Listening to pop music doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure, especially when it’s good. Ellie Goulding has matured on her new album Halcyon, hitting the sweetest spots while singing about life’s lowest blows. It’s a 1-2 punch to the gut with uppercut beats and emotive left hooks. Funny enough, my favorite track on the record is also the most traditional. Following songs about lost hope and bleeding hearts, “JOY” swells with a choir and strings, serving as a wonderful reminder that we are capable of rising above the bastards that knock us out.