Enigmatic in everything she creates, Poppy is someone who continuously morphs and blooms into something which transcends the pop and alt-rock genres she’s typically boxed into. Beginning her career as an eerie YouTube performance artist and pop queen of the digital era, Poppy has steadily evolved into one of the most exciting artists within the metal, industrial, and alt-rock sphere.
With her fifth EP Stagger out now, we’re reflecting on the top 10 tracks of Poppy’s career so far.
10. ‘Lowlife’ (Bubblebath EP)
Eight years ago Poppy began uploading YouTube videos of herself doing odd things, such as eating cotton candy, repeating “I’m Poppy” for 10 minutes, and talking to her mannequin rival Charlotte. The internet quickly became fascinated with Poppy’s strangeness, and in July 2015 she released her debut single ‘Lowlife’, a fusion of pop and reggae beats. By using performance art and a robotic persona, Poppy had attracted listeners for her music career (genius).
9. ‘I’m Poppy’ (Poppy.Computer)
‘I’m Poppy’ comes from her debut record, Poppy.Computer, and it references her iconic 10 minute YouTube video of the same name (making it important to her lore). As the intro to Poppy.Computer, ‘I’m Poppy’ is a cute upbeat pop track which perfectly sits in the middle between performance artist Poppy and musician Poppy.
8. ‘Flux’ (Flux)
As the titular track from her most recent studio album, Flux, the song details the album’s main notion of finding solitude when in a constant state of change, hence the lyrics, “you gotta flux and flow with it.” In classic Poppy fashion, ‘Flux’ is an alt-rock banger which is incredibly cathartic, catchy, and relatable to all.
7. ‘EAT’ (EAT: NXT Soundtrack EP)
First heard when performed live at the 2021 Grammy Awards, ‘EAT’ is one of Poppy’s most vulnerable songs to date. Written about her past struggles with an eating disorder, Poppy uses aggressive metalcore screaming to express the brutal reality of the illness.
6. ‘Anything Like Me’ (I Disagree)
The music video for ‘Anything Like Me’ released shortly after Poppy parted ways with a past collaborator who had worked alongside her since the beginning of her career. Knowing the mistreatment Poppy has gone through, the song exceeds its original meaning of relentless comparison, becoming an anthem for severing ties with people who don’t have our best intentions at heart.
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5. ‘F.Y.B’ (Stagger EP)
‘F.Y.B’ is the lead single from Poppy’s latest EP, Stagger. With its punk influence, the song describes how those who have wronged us can get what they deserve without us having to act on it; sometimes karma just knows when we need it.
4. ‘Her’ (Flux)
As the lead single from Flux, ‘Her’ is an introspective song speculated to be about Poppy’s ability to rediscover herself as a human and artist after feeling like she lost her identity and bodily autonomy from past abuse and manipulation.
3. ‘BLOODMONEY’ (I Disagree)
Gaining Poppy her first Grammy nomination for ‘Best Metal Performance’, ‘BLOODMONEY’ is a perfect blend of dubstep, industrial, and metal. The song once again proves that Poppy is able to create music which blends different genres, bringing them together to cover original terrain.
2. ‘I Disagree’ (I Disagree)
‘I Disagree’ see’s Poppy shed her old robotic persona from her YouTube performance art era and sing with an infectious rage toward those who have made her feel misunderstood when they should’ve been helping her succeed.
1. ‘X’ (Am I A Girl?)
As the closing track on her synth-pop sophomore album, Am I A Girl?, ‘X’ was the most pleasant shock to Poppy’s devoted listeners. Softly chiming “ooh, heavy!” to open the metal and pop inspired track, she signals the turning point into her post-genre sound. ‘X’ encapsulates everything that Poppy was and now is.
Listen to Poppy’s Stagger EP below!
