Pop Today

Pop, by its very nature, captures the here-and-now in a sonic nutshell — and all you have to do is crack that nutshell open, by clicking through to our prime selection of outstanding current releases. Ellie Goulding sparkles like the brightest of bright young things on "Starry Eyed" which plugs us directly into the universal grid of existential delight; Dizzee Rascal joins Florence + the Machine on the Brit Awards stage to transform a Candi Staton classic into "You Got the Dirtee Love" a sublime back-and-forth collab, where D raps up the recession and F unleashes a vocal for the ages; and, speaking of well-matched cohorts, check out Lady Gaga's thumpin' Beyoncé hook-up, "Telephone".

Get your chops round more pops in Next Steps.

The well-toned mid-section of our contemporary pop Essentials is positively rippling with excellence, as Ke$ha cuts straight to the chase with "Blah Blah Blah", a fizzin', electro-rockin' slam-down — boosted with an awesome blast of crunkcore from 3OH!3 — to any fella who comes across all mouth and no trousers, while the cast of Glee gets an attack of the mash-ups and produces a delicious blend of Beyoncé's "Halo" and "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves. Overseen by Simon Cowell, an all-star cast of popsters gathers under the Helping Haiti banner to create 2010's hugely affecting charity cover of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts".

Complete your one-stop pop shop in Deep Cuts.

Sade Adu had been away from pop's limelight for a decade until she returned at the back end of 2009 with "Soldier of Love", and while the song moves away from the after-midnight, neo-soul sensuality of her famous '80s hits, it's still a tour de force, shot through with emotion, brandishing a razor sharp production edge. Aussie alt rockers, the Temper Trap, serve up "Fader" — the third single from their debut album Conditions — with a healthy veneer of new wave polish and a gorgeous, soulful vocal from frontman Dougie Mandagi, while the north-west's Delphic lay down a strong claim to alt dance supremacy with the shimmering "Doubt".

Great pop serves many functions: it can be a pretty distraction from everyday drudgery; it can hold up a mirror to ourselves and the way we live our lives; it can afford us the chance to marvel at resplendent creative genius — but most of all, great pop makes us click our fingers, crack into a chorus and bust a move or two, even if we've never been hit by the talent stick. Now, a decade into the 21st Century, pop has never sounded more resplendent — stylistically, it's a kaleidoscopic dazzle-fest, with everything from classic balladry to daisy-fresh hip hop, featuring boy bands, girl groups, gangs of rockers and solo superstars. So go on: immerse yourself in today's chart sounds right here, right now.