If Wynter Gordon doesn’t wind up climbing the charts this summer, then the state of mainstream music in 2011 is a sad one, indeed. (Actually, with LMFAO riding high with a #1 single this week, signs point to yes.)

The 25-year-old Queens, New York native, who’s written songs for Mary J. Blige, Danity Kane, and Jennifer Lopez, has released a new EP, With The Music I Die. The six-song set features dance-pop tracks that surpass far lesser songs that have gone off like gangbusters for artists like Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and Ke$ha. In Australia, where Gordon’s tunes have already gained some traction, the EP is expanded to a full-length album.

Besides previously highlighted lead single “Til Death” (currently #7 on the Dance/Club Play Songs chart), my favorite track off With The Music I Die is “Still Getting Younger.” This perfect slice of ’80s escapism manages to be both breezy and bold, with bright synths, an urgent beat, and a great watery guitar sound. This lyrical sentiment toward the end is particularly swoonworthy: “I love to hear you say my name / Calling out to me like a record / Promise me you’ll always be the same.”

Starting with a falling-star bit that sounds like Laura Branigan’s “Gloria,” the bonus is a chorus that includes an unmistakable nod to another retro-referencing number, Solange’s “Sandcastle Disco.” Ooh-ooh-ooh, Gordon is good.

Purchase Wynter Gordon – With The Music I Die EP via iTunes.