The Playlist is a brand new column for Pop Break celebrating the songs we love at this very moment, and we think you, our readers, should be putting in your life as well! This column features recommendations from the writers, podcasters and photographers of Pop Break as well as our friends from the world of journalism, entertainment, podcasting and our everyday lives.
Randy Allain (Host, Podelay! and Media/Lit)
Song: “The Passenger”
Artist: Siouxsie & The Banshees
If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Marveling in awe and wonder at the stars might sound like a pastime reserved for old dead white guys your teacher used as implements of torture in high school English class, but the truth is that every time you hop in a vehicle to disappear into the mystery and possibilities of a hot summer night, you’ve opened the door to a transcendental experience that could move even the stuffiest of American Romantic poets.
This summer, consider adding Siouxsie & The Banshees’ “The Passenger” to your favorite road trip mix as you and your companions “see the stars come out at night.” This cover of Iggy Pop’s haunting reflection on life as seen through the passenger seat window brings deep, resonant guitar and energetic horns worthy of epic summer adventure. More importantly, Siouxsie Sioux brings a raw intensity that will make you want to break out from “under glass” and take a bite out of that “bright and hollow” summer night sky. As you compile summer memories riding through “the city’s ripped backsides” and “ocean drives” Siouxsie will remind you that, “all of it was made for you and me.”
Once you’ve completed your summer with The Banshees and that first chill of autumn creeps in, swap this out for the original Iggy Pop version for a more internal experience; “The Passenger” is a track that just keeps giving.
Ava Mehr (Rutgers Summer Writing Program)
Song: “hate that i made you love me”
Artist: Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande gave fans their first taste of her upcoming album Petal with her new single “hate that i made you love me”, and I haven’t stopped listening to it since. While the piece can easily be thought of as a breakup song at first, there’s another layer to it that makes it stand out from Ariana’s past releases.
The lyric “Hate that I made you love me / Cause I barely tried” seems like Ariana addressing the complicated relationship she has with her fans and the public. It feels as if she’s pushing back against the unrealistic expectations people put on her and reminding listeners that she’s human too. It’s one of those songs that genuinely gets better with every listen because you keep picking up something new.
Even with those heavier topics, the song still feels like Ariana. The vocals are incredible, the chorus is impossible not to sing along to, and it’s been on repeat for me ever since it dropped. If this is just our first look at Petal, July seriously can’t come soon enough.
Nynoshka Vazquez-Suazo (Staff Writer The Pop Break & The Underground Edit)
Song: “Bloom” (from In Pieces: The Musical)
Artist: Antonio Cipriano
The current hot commodity on the entertainment spectrum is Amazon Prime’s newest original series, Off Campus. This show re-charted old classics like J. Lo’s “On the Floor,” but it also shone a spotlight on one very talented, underrated Broadway legend, Antonio Cipriano. Therefore, for this month’s playlist, I would like to educate the masses with information I have always known and loved, before he was known as John Logan.
“Bloom” from In Pieces: The Musical has been my obsession since its release. It is a conversation so well written and beautifully done. There’s tension and an emotional connection that makes you want to relive it constantly. The yearning, the desire, the naivety of the dating world from a different lens.
Honorable mention from Off Campus: “Massachusetts” by Jensen McRae
Kelley Lauginiger (Staff Writer, The Pop Break)
Song: “Cloudbusting” Live at the Cutting Room, 2025
Artist: Maidin
“Like the sun coming out/I know that something good is gonna happen/If that ain’t summer.”
Maidin’s gorgeous vocals and haunting musical juxtaposition unites goths and fae in the way only Kate Bush and her learned disciples can. A gorgeous union of the before-times and what comes next, Maidin has tugged me gently through their fairy ring into a meadow of asters where we are all dancing. Looking forward to catching them in New Jersey this summer.
Brandon Hoffman (Staff Writer, The Pop Break)
Song: “Frankenstein”
Artist: Mileo
Over the course of the past few months, I’ve been exposed to the crazy world of Eurovision and international musical genres. My friend Monty has shared a bunch of songs from this past Eurovision, along with songs and artists which would be awesome to see on such a big stage. Mileo is a Norwegian-Australian artist with an insane mind translated into lyrics in songs. A newer song of his titled “Frankenstein” was used this song during a performance at the Melodi Grand Prix 2026. It served to compete in Norway’s Eurovision selections, but ultimately placed fifth overall. At least us fans were left with a catchy song and Mileo embracing his dark and outside-the-box style. It’s not for everyone, but it’s certainly for me!
Amanda Rivas (Co-Host of The Socially Distanced Podcast & Anime x Pop Podcast)
Song: “Lost Highway”
Artist: Nightcrawl
While scrolling trending songs on Instagram to use for one of our cosplay photos, Nightcrawl’s “Lost Highway” came up as an option and right away, the opening guitar hooked me. This song has beautiful cinematic darkwave notes, soothing lead vocals, and is reminiscent of ’80s sci/fi horror. Perfect for this goth mom’s road trip playlist! Nightcrawl is a musical act from Dublin, Ireland and that is all people seem to know about them.
“Vanishing Point” and “107 Degrees” are two other amazing tracks that highlight this band’s darkwave, post-punk, synth sound. This is one of those acts where less is truly more and Nightcrawl’s musical aura speaks for itself! Give this a listen and hopefully you will thank me for the amazing updates to your roadtrip, and/or, wandering moments, playlists.
Justin Mancini (Co-host of Podelay!)
Song: “Something Entirely New”
Artist: Lo Mutuc, Erica Luttrell (composed by Rebecca Sugar)
It’s the least I can do this Pride Month to champion a song from a children’s cartoon that’s not afraid to put queer themes and characters within its text (and not simply hide them away in the subtext). In this lovely duet from Steven Universe, two characters (voiced by Lo Mutuc and Erica Luttrell) navigate a relationship they know is expressly forbidden by the powers that be. It’s no accident that the song begins with the same upbeat electronica that characterizes much of the show, anchoring what seems like an unfamiliar moment in a familiar one.
It helps also that the two voices are so distinct: Mutuc has the indie and mumblecore bona fides that fit the awkward naturalism of her character Ruby, while Luttrell’s veteran versatility serves the cool, unforced elegance of Sapphire. Notice how even fillers like “um” become essential building blocks of the song—uncertainty, yes, but shared uncertainty. Given time, that shared feeling becomes affirmation and acceptance, resolving the song in a cathartic confluence of voices that leaves out words entirely. Ruby and Sapphire have mutually surrendered to their feelings and are complete. For those who think their feelings may be wrong or invalid (or are told so), Rebecca Sugar reminds us that, ultimately, love will not be denied. Nor should it ever.
Bill Bodkin (Editor-in-Chief of The Pop Break, Co-Host of Socially Distanced, TV Break & Bill vs. The MCU Podcasts)
Song: “Not Bad for New Jersey”
Artist: Brian Fallon and The Painkillers
Brian Fallon is no stranger to taking time away from The Gaslight Anthem to create his own music. He’s done with it The Horrible Crowes, Molly and The Zombies, and of course his two solo records which dropped in 2016 and 2018. Now, with his band The Painkillers, Fallon has released a perfect song for summer in New Jersey. The lyrics “On the shore line, in the springtime/I come back to life/By the seaside, the little dream of me side/
Where we never say die/And I think we did alright” are the type of words that should be played high volumes and sung with full reckless abandon and gusto as you scream down the Parkway, cruise down Ocean Avenue, or are sitting in your your home. These are lyrics of hope, of nostalgia, of pride, and of course, New Jersey.
