“This is a playlist of all the songs that make me feel empowered,” songwriter and rising indie-pop star Carla Wehbe tells Apple Music. “I get drawn into a song from the melody, so even if the lyrics are not necessarily happy or upbeat the melody can still give me that sense of empowerment and joy, so I hope it does the same for you!” Fittingly, her own penchant for winding potent pop sing-alongs around the gay abandon of ’80s-powered good times is on danceable display here. From Paris Hilton’s first hit single through to Dusty Springfield’s heartstrings balladeering, all great melodies are beautiful in the ears of Carla Wehbe. Read on for more on some of her selections. “Stars Are Blind”, Paris Hilton “In an industry previously unfamiliar to her, Paris Hilton cemented her place in pop music with one of the most iconic pop songs of all time (in my clearly unbiased opinion), so naturally it had to be in my playlist.” “The Winner Takes It All”, ABBA “When you think of ’80s pop, you think of ABBA (or I do, anyway). This is such a heart-wrenching song and the fact that two of the members were going through a divorce and were still able to put that all aside and create a musical masterpiece is so inspiring.” “Anything but Ordinary”, Avril Lavigne “Avril is the person who inspired me to become an artist and this song in particular reminds me that being different is OK, and feeling like you don’t ‘walk within the lines’ isn’t a bad thing.” “Nobody’s Perfect”, Hannah Montana “This song is definitely a guilty pleasure, but it doesn’t matter—if I’m feeling sad, lonely, insecure, listening to this song immediately lifts my mood.” “I Only Want to Be With You”, Dusty Springfield “To me, Dusty Springfield feels like the birth of pop music. This song is so full of pop melodies. I love seeing where pop music started and how so much is carried through the years—and is still a part of what makes up pop music today.” The artwork above was created in collaboration with Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta artist ENOKi. Apple acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land culture and community. We pay our respects to Elders past present and emerging.