I have absolutely become one of those old grumps who rails that modern mainstream pop is a mass of soundalike bleats and bloops with the depth of crumb pan underneath a toaster, not like in my day let me tell you. That the major moneymakers in the music industry often confirm the accuracy of my complaints by proudly boasting of the way they use computer analysis to achieve audience-friendly uniformity doesn’t make me feel any better about adhering a stereotype of the music fan who the times have passed by. For all my instinctual aversion to the singles aimed straight at modern Billboard Top 40 success, I remain susceptible to a hook that hits that right spot of my lizard brain.

Best as I can tell, Ava Max’s new track, “My Oh My,” is just another song about getting lost in the thrill of the club. But damned if it doesn’t rope me in with it’s Lady Gaga–aping verve. The song is basically all hook, and the repeated lyrics “Flashin’ lights up on my body/ Feels like ’90s paparazzi” are irresistibly evocative. There’s a reason why material like this works. “My Oh My” takes a tight grip and doesn’t let go.