The internet hometown hero makes his bid for the alt-pop big leagues. When Toronto alt-pop singer-songwriter MICO titled his 2024 EP Internet hometown hero, it was both an acknowledgment of his social-media-fueled ascent and an implicit suggestion that he sought a more meaningful connection with fans and a long-lasting career that could transcend the whims of the algorithm. With his debut full-length release When the lights turn on, MICO digs in his heels for the long haul as he further hones his gift for channeling his unfiltered thoughts into universal sing-alongs while drawing from an expanded musical palette that encompasses the pop-punk spunk of “Do it all again,” the synthgaze textures of “Open up your eyes,” the strobe-lit hyperpop of “DREAMBOY,” and the heart-spilling piano balladry of “Learning to love.” But on a record loaded with towering hooks, the infectiously upbeat “OH!” soars highest, as MICO fires off a laundry-list account of his life as a budding pop star, like a “We Didn’t Start the Fire” for the viral-fame age.