Taken from this week’s Future Pop mailer. Click here to subscribe.
I’ve been a fan of Hey Violet since I first heard of them, under their original name of Cherry Bomb, back in 2012, but they have struggled to fulfil their great potential. They started out as a more serious rock band, then went pop, but finding a sound that balances the two genres is tricky as rock is currently a very separate, self-sufficient music scene with only a small number of crossover acts – none of whom are making much impact on the radio, streaming or singles charts. I have been quite underwhelmed by Hey Violet’s singles, but I was still excited to hear their album when it was released… and it turned out to be really good! It was hard to choose one song to feature here but I went for the punky, high-energy album closer This Is Me Breaking Up With You, because it represents what I want most from the group. It’s free and feisty, and will certainly be a highlight of their live show. Other songs such as Unholy and My Consequence place them more alongside Melanie Martinez and Halsey, and are as good as anything on their albums.