The month of October is stacked with new music from popPopShort for popular music, a broad genre built on catchy melodies, clear hooks, and polished production that aims to reach a wide audience. Pop constantly borrows from other styles, andGo to Pop Glossary stars, indie veterans, and rock bands moving over the big stage. Anderson .Paak teams up with rapper Cordae for the joint album Heavy Is the Crown, while Irish band Fontaines D.C. follow up Romance with Dopamine Chamber. Alongside the two, BLACKPINK’s LISA starts the next chapter of her solo career with Press Play, ILLIT swaps wide-eyed pining for a bigger sound on BREAK EVEN, and DIIV goes weirder with A.G. Cook producing ZIRP!. Here are the releases worth keeping on your radar this October.
ILLIT, BREAK EVEN
Following their sudden ascent to global popPopShort for popular music, a broad genre built on catchy melodies, clear hooks, and polished production that aims to reach a wide audience. Pop constantly borrows from other styles, andGo to Pop Glossary world in 2024, ILLIT has spent the past year mastering the art of the hyper-catchy Gen Z earworm. On their fifth mini-album, BREAK EVEN, the quintet shifts gears, trading the wide-eyed pining of their earlier work for a catchy, more assertive conceptual framework. Inspired by the economic principle of zero net profit, the album serves as a glossy electro-pop rejection of unreciprocated effort, anchored by the addictive, whistle-laced title track “You’re Under Arrest.”
Anderson .Paak & Cordae, HEAVY IS THE CROWN
Over the past five years, Anderson .Paak has leaned hard into collaboration, from Silk Sonic with Bruno Mars to a second NxWorries album, Why Lawd?, in 2024. Heavy Is the Crown, his joint album with Cordae, is the next step. On paper it’s an unusual pairing: .Paak’s raspy, soulful singing next to a rapper known for his bars and swagger, all over soul and funk samples. That contrast could work for both of them. .Paak gets a witty lyrical partner to bounce off, and Cordae gets a warmer, groovier setting than most rappers rhyme over.
Fontaines D.C., Dopamine Chamber
Fontaines D.C. are gunning for the bigger stage on Dopamine Chamber, the follow-up to Romance. Lead single “Marianne” leans on synths and a slow, eerie sway, and the Irish band also teams up with Rosalía on “Where Is Gone?” Whatever style they try next, the punk attitude is still there, and that’s what makes each new direction worth looking forward to.
LISA, Press Play
With the release of LISA’s “SaWaDiKa,” the K-popK-popSouth Korean pop music, known for polished production, precise choreography, and highly organized fan communities. With a massive following in the Philippines, K-pop shapes fan culture, concerts, and fashion, andGo to K-pop Glossary community around the world got a taste of what the BLACKPINK star can offer when she has the power of her homeland behind her. Press Play is the next chapter of her solo career. With her rap skills getting sharper and catchier by the day, LISA is bound to fight for the crown in the pop landscape soon.
DIIV, ZIRP!
After more than a decade as trailblazers in the shoegaze scene, DIIV has become more experimental on their upcoming album ZIRP!. With an unexpected collaboration like PC Music co-founder A.G. Cook sitting in the producerProducerThe person who shapes how a record sounds, from arranging and recording to guiding performances and making creative choices in the studio. A great producer can bring out the bestGo to Producer Glossary’s seat for the entire album, frontman and lead guitarist Zachary Cole Smith chooses to explore weirder territory in their latest album.
Frequently Asked Questions
Heavy Is the Crown is a joint album by Anderson .Paak and rapper Cordae.
Dopamine Chamber is the Fontaines D.C.’s follow-up to Romance.
Press Play is the next chapter of LISA’s solo career, following the release of her single “SaWaDiKa.”
BREAK EVEN is the group’s fifth mini-album, inspired by the economic principle of zero net profit.
PC Music co-founder A.G. Cook is producing DIIV’s latest album ZIRP!.
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