It’s a common belief in the music world that all the innovation happened in the 90s, and that’s true to some extent. The music of the oughts and 2010s, while having some gems, is largely nothing new. And pop music for that matter has become a regurgitation of quick trends and past styles.

A few artists however are bringing new energy to the music scene and are helping to push the boundaries of sound, one of whom being Caroline Polechek. Though a relatively new voice in music, Polecheck has been producing music for singers like Beyoncé for the last decade.

Having just released her second studio album, Desire, I want to turn into you, it’s clear she’s evolved into the next big thing in the music world, or at least she should, because unlike the rest of the pop world, she’s innovating with her music.

On the second single from her newest release, Polecheck turns heads with her maximalist-produced five minute art pop anthem, Billions. Despite being a trained opera singer, Polechek sings in a relatively laid back yet strained vocal styling putting more of the attention on the song’s intricate production.

Speaking of the production, the highlight of the song, it’s the reason she turned so many heads, being named as one of the best songs of 2022 by music magazines like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and Billboard.

Billions begins with quick bass strikes patterned to sound like they're rolling over each other, and ends with a children’s choir, an unusual move for a pop song.

Despite certainly not being a chart topper in the slightest, it is a new direction for pop music in a time when much of music is directionless. From the complex vocal layering and rolling bass dubs, to the philosophical nonsense lyrics, Polecheck’s music is a breath of fresh air in a stale world.