Begonia is the thinking woman’s pop princess whose carefully crafted aesthetic combines deconstructed glamour and handsome hedonism. Though not as demure as the flowery name might suggest, Begonia retains a lyrical sincerity and persona-breaking adorability that betrays the maximalism of the pop presentation. With lyrics about holding hands at the hot dog stand, or having a wedding presided over by Elvis, Begonia has that ‘Drag Queen Next Door’ quality.

2022’s Powder Blue featured a series of lavish, bass-guitar and synth-driven tracks; pop with a capital P, but lovingly analog soundscapes on which Begonia hangs her shimmering moo-moos. Her latest, Open Swim (2024), produced by Alexa Dirks and Marcus Paquin (The National, The Weather Station, Arcade Fire) encompasses the feeling of working through conflict and the elation that can surface when you’re honest with others and ultimately yourself. Two Juno and two Polaris prize nominations under her belt, Begonia’s off-kilter pop compositions are syrupy enough to feel like guilty pleasures but matriculated enough to sometimes struggle to count along to.

- Liam Prost