diff --git a/beets/__init__.py b/beets/__init__.py
index 036b197ef..564c5b572 100644
--- a/beets/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/__init__.py
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ class IncludeLazyConfig(confuse.LazyConfig):
     YAML files specified in an `include` setting.
     """
 
-    def read(self, user=True, defaults=True):
+    def read(self, user: bool = True, defaults: bool = True) -> None:
         super().read(user, defaults)
 
         try:
-            for view in self["include"]:
+            for view in self["include"].sequence():
                 self.set_file(view.as_filename())
         except confuse.NotFoundError:
             pass
diff --git a/beets/plugins.py b/beets/plugins.py
index 01d9d3327..b1650d5b0 100644
--- a/beets/plugins.py
+++ b/beets/plugins.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ from beets.util.deprecation import deprecate_for_maintainers, deprecate_for_user
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from collections.abc import Callable, Iterable, Iterator, Sequence
 
-    from confuse import ConfigView
+    from confuse import Subview
 
     from beets.dbcore import Query
     from beets.dbcore.db import FieldQueryType
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ class BeetsPlugin(metaclass=BeetsPluginMeta):
     album_template_fields: TFuncMap[Album]
 
     name: str
-    config: ConfigView
+    config: Subview
     early_import_stages: list[ImportStageFunc]
     import_stages: list[ImportStageFunc]
 
diff --git a/beets/ui/__init__.py b/beets/ui/__init__.py
index 8db4dd79f..4c93d66d8 100644
--- a/beets/ui/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/ui/__init__.py
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ import textwrap
 import traceback
 from difflib import SequenceMatcher
 from functools import cache
-from itertools import chain
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal
 
 import confuse
@@ -551,18 +550,20 @@ def get_color_config() -> dict[ColorName, str]:
     legacy single-color format. Validates all color names against known codes
     and raises an error for any invalid entries.
     """
-    colors_by_color_name: dict[ColorName, list[str]] = {
-        k: (v if isinstance(v, list) else LEGACY_COLORS.get(v, [v]))
-        for k, v in config["ui"]["colors"].flatten().items()
-    }
-
-    if invalid_colors := (
-        set(chain.from_iterable(colors_by_color_name.values()))
-        - CODE_BY_COLOR.keys()
-    ):
-        raise UserError(
-            f"Invalid color(s) in configuration: {', '.join(invalid_colors)}"
+    template_dict: dict[ColorName, confuse.OneOf[str | list[str]]] = {
+        n: confuse.OneOf(
+            [
+                confuse.Choice(sorted(LEGACY_COLORS)),
+                confuse.Sequence(confuse.Choice(sorted(CODE_BY_COLOR))),
+            ]
         )
+        for n in ColorName.__args__  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+    }
+    template = confuse.MappingTemplate(template_dict)
+    colors_by_color_name = {
+        k: (v if isinstance(v, list) else LEGACY_COLORS.get(v, [v]))
+        for k, v in config["ui"]["colors"].get(template).items()
+    }
 
     return {
         n: ";".join(str(CODE_BY_COLOR[c]) for c in colors)
diff --git a/beets/ui/commands/import_/session.py b/beets/ui/commands/import_/session.py
index 42a809634..eee5afbf7 100644
--- a/beets/ui/commands/import_/session.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands/import_/session.py
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ def _summary_judgment(rec):
     summary judgment is made.
     """
 
+    action: importer.Action | None
     if config["import"]["quiet"]:
         if rec == Recommendation.strong:
             return importer.Action.APPLY
diff --git a/beetsplug/discogs/__init__.py b/beetsplug/discogs/__init__.py
index dc88e0f14..bdbeb8fc0 100644
--- a/beetsplug/discogs/__init__.py
+++ b/beetsplug/discogs/__init__.py
@@ -355,10 +355,9 @@ class DiscogsPlugin(MetadataSourcePlugin):
         style = self.format(result.data.get("styles"))
         base_genre = self.format(result.data.get("genres"))
 
-        if self.config["append_style_genre"] and style:
-            genre = self.config["separator"].as_str().join([base_genre, style])
-        else:
-            genre = base_genre
+        genre = base_genre
+        if self.config["append_style_genre"] and genre is not None and style:
+            genre += f"{self.config['separator'].as_str()}{style}"
 
         discogs_albumid = self._extract_id(result.data.get("uri"))
 
diff --git a/beetsplug/fetchart.py b/beetsplug/fetchart.py
index ef311cbbd..e4de9181b 100644
--- a/beetsplug/fetchart.py
+++ b/beetsplug/fetchart.py
@@ -288,7 +288,8 @@ class Candidate:
         elif check == ImageAction.REFORMAT:
             self.path = ArtResizer.shared.reformat(
                 self.path,
-                plugin.cover_format,
+                # TODO: fix this gnarly logic to remove the need for type ignore
+                plugin.cover_format,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
                 deinterlaced=plugin.deinterlace,
             )
 
@@ -1367,7 +1368,7 @@ class FetchArtPlugin(plugins.BeetsPlugin, RequestMixin):
 
         # allow both pixel and percentage-based margin specifications
         self.enforce_ratio = self.config["enforce_ratio"].get(
-            confuse.OneOf(
+            confuse.OneOf[bool | str](
                 [
                     bool,
                     confuse.String(pattern=self.PAT_PX),
diff --git a/beetsplug/lastgenre/__init__.py b/beetsplug/lastgenre/__init__.py
index 1c91688a6..f7aef0261 100644
--- a/beetsplug/lastgenre/__init__.py
+++ b/beetsplug/lastgenre/__init__.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
     import optparse
     from collections.abc import Callable
 
+    from beets.importer import ImportSession, ImportTask
     from beets.library import LibModel
 
 LASTFM = pylast.LastFMNetwork(api_key=plugins.LASTFM_KEY)
@@ -178,14 +179,13 @@ class LastGenrePlugin(plugins.BeetsPlugin):
         """A tuple of allowed genre sources. May contain 'track',
         'album', or 'artist.'
         """
-        source = self.config["source"].as_choice(("track", "album", "artist"))
-        if source == "track":
-            return "track", "album", "artist"
-        if source == "album":
-            return "album", "artist"
-        if source == "artist":
-            return ("artist",)
-        return tuple()
+        return self.config["source"].as_choice(
+            {
+                "track": ("track", "album", "artist"),
+                "album": ("album", "artist"),
+                "artist": ("artist",),
+            }
+        )
 
     # More canonicalization and general helpers.
 
@@ -603,10 +603,8 @@ class LastGenrePlugin(plugins.BeetsPlugin):
         lastgenre_cmd.func = lastgenre_func
         return [lastgenre_cmd]
 
-    def imported(
-        self, session: library.Session, task: library.ImportTask
-    ) -> None:
-        self._process(task.album if task.is_album else task.item, write=False)
+    def imported(self, _: ImportSession, task: ImportTask) -> None:
+        self._process(task.album if task.is_album else task.item, write=False)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
 
     def _tags_for(
         self,
diff --git a/beetsplug/lyrics.py b/beetsplug/lyrics.py
index 7995daefc..a2afc2661 100644
--- a/beetsplug/lyrics.py
+++ b/beetsplug/lyrics.py
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ class LRCLib(Backend):
         for group in self.fetch_candidates(artist, title, album, length):
             candidates = [evaluate_item(item) for item in group]
             if item := self.pick_best_match(candidates):
-                lyrics = item.get_text(self.config["synced"])
+                lyrics = item.get_text(self.config["synced"].get(bool))
                 return lyrics, f"{self.GET_URL}/{item.id}"
 
         return None
diff --git a/beetsplug/playlist.py b/beetsplug/playlist.py
index a1f9fff39..54a03646f 100644
--- a/beetsplug/playlist.py
+++ b/beetsplug/playlist.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class PlaylistQuery(InQuery[bytes]):
                 relative_to = os.path.dirname(playlist_path)
             else:
                 relative_to = config["relative_to"].as_filename()
-            relative_to = beets.util.bytestring_path(relative_to)
+            relative_to_bytes = beets.util.bytestring_path(relative_to)
 
             for line in f:
                 if line[0] == "#":
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class PlaylistQuery(InQuery[bytes]):
 
                 paths.append(
                     beets.util.normpath(
-                        os.path.join(relative_to, line.rstrip())
+                        os.path.join(relative_to_bytes, line.rstrip())
                     )
                 )
             f.close()
diff --git a/beetsplug/smartplaylist.py b/beetsplug/smartplaylist.py
index e22a65787..a5cc8e362 100644
--- a/beetsplug/smartplaylist.py
+++ b/beetsplug/smartplaylist.py
@@ -262,8 +262,9 @@ class SmartPlaylistPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
                 "Updating {} smart playlists...", len(self._matched_playlists)
             )
 
-        playlist_dir = self.config["playlist_dir"].as_filename()
-        playlist_dir = bytestring_path(playlist_dir)
+        playlist_dir = bytestring_path(
+            self.config["playlist_dir"].as_filename()
+        )
         tpl = self.config["uri_format"].get()
         prefix = bytestring_path(self.config["prefix"].as_str())
         relative_to = self.config["relative_to"].get()
diff --git a/beetsplug/titlecase.py b/beetsplug/titlecase.py
index d722d4d16..634f5fe4d 100644
--- a/beetsplug/titlecase.py
+++ b/beetsplug/titlecase.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class TitlecasePlugin(BeetsPlugin):
 
     @cached_property
     def replace(self) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
-        return self.config["replace"].as_pairs()
+        return self.config["replace"].as_pairs(default_value="")
 
     @cached_property
     def the_artist(self) -> bool:
diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
index 8eb7c74ac..cab1bb0ca 100644
--- a/poetry.lock
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -747,18 +747,21 @@ files = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "confuse"
-version = "2.1.0"
+version = "2.2.0"
 description = "Painless YAML config files"
 optional = false
-python-versions = ">=3.9"
+python-versions = ">=3.10"
 files = [
-    {file = "confuse-2.1.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:502be1299aa6bf7c48f7719f56795720c073fb28550c0c7a37394366c9d30316"},
-    {file = "confuse-2.1.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:abb9674a99c7a6efaef84e2fc84403ecd2dd304503073ff76ea18ed4176e218d"},
+    {file = "confuse-2.2.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:470c6aa1a5008c8d740267f2ad574e3a715b6dd873c1e5f8778b7f7abb954722"},
+    {file = "confuse-2.2.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:35c1b53e81be125f441bee535130559c935917b26aeaa61289010cd1f55c2b9e"},
 ]
 
 [package.dependencies]
 pyyaml = "*"
 
+[package.extras]
+docs = ["sphinx (>=7.4.7)", "sphinx-rtd-theme (>=3.0.2)"]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "coverage"
 version = "7.11.0"
@@ -4583,4 +4586,4 @@ web = ["flask", "flask-cors"]
 [metadata]
 lock-version = "2.0"
 python-versions = ">=3.10,<4"
-content-hash = "f8ce55ae74c5e3c5d1d330582f83dae30ef963a0b8dd8c8b79f16c3bcfdb525a"
+content-hash = "d00ffb911964e9943b08c5ae3de28867cd5636700bdfe4a70534b02843ea80d7"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index aa3c9d5c7..1c35fb048 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ Changelog = "https://github.com/beetbox/beets/blob/master/docs/changelog.rst"
 python = ">=3.10,<4"
 
 colorama = { version = "*", markers = "sys_platform == 'win32'" }
-confuse = ">=2.1.0"
+confuse = ">=2.2.0"
 jellyfish = "*"
 lap = ">=0.5.12"
 mediafile = ">=0.12.0"