Feature / One Question Interviews
Caleb Nichols

Words: Loren • April 26, 2022

Caleb Nichols
Caleb Nichols

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.

Loren • April 26, 2022

Caleb Nichols
Caleb Nichols

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