Sofie Royer – ‘I Forget (I’m So Young)’ (from ‘Young-Girl Forever’ LP)

I am not entirely certain that people believe me when I say that I am not being pejorative when I say that most contemporary Popular music does nothing for me (on the vanishingly rare occasions when I actually hear it). This is, perhaps, as it ought to be, after all. And whilst I am not entirely certain that Sofi Royer can be classed as Popular, she does most assuredly make Pop and is therefore perhaps the exception to the rule. An element of Music As Performance Art that lends ‘Young-Girl Forever’ the edge, although that might just be me projecting my own needs and justifications. Regardless, the songs here are dramatic, euphoric, melancholic gems that feel infused with the spirit of Ze. Smart but never too smug, elegant but never superior, ‘Young-Girl Forever’ is the Pop record of the year.