Within seconds, it's obvious this was written by Julia Michaels: the sparse production, the limited melodic range, the repeated guitar hook. Mainly it sounds just like Selena Gomez's Bad Liar. Taken from Mendes' new self-titled album, it establishes him as a proper popstar and not just a social media celebrity.
Worth a listen.
Call Me Loop - Love The Lie
Call Me Loop's Give'n'Take has been rattling around the radio for weeks. It's come out of nowhere as one of the catchiest songs of the year. Love The Lie is its follow up, pairing an infectious dance beat with a Spanish guitar for that bit of 90s Latin flair. Expect this to be played to death.
Add to playlist.
No Rome - Do It Again
This sounds just like those little electronic interlude tracks The 1975 are so good at. Why? Because it was produced by two of the band's members - George Daniel and frontman Matty Healy. The latter has described Phillipine-based artist No Rome as his muse, but it's clear there's a mutual influence here. Do It Again is a polished and compact track of bleeps and bloops and a processed voice that sounds like a mournful computer.
Add to playlist.
ZAYN - Entertainer
This new track from Zayn Malik is basically Zayn Malik in song form. It's smooth and subdued and laidback, his voice fluttering in soft falsetto, the chorus lyric "when you need me the most / I will turn you down" a sexy kiss-off. It's also too subtle, trying too hard to be cool, and ultimately lacks impact.
Worth a listen.
Emily Burns - Cheat
Burns is proving to be quite the pop breakthrough this year. Each song features her gentle vocals belying the biting tone of her lyrics and Cheat is no different. "Don't have to say you're sorry / let's just forget that you're a cheat," she sings in the chorus as the beat kicks in and the synths glitter in the breeze. It's a more uptempo take on her sound, without losing the subtlety of her songwriting.
Worth a listen.
Crystal Fighters - Boomin' In Your Jeep
The English-Spanish folk-pop group are back with a song that completely rips off M.I.A's Paper Planes, minus the cash register sounds. Still, the buoyant beat is catchy beneath the sun-soaked production. Perfect roadtrip music.
Worth a listen.
