Dumblonde

After Aubrey O'Day and Shannon Bex announced Danity Kane's split in 2014, the duo went to work as Dumblonde, an outlet for left-field dance-pop. They connected with a few rising producers and fellow songwriters, most prominently Candice Pillay and Dem Jointz, both of whom were major factors on Dr. Dre's Compton. The lyrical themes of Dumblonde don't deviate much from those of Danity Kane — a not atypical assortment of verses that detail hooking up, escaping, falling in love, dealing with heartache, and so forth — the range of sounds and production touches stand out. Just as importantly, the hooks are sharp and tend to come from unexpected angles. There are also moments where O'Day and Bex are treated more as additional instruments rather than as focal points, as on "Take Away" — where their voices delightfully swirl through buzzing synthesizers, popping bass, flicking guitar, and strings seemingly inspired by Soul II Soul. That highlight, along with the gleaming "Eyes on Horizon" and "Creamsicle," are among the year's finest dance-pop songs, regardless of commercial potential. O'Day and Bex sound like they're having a blast.