This short piece about Mumbai (currently Boston-based) singer-songwriter Krisha Mongia’s (that’s Krishaa if you’re searching for her on streaming services) new single ‘figure it out’ could easily be an excuse to talk about the importance and specific feeling that is brought about by a scale change, especially in the kind of pop music she employs on the song, but that would take about a year to write and two to read. Considering the song came out last month and is an unbridled celebration of the poppiest pop of the last decade, it’s more useful to talk about her approach and why it works.

Krishaa lists many 2010s chart-toppers as her influences, so it’s no surprise that she uses the same tools to make a song about lifting oneself up. There’s no half-hearted attempt to sound niche here, which is possibly the biggest plus of ‘figure it out’. Your ears will be greeted by a washy bed of synths, seven metric tons of reverb on her vocals, and her melodies which are catchy as can be (and they need to be). The drums are straight out of your favourite 2000s live concert film; roomy, big and completely over-the-top. Some acoustic guitars and the odd sine wave provide some flavour, but the song is all about maximum impact. And then, two-thirds of the way through, there’s a scale change. Those of you who are familiar with 90s pop and 80s hair metal ballads know what this is; it’s a punch-the-air-with-joy moment. This song fulfills all the requirements of a unashamedly positive listening experience and the generally positive memories that go along with it.

Don’t go in expecting too much nuance or perceived songwriting depth, though. In fact, that’s as far from the point as can be. Many of us read about and meet people who perpetrate the narrative of pop music being shallow and superficial. ‘figure it out’ doesn’t care about labels or complexity and instead focuses on what makes the word ‘pop’ mean ‘popular’, which is being fun to listen to. And that is something even the most demanding music afficionado can’t argue with. Because they’ll be having loads of fun too. That, then, is the point.