On her debut full-length, Poppy.Computer, singer, performance artist, and social media star Poppy embraces her cute but unsettling persona with synth pop gems for the digital era.
Producers Ryosuke Sakai and Titanic Sinclair inject a J-pop aesthetic into Poppy's computer veins, resulting in a winking piece of art pop that sounds like Fame-era Lady Gaga meets Grimes or L.A.M.B.-era Gwen Stefani going full Harajuku Girl.
Here, Poppy goes beyond the generic but enjoyable pop of 2016's Bubblebath EP and plugs directly into the motherboard, delivering deviously catchy earworms like the cloying "Moshi Moshi" and "Fuzzy," which sounds like it was plucked directly from Carly Rae Jepsen's E-MO-TION.
Elsewhere, she channels the cool Swedish style of Robyn on "I'm Poppy" and the alt-pop of Grimes on the pounding "My Microphone." However, the early Gaga sound is most prominent on album highlights like the metaphorical "Computer Boy" and subversive "My Style," which features Poppy's frequent foil, Charlotte the mannequin.
Poppy.Computer's standout track is "Bleach Blonde Baby," which features an '80s vibe indebted to a young Madonna.
Think of this as the "Material Girl" for the Internet age.
Poppy.Computer's lyrics are deceptively simplistic (it's part of the package), lending darkness and unease to the detached delivery and repetition of lines like "Poppy is an object/Poppy is your best friend/Poppy will break your neck/Poppy will be your pet." Whatever statement she's trying to make with her carefully crafted image, Poppy.Computer remains a solid debut packed with addictive hooks and melodies.
On closing track "Pop Music," Poppy sings "Pop is when you hear a song and cannot help but sing along/It's when you hate it but still appreciate it," a spirit that cleverly sums up Poppy.Computer.