Main Pop Girl

In a post-Clinton pop world full of strong females such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Beyoncé and of course, Madonna, it can be hard to get excited over the debut of any male popstar. Between the obsessive fangirls, the predictably dull vocals, the awkward dance moves and the regular female objectification, there's not generally much for pop music stans to get into it when it comes to most dudes, meaning that most of us will only really pay attention when the music is really stellar - see 'Uptown Funk' or 'Where Are Ü Now' for more. Which is why it was a surprise when Jon Bellion showed up on our radar and pop fans started paying attention. Fresh off a co-writing credit on one of the biggest hits of 2013, Eminem and Rihanna's 'The Monster', and features on tracks by the likes of Zedd and B.o.B., Bellion's fame hit a tipping point earlier this year when he released his debut album The Human Condition. The album was released by Capitol Records, a record label which Bellion wooed with the release of four critically acclaimed free mixtapes on his Facebook page and several national tours throughout America. Backed by three promotional singles - 'Guillotine', '80's Films' and 'Maybe IDK' - and his first official single, the Travis Mendes-assisted 'All Time Low', The Human Condition was released on the 10th of June to rave reviews. Impressively, given that he's only had one charting single ('All Time Low' at a position worthy of it's name at #82), the album debuted at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, a testament to Bellion's business savvy and connection with his fanbase. The album was praised for its creators strong personality and sense of sound, which capitalises on the tropical pop movement taking place without ever sounding generic - as well as for its masterful songwriting, which blends strong metaphors with emotional power ("The secrets you tell me I'll take to my grave/There's bones in my closet, but you hang stuff anyway/And if you have nightmares, we'll dance on the bed/I know that you love me/Even when I lose my head/Guillotine"). And the most impressive thing about Bellion? He has yet to release a video where he walks around shirtless, bites his lip or is twerked on by a girl half his age. Even his album artwork omits his figure, instead featuring drawings from Indonesian artist David Ardinaryas Lojaya, whom Bellion commissioned with $50 000 of his own money. Now all he needs is to avoid reality stars and make sure his fans don't come up with a pet name for his penis - even if Jonaconda does have a ring to it.