Kim Petras

Clarity may be the biggest pop album of the year—and not just in terms of quality. This glitzy singer's debut sidesteps any gesture toward restraint in favor of big hooks, big synths and big personality. Take its promotion strategy as an indication: releasing nine of the album's 13 songs as rapid-fire singles over nine consecutive weeks. And while the straight-to-the-jugular approach might lack experimentation, the album's re-listenability proves that Petras can make multifaceted magic with simple, direct tools. Catch her in support of the album as she graduates from her intimate February gigs at Elsewhere's smaller Zone One space to big-room-venue Avant Gardner.