Indie Approved Pop

We know you're out there. In public, you're proudly listening to the latest in indie obscurity. But every now and then, when no one is looking, you're singing along (and maybe dancing a little) to those ubiquitous earworms known as pop songs. Maybe they're your guilty pleasure, or maybe you admire the production and songwriting, or maybe they're just the tune you have stuck in your head even though you've never listened to the song on purpose. Either way, in this week's episode, we're taking a break from the best in indie and indulging in our latent pop tendencies. But don't worry, we haven't completely jumped the indie ship. We've curated a list of indie-approved pop tunes - songs that, in one way or another, have been created, covered, or just embraced by the indie community. Some of these tracks are discussed and analyzed, but others are just pure indulgence, because let's face it -- sometimes, we all just need to hear some Beyonce.

Tracklist:

1. "Dancing On My Own" -- Robyn, Body Talk Pt. 1
2. "Lovestoned" -- Justin Timberlake, FutureSex/LoveSounds
3. "Climax" -- Usher, Looking For Myself
4. "Boyfriend" -- Justin Bieber, Believe
5. "2012 (You Must Be Upgraded)" -- The Flaming Lips feat. Ke$ha & Biz Markie, The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
6. "Toxic" -- Britney Spears, In the Zone
7. "Since U Been Gone" -- Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway
8. "Trapped in the Closet Ch.1" -- R. Kelly, TP.3 Reloaded
9. "Call Me Maybe" -- Carly Rae Jepsen, Curiosity
10. "Countdown" -- Beyoncé, 4