Caleb Nichols
SPB: What is the best pop song of the last 10 years?
Nichols: I’m going to answer this question via a “first thought = best thought” method, and my honest first thought when I read the question was “Cranes In The Sky” by Solange.
When I think “best pop song” I think I’m thinking about timelessness and a certain transcendent quality. Like, will I listen to this song ten years from now and still feel connected to it? For me the answer with “Cranes” is a strong yes. It’s got a hook, it’s got a timeless arrangement, and lyrically it captures a certain existential emptiness and uneasiness in a way few songs and poems have. And I think this song occupies that rate territory where poetry and music run into each other, which is very special too.
And now that I’m awake and fully processing things, I think my answer is right on the money, confirmed by the fact that my labelmates Big Joanie covered “Cranes” in 2020, infusing Solange’s composition with a feminist DIY punk edge, and further proving that the song resonates with so many different communities around the world. A true classic.
