Fergie, Rihanna, and Bastille, oh my! Listen to GCN’s music man, Conor Behan’s top tracks for the month…

Fergie makes a bold return to pop this month on M.I.L.F $, a brazen piece of club-ready pop that is silly, ridiculous and very hard to resist. It’s the kind of ‘love it or loathe it’ pop song that will be huge. Demi Lovato tries out a slinkier template on the assured mid-tempo cut Body Say, an earworm with a subtlety sometimes missing from Lovato’s boisterous delivery.

Bastille make a breezy comeback on Good Grief, a peppy, radio-ready pop hit in the waiting that brings some welcome energy to their sound. Irish duo Heathers serve up a HAIM-esque return on the ’80s-tinged magic of Call Home, a tune with a sleek polish that suggests an evolution in their sound.

Rihanna warbles her way through Sia-penned Star Trek soundtrack cut, Sledgehammer. A moody and atmospheric tune with Bond theme vibes, it’s a reminder of how much Rihanna has evolved vocally. Calvin Harris and Dizzee Rascal reunite on Hype, a juddering beast of a tune with a frenetic pace that will lodge in your head.

Broods take their synth-laden tunes and turn the volume up tenfold on second album, Conscious. Stacked with bold choruses and glittering production it gives their indie-pop template a blast of stadium ready sheen. Aussie newcomer Grace does a decent line soul-pop on debut album FMA. Her voice is assured and engaging but the generic throwback soul references feel somewhat phoned in.

Irish electronic duo SELK (pictured above) impress on debut album Beast, a moody and expansive work that melds indie-pop choruses with bold soundscapes and intricate production. An engaging and impressive debut.

Indie-pop favourite Blood Orange (pictured) scales new heights on Freetown Sound, an expansive look at racism, sexuality and queer culture with a swirling mix of sounds and textures in one gorgeous, sonically diverse package.