Midterms tried to ruin my life this month, but I’m finally recovering (sort of…). Issue #7 of The Pop Drop is here, with a (slightly late) roundup of the songs that kept me listening, dancing, and questioning my life choices these past few weeks.
1. Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl
As KSDT’s resident pop girl (self-elected), I’ve been asked about my thoughts on Taylor Swift’s latest album quite a few times. Honestly, it took me a second to formulate them, but after sitting with it for a while, here’s my take.
Overall, while I consider myself a Taylor Swift fan, I was somewhat disappointed with The Life of a Showgirl. Taylor hasn’t made an album that fully captivated me since evermore (2020), which is unfortunate because I believe in her versatility. Her 2020 sister albums, folklore and evermore proved to me that she’s capable of writing melancholic, lyrically rich gems, while earlier tracks like “Style” and “Cruel Summer” highlighted her skill for crafting catchy hooks and cultural pop moments.
This album, however, delivered neither particularly thought-provoking lyrics nor sticky hooks, with one exception: “Ruin The Friendship,” which feels like a cut from the sister albums (think something like “betty”), and judging by the difference in writing style from the other tracks, it might actually be.
I’m not here to dogpile on Taylor, the internet has done that already. There are moments of mild catchiness that are a step up from her last album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. The opener, “The Fate of Ophelia,” has a catchy hook, “Elizabeth Taylor” offers some cool production flourishes in the chorus, and while I struggle to get past the cliché use of gemstones to describe the sky, “Opalite” at least offers fun sing-along material.
But there are some tracks that struggle. Historically, track 5 on a Swift album is often her most emotional song. On this album, that’s “Eldest Daughter,” which attempts and fails to use modern slang in a sincere context, trading emotional complexity for an unintentionally funny moment. After all, who can keep a straight face when Taylor sings, “this isn’t savage,” in a somber tone?
And then there’s “Wood”...let’s just say, listen to the lyrics, and you’ll quickly understand why it’s a skip for me. Some thoughts are better left private, Taylor.
I wanted so badly for this to be a strong release. When I heard she reunited with Max Martin and Shellback as producers, my hopes skyrocketed for another 1989-style main pop girl moment. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but the album ultimately falls short. That said, it’s not without a place, I’ll probably stream a couple tracks here and there, but “Wood” will remain firmly off my playlist.
2. Khalid - after the sun goes down
In my mind, Khalid was an artist I’d tell my hypothetical grandchildren about when describing 2017, probably while taking a slow drag of a cigarette in a rocking chair.
But while I was listening to my Discovery Weekly this month, a little song called “nah” came up and I was immediately hooked on the laid-back pop track. Curious, I checked out the entire album and suffice to say, Khalid has escaped 2017 American Teen jail and is now officially back on my radar.
Special mention to “nah,” (obviously), “please don’t call (333),” and “tank top.” Fun fact: “please don’t call (333)” shares producers Ryan Tedder and Grant with Tate McRae’s So Close to What, and you can definitely hear the similarities. Their ability to craft catchy, punchy pop paired with Khalid’s R&B influence, adds a compelling flair to the album.
3. JISOO, ZAYN - “EYES CLOSED”
JISOO and ZAYN’s collaboration “EYES CLOSED” released on October 10th and it’s hilariously ironic. For a man who famously claimed he left One Direction because their music was too generic, this offering feels exactly that. “EYES CLOSED” sounds like a pop ballad plucked straight out of 2018 with its anthemic chorus and ambient synths.
That said, the question of whether it’s quality music and whether I like it are two very different things. Much like the 2012 comedy, Pitch Perfect, it’s not exactly a highbrow piece of media, and yet I keep coming back to it. The chorus has a delightful earworm quality, and knowing that ZAYN’s daughter is a diehard BLACKPINK fan makes the collaboration all the more endearing.
On a side note, I have to applaud whoever decided to shoot the music video at the TWA hotel in NYC. The retro-futuristic architecture compliments the video’s UFO-inspired direction surprisingly well.
4. Mercer Henderson - “Different, Worse Versions”
Those who read the first issue of The Pop Drop know I’m a big fan of diaristic singer-songwriter Mercer Henderson. She’s an expert at capturing the messiness of situationships and wrapping it up in hooks that get lodged in your head for days. While “Different, Worse Versions” isn’t thematically new territory for her, it’s the kind of track that makes me want to dance in public like I’m in an early 2000s romcom, and that’s all I need sometimes.
5. Madison Beer - “bittersweet”
Many people know Madison Beer from her 2024 hit “make you mine,” but her discography goes far beyond that. She has an knack for embedding real emotion into every line and her vocal delivery only makes them hit harder.
Her newest single, “bittersweet,” is simple in concept: Madison reflects on the leftover emotions after a breakup, juggling anger, relief, and sadness all at once. It’s not revolutionary, but the production, hook, and lyrics work together beautifully, creating a track that leaves an impression. Also, bonus points for the inclusion of a bridge (a dying art in pop music).
To end off my October issue of “The Pop Drop,” here’s a few more tracks I’ve had on repeat this month—not all released in October, but all worth a listen:
1. 5 Seconds of Summer - “Telephone Busy”
2. Elle Coves - “Peace”
3. Alemeda, Doechii - “Beat A B!tch Up”
4. FINNEAS - “Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa”
5. Couch - “On The Wire”
Check out the full playlist here: The Pop Drop: October 2025 (Issue #7)
