Calvin Harris feat. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, Big Sean - Feels
It's a couple of weeks until the release of 'Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1' but we already have a fair idea of what the album will sound like, considering all the tracks released so far sound the same despite the long list of collaborators. This is Calvin Harris trying to pull a Blurred Lines, with Pharrell onboard and laidback funk production, but I can't shake the feeling he's trying way too hard to be cool.
DJ Khaled feat. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller - Wild Thoughts
Listening to this makes me feel really old. I remember when Santana's Maria Maria was first released and now it's been sampled on this DJ Khaled track. And by sampled, I mean butchered. Rihanna gives a half-arsed vocal, Bryson Tiller does a shoddy Drake impression as he tries to woo her, and Khaled himself looks hilariously out of place on the video.
Jax Jones feat. Demi Lovato & Stefflon Don - Instruction
Demi Lovato should know better than to feature on this dire Latin dance track from English DJ Jax Jones. Her vocal is wasted here, the sort of track that school kids will be dancing to at their summer prom. Stick to Cheat Codes for a decent Demi feature.
The Killers - The Man
Where do The Killers end and Brandon Flowers begins? The band's frontman has been busy doing solo work for a while and The Man seems to stem directly from it. It's certainly a little overwhelming: all funk bass, overdubbed layered vocals, and synth-rock swagger as Flowers claims "I'm the man" repeatedly. If that sounds cheesy...well...it is, but it's spangly and fun in the best way.
Martin Solveig feat. ALMA - All Stars
ALMA is soon becoming an inescapable name. After her brilliant breakthrough Dye My Hair, she featured on a Sub Focus track a couple of weeks ago. Now she's featuring on another dance track, this time from France's Martin Solveig. Her verses are the best part of this track though, bold and glorious with an almost Daft Punk-esque bassline. The chorus drop feels stunted by comparison.
Coldplay - All I Think About Is You
Remember last year when Chris Martin claimed that 'A Head Full Of Dreams' would be their last album? And yet here they are releasing new music. "Oh but it's from an EP," I hear you say. That still doesn't excuse it from being so boring.
Shania Twain - Life's About To Get Good
Shania Twain is kind of a female Michael Bublé. Both artists have their 'home' style of music (in her case country) but occasionally break out with a pop crossover hit. This is no That Don't Impress Me Much, but it's a quaint little song of positivity from her forthcoming album 'Now' that feels out of touch with our turbulent times. I just hope the title rings true.
Zak Abel - All I Ever Do (Is Say Goodbye)
Yes this sounds the same as Abel's last track Unstable, but that wasn't quite the chart smash it deserved to be. So, in the run up to the debut album 'Only When We're Naked', why not try again with identical production and some different lyrics? He's a good looking guy with a decent voice but apart from being good at ping pong I'm not sure what exactly differentiates him from the Nick Jonas and Charlie Puths of this world.
Fickle Friends - Glue
Honestly I stumbled across this track accidentally among this week's releases, but Brighton-based Fickle Friends have released a fun synth pop track that's an addictive listen. Sucking on a prit stick isn't advised, but its chorus lyric "Our lips are like glue, I think I love you" is cute and its jangling guitars shimmer in a summery heat haze.
Icona Pop - GIRLS GIRLS
Paired with Charli XCX, Icona Pop were a huge pop proposition a few years back. I Love It was a smash for its catchy synth production and feisty lyrics. Now they seem to have focused on the former and diminished the latter, in the process losing a lot of their personality. A shame.
