There’s an excitement that fills the room when a new artist arrives with vision and vulnerability. And today, I’m wowed to welcome Sabina Estevez to this blog. Born in the lively rhythms of Rio and polished by the artistic grit of Sydney and London, Sabina carries with her a cultural assortment that colors everything she touches. Before you even hear a note, you feel her presence: warm, thoughtful, and quietly bold. With her single “This Is Not A Pop Song,” Sabina makes her strongest statement yet: one that is a nod to the classics and a refusal to be boxed in by today’s formulaic pop expectations.
From the minute the track starts, there’s a sense that Sabina is inviting listeners somewhere unexpected. The melody has that classic 70s/80s magic we associate with ABBA, The Beatles, Elton John, and the lush inventiveness of 10cc. Yet it never feels nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake. Instead, it feels like Sabina reaching back through time to touch the echoes of these icons, pulling strands of DNA from songs that once shaped entire generations. The hook is exactly as Popworx described it: super magnetic and stubbornly impossible to shake. But what struck me most was how the song’s attitude builds: confident yet introspective, playful yet grounded. The title itself, “This Is Not A Pop Song,” is cheeky, because this absolutely is a pop song… just one that refuses to behave like one.
Sabina’s voice is instantly unique. It has that shimmering clarity that cuts straight through a mix—clean but emotional, polished yet never overdone. There’s a storyteller’s tenderness in her delivery, where she leans into the lyric with soft defiance. She sings with the kind of sincerity that makes you lower your shoulders and listen. What I love most is her control. She doesn’t oversing and push, but she inhabits. Her performance feels lived-in, as though she’s singing this not just to the world, but to herself.
The heart of “This Is Not A Pop Song” lies in its paradox: a pop song claiming not to be one. That’s exactly the tension Sabina explores. It’s a song about standards and expectations. I mean, look at how music is often pressured to fit a mold, hit the right beats, and chase the same chorus structures. Sabina pushes back, not with cynicism, but with charm. She invites listeners to reconsider what makes a pop song meaningful. This track is her way of saying, “I will give you melody. I will give you hooks. But I won’t give you predictability.” It’s a refreshing, lightly rebellious message—an embrace of authenticity in an industry that mostly values polish over personality.
The production, crafted between studios in Sydney and London, carries the flawless fingerprints of its influences. John Lo Schiavo and Nando Pettinato have channeled classic pop/rock sensibilities while giving Sabina ample room to shine. Their background and admiration for timeless melody-driven music are felt in every bar. It’s refreshing to hear pop production that respects space and melody, that lets the song breathe instead of piling on effects for cheap thrills.
Sabina Estevez feels like one of those artists who arrive at exactly the right time. Her music is grounded in history yet forward-looking. Her voice is soothing yet confident. Her presence feels like a breath of honest air in an oversaturated landscape. As she steps into this new chapter with “This Is Not A Pop Song,” I couldn’t be happier to welcome her here. If this single is any indication of what’s to come, she’s carving out her corner of it. And I sincerely can’t wait for more.
Listen to “This Is Not A Pop Song” on Spotify
Subscribe to Sabina Estevez’s YouTube
