Down to the name, Number One Popstar makes no attempt to hide what she's about. A mix of winking satire and loving tribute, the pop project spearheaded by singer and comedian Kate Jean Hollowell is both a quintessential chart-topping indie pop idol and a witty, irreverent send up of the genre. Having been likened to the Andy Kaufman of pop music, Number One Popstar is the sorely needed injection of humor we didn't know was needed.
Looking for relief from all her worries and woes, Number One Popstar is back with her latest single, "Dance Away the Pain." Full of glossy '80s synths, the track sees Hollowell use her quirky strain of pop as a form of escapism, delivering a dark yet catchy hook of "My depression makes me go insane/I just wanna dance away the pain." Not quite as overt as an SNL skit or a Weird Al Yankovic track, Number On Popstar manages to strike the right balance between humor and finely crafted melodies without making the music a joke.
The single arrives alongside an equally absurd visual directed by Hollowell herself. Clad in a neck brace, the music video shows Number One Popstar hitting up the early bird special at the local family restaurant (which fittingly also looks like it hasn't been updated for decades) to stuff her elderly compatriots' faces and naturally dance away the pain.
"I feel like pop music, especially pop music videos, are filled with young cool people, but I want to make music that brings joy to everyone, at any age, specifically 70+," Hollowell says of the visual, which features a cast made up of real life friends she met at a Zumba class. "My hope is that this song is a celebration of not just dancing, but acknowledging the pain you’re going through.”
Check out the official music video for Number One Popstar's "Dance Away the Pain," below.
Photography: Lance Williams