but over it. The lead single's "I think I'm in love, but I can't stand fucking relationships" signals the problem, because writing compelling songs about something you're just done with is hard, especially when you make soft-pop-rock that already thrives on ease and amiability. A few big highlights: "All over me," "The farm," "Cry." Some nice guitar solos. But overall, this is proof that, even if you worship at the altar of Rumours, it's not always necessary to write an album about the end of a relationship you're relieved to be out of. B

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