June 12, 2020 | Writer: Emma Kopelowicz

Self-described “punk-pop” artist Ben Kidson shows us that the road to Cloud 9 is full of twists and turns on his latest release, “Heaven.”

The UK-based musician used to scoff at pop music and spent his formative years listening to Arctic Monkeys and Nirvana on repeat. It wasn’t until he got around to listening to artists like The 1975 and Billie Eilish that the alt-indie loving kid realized that pop music doesn’t always have to sound cookie-cutter perfect. At 18 years old Kidson penned his first song, and eventually went on to play live shows around the UK. 

On “Heaven,” Kidson melds two genres that usually don’t get along––pop and punk––to create a distinctive soft and hard soundscape that will get everyone on their feet. Yes, that includes the goth kids brooding in the corner. Kidson’s moody melodies are fueled by gripping guitar riffs and simple 808 beats that perfectly compliment his candid, raw lyrics. “If you wanna die, then I wanna, too/Hang me out to dry, pull me up along lines that we drew/The ones I wanna break through,” Kidson pours his pent-up angst and desires out on the table for all to see. 

The up-and-coming singer-songwriter has shown us with his finely calibrated production and introspective lyrics that punk and pop don’t have to be mutually exclusive, polar opposites anymore. We’re glad to hear the good news, and we can’t wait to see what Kidson comes up with next.