Vera Blue may made her name as an indie-friendly folk singer, but her aptly titled 2022 album Mercurial launches her into a very different realm with synth-powered dancefloor cuts and neo-soul ballads alike. That’s also the vibe of her exclusive playlist, which spans upbeat selections from Aussie talent like Alice Ivy, Sycco, Cosmo’s Midnight and Tkay Maidza as well as international heavyweights like Charli XCX, Gorillaz, Post Malone and Doja Cat. “I have curated an uptempo, fun, summery playlist with tunes that either make me feel joy, feel empowered or make me bounce my shoulders and wiggle my butt,” Blue told Apple Music in late 2022. She kept pop disco as the main musical theme, with an eye towards soundtracking seaside sunsets, picnics with mates or slamming house parties. With that vibe in full effect, read on as she highlights four of her picks in particular. Lizzo, “2 Be Loved” “This song is one of my current faves—it’s empowering and it puts me in a really good mood. I love the way Lizzo uses her voice, there’s so much energy, sass and character. She’s just so damn cool and I am busting to see her live—it was iconic when she performed at Coachella with Harry Styles.” Stevie Nicks, “Edge Of Seventeen” “This song is super electric, you can hear the grit and angst in Stevie’s voice. The iconic guitar part and the way she sings, ‘Ooh baby ooh said ooooh’ just reminds me of that scene in School Of Rock where Ned and Principal Mullins are at the pub drinking beer. I just feel like this song is such a badass moment for Stevie launching into that magical ’80s world.” Harry Styles, “Cinema” “I mean, what more can I say? He’s a musical magician! This song is one of the more chill groovy tunes on this playlist but, as soon as this song starts, I feel a happy buzz and can’t help but move my body. Even if I hear it at a café I’m always like, ’Oh, I love this song’, out loud. I love towards the end how he uses his voice in the backing vocal parts. He’s kind of scream singing but it’s all reverbed out and sounds amazing.” a-ha, “Take On Me” “This song satisfies my fast-paced ’80s itch. The sneaky half-time beat in the second half of each chorus, with a drum fill then snapping back into the high-energy beat is just genius. I love the quirky high-pitched synth sounds. There’s a meme of a girl with a ponytail wearing dorky glasses, bobbing to the beat facing away from camera, then suddenly spinning around to the sound of the first synth bell before the camera zooms in her face. The image has never left my head and I love it. I did my own rendition once.”