Don't Wanna Fall in Love

Don't Wanna Fall in Love by Jane Child, released in 1990.

Jane Child is not just the face, voice, and keys of this early 90s apex-pop, she is the production, arrangement, and songwriting powerhouse that lifted it from obscurity to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite the commercial success of this track, Child chose to remain out of the spotlight, disinterested in celebrity, married to the music. The undeniable pop accessibility of the song - its choices, grooves, structure, and thousand-watt synth styling - never fail to hit me like a cooler of ice-water on a beach day. It's rare that a pop relisten invites you, in parallel to the music, to consider/remember an icon without the artist's ego forcing some egocentric reminder that they hold themselves in that light. This anthem's openhearted, if-you-want-me-take-me-as-I-am sincerity is worth resurrecting for modern artists, many of whom feel more awaited by their fantasies than driven by their goals, passing on putting in the work Ms. Child did and continues to do everytime you push play.