If progressive pop had a neon-lit penthouse in NYC, Cole Lumpkin would be throwing the afterparty.
Straight out of the five boroughs, Cole is that rare artist who doesn’t just make songs, he builds whole universes. Multi-instrumentalist, soundscape architect, and certified world-builder, his vibe lands somewhere between Frank Zappa’s chaos, The 1975’s glossy emotions, and Pharrell’s futuristic bounce. It’s weird in the best way. It’s pretty in the strangest way. And somehow, it always hits.
After making noise online by playing every instrument himself like a one-person band boss, Cole leveled up fast. Signing with Suite 484 and linking with Sony’s The Orchard, he dropped his debut album OTHERWORLDS in 2025 and watched it slide onto Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes charts like it belonged there all along. That album felt like a wide-angle shot of his life. His new era, though? Way closer to the chest.
Enter HELIX, and especially the standout track, “90 Degrees.”
This song is a whole confession wrapped in late-night bar lights and smooth, emotional production. “90 Degrees” isn’t about labels or boxes. It’s about letting attraction breathe, letting identity stretch, and realizing you don’t have to fit the version of yourself you invented years ago. The track floats between hopecore warmth, indie textures, funk pop grooves, and R&B soul, sounding like self-acceptance with a bassline.
Cole doesn’t just sing about discovering he’s pansexual, he makes it feel liberating. The record plays like that moment when you finally stop overthinking and just exist. Meeting someone at 2 a.m., laughing too loud, feeling seen without explaining yourself. That’s the energy.
What makes Cole special is how fearless he is with honesty. HELIX was written during one of the most intense seasons of his life, anxiety, imposter syndrome, heartbreak, touring exhaustion, and self-realization all crashing together. Instead of hiding it, he turned it into art. And “90 Degrees” feels like the emotional pivot point of that story, where confusion turns into freedom.
Sonically, the track glides. It’s polished but raw, catchy but thoughtful, playful but deep. The kind of song you can vibe to in headphones or scream in the car at night while pretending you’re in a music video.
Cole Lumpkin isn’t chasing trends. He’s building a lane. And with “90 Degrees,” he proves that progressive pop can still be personal, still be brave, and still slap.
Bottom line: Cole isn’t just turning heads. He’s turning perspectives. And the angle feels real nice.
