If music intended to be non-pop can still retain pop elements that make you want to get up & dance, the new Santigold album “Master of My Make-Believe” is making its best attempt.

It’s been four years since her last album but she (being Santi White) hasn’t been stagnant, in that time she has switched management to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, as well as switched labels. She’s been featured on other people’s songs, including the Beastie Boys, Spank Rock and Nasa, and has also worked with Christina Aguilera, and Devo, and composed for other artists. Not to mention she wrote her own album.

Master of My Make Believe is an unconventional album mixing genres and time periods that only Santigold has managed to keep relevant with today’s hip/hop/pop culture.  The album’s single, “Disparate Youth”, has a 90’s pop grunge element to it while being recognizably electronic Santigold style. Or “Santogold’s” style, as was the previous incarnate of her name. She has expressed her distaste for the current music state, (factory generated pop specifically) so perhaps this is where the heavier, tinnier aspect plays in. Despite her video for the song “Big Mouth” seeming to draw distinctions between herself and some currently popular lady singers, she claims the distaste is not aimed at anyone specific, more just a general “lack of art” in music.

Inspired by a scary boat ride in Jamaica, Santi had a distinct idea of what she wanted to accomplish with the album and makes an effort to be as involved with the entire process as possible, including choreography and other performance elements. Reflecting on the boat experience she stated:

“Like, it was so dangerous. I was just like, ‘Ahhhh!’ Waves were crashing and there’s a little stereo and it was blasting music, but it was distorted. It was just like a really dangerous element, but it was also exciting and at the same time there was all this beauty around, and I was just like, ‘This is what my record should feel like.”

For this album she made collaborations with Switch, Diplo, and John Hill (all repeats) plus newly the Q-Tips, Greg Kurston, Boys Noize, Nick Zinner of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio, and Ricky Blaze & we’re loving it! Catch Santigold live Friday June 1st at Club Nokia & check out her video for Disparate Youth here: