Last week, I went through some of the recent songs to get released into the charts and gave my own little analysis of them. Today, I shall continue this trend and dissect some more songs that have come out recently. Leave a comment if you think my views are a little off; I always appreciate the opinions of the commenters.
5 – JESSIE J – WILD
I have never really been the biggest fan of Jessie J. I have nothing against her: her vocals are often spot-on and I appreciate the fact that she continued a gig despite grievous injuries to her person. I just haven’t fully engaged with her music. However, she is interesting enough to merit a curious inspection of any latest songs. Wild could be one of her best yet. It is a song for the underdogs that have finally achieved their goals (you know, just like all of Jessie J’s other songs). If you don’t like her usual stuff, steer clear of this song, but if you do, you might find this a show-stopper.
Not only do we have Jessie J, but rappers Big Sean and the British icon, Dizzie Rascal, chime in, keeping the pace of the song going. If you don’t like Jessie J, come for these two as their raps are pretty impressive. I cannot fault them. Although I would not consider myself converted to the Jessie J cause just yet, I cannot find anything to criticise on this song. Keep it up, Jessie!
4 – INNA – MORE THAN FRIENDS
There is something very reliable about Inna. She may not have the widest range of vocals and her music might be little more than nightclub fodder, yet she hasn’t missed a beat yet. Her songs always worship the summer and if you like her music, you are never disappointed. More than Friends benefits from Inna’s absence for a few months. It is almost like she was waiting for the summer to get the most out of her music. She breezes into the music industry and you are glad to have her back, rather than having her knock several identical songs out in one go. Again, she does nothing new here, but it is still a solid song for your summer playlist.
3 – SELENA GOMEZ – COME AND GET IT
Out of all of the songs I have reviewed these last two articles, Selena Gomez is the dark horse of the bunch. My expectations were low, yet ‘Come and Get It’ blew me away. It is a solid, exciting club tune and I will definitely give Gomez more attention in the future. Truthfully, I know nothing about the singer. I know that she gets stick for dating Justin Bieber, but that is no reason to hate the artist. Here, she shows that she is more than a ‘famous face in a gossip mag’ and a worthy contender for top of your summer playlist.
2 – WILL.I.AM – BANG BANG
Of course, we were going to get a Will.I.Am tune. He seems unable to stop himself bringing out a song every few months. This is what makes it all the more surprising that he hits the right spot most of the time. Bang Bang is even fairly original which benefits the song greatly. Swing meets club tunes – it’s an inspired move and a tad risky. It does slow right down at the end, which DJs will find infuriating, yet points go to Will.I.Am for experimenting successfully.
Then there is of course the Voice version, which raises the song to a whole other level. In fact, this could hurt the song, as the chart version feels a little underwhelming, once you’ve heard Leah McFall added to the song. This is pretty much a marmite song. Some will get it and love it, while others will be scratching their head, unsure where the talent is meant to be found.
1 – JOHN NEWMAN – LOVE ME AGAIN
I had to save the best for last. It’s a toss-up between Avicci and this song for my favourite tune at the moment. John Newman is most commonly known for doing the vocals to Rudimental’s two opening songs, so if you liked those tunes then this is a summer must for you. John Newman has a phenomenal voice that it is easy to just get lost in. The backing music is so great, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rudimental managed it as a favour to the singer.
I hope John Newman sticks around, because his voice doesn’t really give us the impression of modernity. He could end up slipping off the map, just like Daniel Merriweather or Mr. Hudson, perhaps getting a freebie from Rudimental every now and again. However, if he keeps bringing out tunes like this, then I can see people buying his stuff though. There is almost an epic feel to his music. Surely, a few films will ask him to sing the theme tune. Can he hang around long enough for Sam Mendes to finish the next Bond film?
