Robyn - Honey

The warning signs were there in the first strain of the title track:

No, you're not gonna get what you need
But baby, I have what you want
Come get your honey

This might not be the Robyn album that many of her fans wanted. But it's the Robyn album that she needed to make. It's been eight years since the release of 'Body Talk' - years spent grieving for friends and relationships - and those years are all here, in the music.

What this isn't, as many anticipated, is 'Body Talk Pt. 3', though opener Missing You does give that impression. Initially, it seems, not much has changed - Robyn is still delivering sad pop bangers, pairing melancholic lyrics with crystalline dance production. Yet it's more subtle than the song's predecessors - the way the synth pads never resolve, the way it drifts unstructured into thought, the hushed vocal delivery until that final "I miss you". That subtlety and craft foreshadows what's to come.

Musically at least, 'Honey' is less crying in the club and more contemplating at the after party. It's altogether more introspective than her previous work, stretching her bittersweet style to the logical extremes: heavier on the dance influences, yet equally more intimate. It's experimental and less rigidly structured, turning hypnotic dance beats into pensive thought rather than euphoric escapism.

The songs are presented in the order they were written. The result is an album that takes us on a journey, beginning with heartbreak and moving through grief. In this context Missing You makes sense - it's not just a song about longing for a lover or a friend, it's a nod to the past Robyn before moving into newer territory. "I'm a human being," she almost pleads on Human Being over sparse robotic beats and glitching rhythms, as if breaking out of her past self.

Because It's In The Music is Robyn at her most sweet yet melancholic, her lyrics of reminiscence ("I'm right back in that moment and it makes me want to cry") layered over production that glitters and shimmers like the stardust she sings of. It's followed by Baby Forgive Me, with similar disco under-pinning and a warped vocal counter-melody that almost mocks her pleading, the harmony shifting in the second chorus as her pleas become more desperate ("Just let me make you smile again, baby"). It bleeds into Send To Robin Immediately like a stream of consciousness - an introspective, largely instrumental track that sees Robyn (and us along with her) lost in thought.

By the time we get to the title track, its sensuality feels familiar like a warm bath. It's here that Robyn begins to find herself again after her experiences of loss, find herself in the playfulness of music. From there it's a rising swell of positivity - through 90s house - towards closing track Ever Again. Here the album ends on a moment of pure euphoria, the production blown widescreen (under the production helm of Metronomy's Joseph Mount) as we're simultaneously grounded in the club and soaring to the stars. "Never gonna be brokenhearted ever again," she sings with unbridled freedom and joy.

'Honey', then, is an album of crisis and self-discovery, of loss and comfort and a brighter future, as downbeat as it is upbeat. It is frequently beautiful, daring and bold - both in its experimental construction and its subverting of our expectations. It is also meticulously crafted, with too many tiny details and moments to list individually.

But it's not without its flaws. Beyond the initial disappointment at the lack of consistent pop bangers - or perhaps because of that lack - the dance influences cause some tracks to feel too drawn out. Between The Lines and Beach2k20 in particular border on 90s pastiche, the hypnotic beats drifting into monotony. And while there's depth to the production and the songwriting (often what's unsaid allows us space to ponder), the album probably won't be played on repeat for years to come, but instead saved for certain moments of reflection.

In that sense, 'Honey' was perhaps more cathartic for Robyn to write than enjoyable for us to listen to - the album she needed, but not that we necessarily wanted. This is her 'Honey'. Whether it's yours is up to you.

5/5

Gizzle's Choice:
* Missing You
* Honey
* Ever Again

Listen: 'Honey' is out now.

New Music Friday 26/10

Rudimental feat. Tom Walker - Walk Alone

Rudimental are well known for collaborating with a huge variety of vocalists. Walker is best known for his 2017 hit Leave A Light On, and on Walk Alone he brings gruff vocals and a more subdued tone to Rudimental's usual brass sound. Whether the group's forthcoming album, due in January, has variety to match the vocalists, though, remains to be seen.

Worth a listen.



Ellie Goulding x Diplo feat. Swae Lee - Close To Me

It's not often you hear an augmented fifth in a pop song. It's a chromatic leap that's hard to sing and doesn't sound great. But that's the only thing of note in this Ellie Goulding comeback single that's otherwise by the numbers Diplo production. She used to be more experimental than this; and so was Diplo.

Don't bother.



Cardi B - Money

Look, I've never seen the appeal of Cardi B at all. But this especially is vacuous rubbish about loving cold hard cash more than anything. And its hook sounds like Beez In The Trap - ironic considering her feud with Nicki Minaj.

Don't bother.



L Devine - Nervous

So far L Devine seems like little more than a more hipster Dua Lipa - cool aesthetic, black and white videos, and the same record label. But Nervous is her best track so far. The influence of Dev Hynes is clear in the sparse production and funk guitars, but the lyrics (describing nerves during a first date) and catchy hooks add a youthful edge. There's definitely a potential superstar here.

Add to playlist.



Allie X - Girl of the Year

Forthcoming album 'Super Sunset' is due out next week, but here's one last single before then. It's quintessential Allie X: lyrics full of metaphor ("I'm just a battery to keep you energized") and heavy synth production. That album is shaping up to be pretty unmissable.

Add to playlist.



joan - all the way

This new song from the indie-pop duo is like all the best 80s songs thrown together as one. Prince-esque dry funk guitars, heavily reverbed Phil Collins drums, and a synth bass that wouldn't sound out of place on a Michael Jackson track. There are modern touches too, like the processed vocals and the sugary sheen of polish - it all amounts to a hugely addictive listen.

Add to playlist.



Icona Pop - Rhythm In My Blood

Swedish duo Icona Pop have never surpassed their Charli XCX collaboration I Love It, but this might be their closest yet. It's a stomping, strutting synth-pop track full of suitably rhythmic hooks. But do they really have much of a fanbase outside of their home country to make this a hit?

Worth a listen.

Hayley Kiyoko @ O2 Academy Islington

It's been quite the year for queer artists. Janelle Monaé gave us an exploration of queer black America. Troye Sivan and Years & Years gave us sexy queer confidence. We've had bops, albums and representation in multiple genres from the likes of MNEK, Kim Petras, St Vincent and Sophie.

And then there's Hayley Kiyoko, without whom we wouldn't even have #20GAYTEEN.

The ex-Disney star's pop is aimed squarely at a young audience, as proven by the crowd of teens in attendance. Yet far from bubblegum, her R&B-tinged sound is as empowering as it is catchy. Breakout hit Girls Like Girls sounds like frothy pop but it's a sincere subversion of typical straight pop; tracks like Curious and What I Need are radio-friendly potential chart toppers about embracing sexuality. Every song is a queer anthem. Every song sounds like the last song of the night.

Though predominantly songs taken from debut album 'Expectations', the set also included work from earlier EPs. Clearly written at a more exploratory stage in her career, they border on Disney channel emo teen songs - but they're no less powerful to the crowd.

No matter what she's singing, though, Kiyoko is a popstar through and through. The way she works up the crowd, dances to the heavy beats, struts along the stage with conviction. She is a commanding stage presence oozing confidence, a young woman as comfortable on-stage as she is in her own skin entrancing and empowering a crowd of teens in the midst of finding themselves. It's a superstar performance worthy of far bigger venues, even when the poor sound quality of the Islington Academy threatened to ruin the night.

Not that the crowd cared as they - understandably - chanted "lesbian Jesus" between songs. In fact, their reactions were the most heartwarming part of this gig. A crowd of free-spirited predominantly young queer females holding each other, swaying to the music, waving pride flags in a welcoming space of equality, openness and acceptance. This. This is the future of pop music.

4/5

Assassination Nation

Few film genres are as socially conscious as the teen movie. Every generation has its own, a reflection of society at the time and all its anxieties.

Assassination Nation, a black comedy from writer-director Sam Levinson, is a kaleidoscopic cornucopia of social anxiety, injustice and prejudice. There's even a roll-call of trigger warnings at the start: toxic masculinity, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and so much more. Though the film centres on four girls in an American high school (with shades of modern day Heathers), its themes don't quite coalesce into a cohesive story. Instead it plays out like a series of montages and vignettes that thrive on a perpetually intense atmosphere.

Levinson shoots the film like a horror. Noir lighting, abstract camera angles, and stark use of sound and an ominous soundtrack all add to a sense of constant dread that keeps us on the edge of our seats. The colours red, white and blue also proliferate in the moody lighting and costumes that hammers home this state of the nation satire, full of powerful imagery that frequently shocks.

Yet unlike other horror films, there's no beast, ghost or witch to face against. Instead, it's the omniscience of the internet that is the nemesis of our social media obsessed heroines and through this, everyone and anything becomes terrifying. The assassination of the title is social assassination through hacked phones and leaked information. Every character has a secret, but whose will be uncovered next? Whose life is about to be ruined with catastrophic consequences?

What's most terrifying is how real this can all feel, especially under the social pressures of being a teen. Levinson shoots much of the film on camera phones, turning this social satire into a frightening reality - a modern day witch hunt. It's no coincidence it's set in Salem.

The internet empowers as much as it frightens, but Assassination Nation explores what happens when that power falls into the wrong hands. If teen films are about fighting back against adults, then Levinson's film represents the ultimate teen power fantasy, able to cause mass destruction at the click of a button.

Eventually these "assassinations" do become real and the film descends into grotesque and extreme violence, almost revelling in it. It evolves from a smart teen horror into a #MeToo feminist revenge story that's badass, but overstates the point before erupting into a full-on gender war. Speaking of gender, perhaps best of all is that one of the four girls is transgender and represented wonderfully by Hari Nef - not only a fully-rounded character far from ticking a box, but of course given all the best lines.

Assassination Nation is smartly terrifying yet utterly absurd in its cartoonish satire, as preposterous as it is close to reality. It's the perfect reflection of society today: a divisive film for a divided population.

3/5

Watch: Assassination Nation was shown at the London Film Festival and will be released on 23rd November.

New Music Friday 19/10

Zara Larsson - Ruin My Life

Larsson's life is far from ruined, after the success of her debut album and featuring on Clean Bandit's Symphony. Ruin My Life isn't the all out pop banger we may want, but it's a yearning synth-ballad about the desperation of longing for a toxic relationship. News of the second album is set to follow soon.

Worth a listen.



Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower

You can't walk two metres without hearing Post Malone somewhere. The American rapper has certainly made a career out of a solid Drake impression and Sunflower is no different, with its downbeat melodies and pleasingly squelchy production. His style is notably sanitised for its inclusion as part of the upcoming Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse animated film, but it's not quite Kendrick Lamar for Black Panther.

Worth a listen.



Dua Lipa & BLACKPINK - Kiss and Make Up

At this point, Dua Lipa has become a global superstar. Partnering with K-Pop group BLACKPINK is therefore a canny move for all her Asian fans, though it's hardly the first time she's done this: Calvin Harris, Diplo, Sean Paul, Martin Garrix and Miguel have all been on her hit list. Kiss and Make Up is pretty much what we've come to expect from Dua, which is fine even when her ubiquity is starting to dull our excitement.

Worth a listen.



The 1975 - It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)

The return of The 1975 has been pretty lacklustre so far, but It's Not Living... is a return to form - least of all because it has a proper structure and actual melody. The stadium guitars and heavy snare drum bring back the upbeat '80s pop-rock sound we know and love, juxtaposed with lyrics that depict Matty Healy's heroin addiction. This is smart pop that could be an off cut from the band's previous album - definitely a good thing.

Worth a listen.



Friendly Fires - Heaven Let Me In

Love Like Waves earlier in the year was a brilliant summer tune that was criminally overlooked. Heaven Let Me In sees the band turning to full on house music. Choppy and funky, this is a bold but natural development of their sound - though it may upset longtime fans.

Worth a listen.



Mariah Carey feat. Ty Dolla $ign - The Distance

Brush aside the inclusion of an overly featured rapper for relevance, and this is a seductive return from Mariah with a bass line that is downright filthy. Vocally it's more limited than the songs she's known for, even though it's a familiar R&B groove. And that bass...

Worth a listen.



Tove Styrke - Vibe

Styrke is known for her down to earth, relatable pop that continues with Vibe. "I thought we had a vibe," she sings in the chorus, questioning the reality of a failed relationship. It's taken from her album 'Sway' released earlier in the year - if you've slept on it, now's the time to check it out.

Worth a listen.



Cher Lloyd - None Of My Business

Yep, she's still going. None Of My Business is Lloyd's first solo release since 2016, and it's a sassy kiss-off to an ex-lover: "Damn, I heard that you and her been having issues / I wish you the best, I hope that she can fix you," she sings in the chorus, "but baby this is none of my business." It's a sultry comeback that goes some way to shaking off her bratty image.

Worth a listen.

A Star Is Born

There's a speech towards the end of A Star Is Born where one character describes music as just twelve notes rearranged in a different fashion. It's meant to be a profound statement on the nature of music, but it's also an ironic metaphor for the film itself. It is a modern retelling of the 1937 film of the same name, itself remade twice more with Judy Garland and Barba Streisand, and whose story has been endlessly repeated in all forms of media.

It is an achingly familiar boy meets girl story. Girl is a struggling performer, working as a waitress and moonlighting as a singer in a drag club. Boy is a drug and alcoholic addicted rockstar whose career is waning. Somehow they fall in love. Girl sleeps with boy and, lo and behold, it's then she becomes famous.

The opening act is creepy as hell, Bradley Cooper's Jackson Maine practically stalking Lady Gaga's Ally. He's a drunk sleaze bag who clearly wants to get in her pants, yet we're meant to believe that their meeting is (saccharinely) love at first sight? Weirdly, she actually falls for it. What ensues is a misogynistic story of a man controlling a woman's career - even when her stardom takes off, his final narcissistic act is to make it all about him.

What's more, the plot is a tired juxtaposition of authentic 'real' straight white country-rock music and manufactured pop. It's a mundane criticism of the music industry suffocating artists in the face of plastic consumerism, the same old boring narrative with nothing new to say. And of course the 'evil' music exec is British. Note to the world - pop music can be intelligent, authentic and 'real' too.

Cooper, in his directorial debut, films everything in close up, as if intruding on the minute details of these stars' lives. The handheld camera and washed out visuals give a (low budget) tour documentary feel that mirrors the 'authentic' theme of the film.

What that camera also does is show up every flaw. Every awkward facial expression. Every cringeworthy piece of dialogue. Every weirdly short and badly edited scene. Every unsubtle moment of foreshadowing that gives away the ending within five minutes.

The film is a star vehicle (pun intended) for Lady Gaga, a naturalistic actor who does well with some poor material. We're meant to see her as a strong visionary woman, but she's simply naively swept along in a fairytale - it's impossible to respect her decision to stay with Jackson. Does she really love him, or does she love fame? The film never explores anything like this and is vacuous as a result.

It all comes alive during the music performances, though. With no story for the camera to narrate, it highlights the power of music alone and allows Gaga to do what she does best: sing. As enjoyable as the songs are, though, the soundtrack is torn between that same authentic/pop juxtaposition. If we actually prefer the latter, what does that say about us? Are we not worthy enough for authentic music? And when Gaga herself has made a name for herself in the world of pop, what does that say about her fans?

It all drags on far too long and becomes more about Jackson and Ally's relationship than her birth as a star. Ironically enough, though, these characters are flat stereotypes, their partnership based more on artistic chemistry than anything else. Cooper is credible as the inebriated Jackson who battles over his love for Ally and his need for alcohol, but he's such a loathsome character that it's hard to care over the film's predictably tragic ending.

Above all, the key message of A Star Is Born is about having something to say, about opening yourself up to the world. And yet the film has nothing to say of note - about love, about music, about fame. It is unoriginal, shallow, ga-ga-garbage.

2/5

Watch: A Star Is Born is out now.

Been So Long - Tinge Krishnan

What was perhaps most divisive about La La Land was its evolution of the Hollywood musical into something more cynically realistic. For all its overt song and dance numbers and romantic visual effects, it’s a film about a normal couple with an all too relatable ending.

Been So Long, from director Tinge Krishnan, walks a similar line. This is an urban fairytale about love – set up immediately in the opening scenes – that centres on ordinary people with ordinary problems. The film makes a fantasy of the everyday, its London setting a place where epiphanies occur in a kebab shop, where love songs are (hilariously) professed in the shower, where friendships reach breaking point at a bus stop. All this to the backdrop of mundanity, of gentrification, of danger lurking in the night.

It’s a bizarre concoction but it works. The core narrative is little more than soap opera fluff with a will-they-won’t-they hook. Simone (Michaela Coel) is a single mother living in North London setting her own life aside for the benefit of her daughter. Raymond (Arinzé Kene) is fresh out of jail on probation, cleaning the streets and living with his mother. They make an unlikely couple but, predictable as it all is, it’s hard not to get sucked into their developing romance. Coel in particular leads the cast with warmth and humour, deftly balancing the ironic juxtaposition of fantasy and reality, and her chemistry with Kene is palpable.

By contrast, the various subplots are under-developed. George Mackay gives an accomplished physical performance as Gil – a presumably homeless guy (though this isn’t confirmed) with an obsessive vendetta against Raymond. Yet the film sugar coats the darker side of urban life, leaving Gil as a cuddly comedy character rather than a pitiable villain. The same can be said of Luke Norris as Barney, proprietor of the local bar that’s in danger of shutting down and who clearly has an unrequited crush on Simone. The film’s love conquers all message feels naïve and saccharine in such an urban setting.

More than anything, the film is a love letter to London and British culture. The city is filmed in soft hues often at the cusp of dusk, with vibrant colours popping through the lighting, sets and costumes. Neon lettering for phone communication adds a modern edge too.

The music, from Christopher Nicholas Bangs (based on compositions from Arthur Darvill), follows the British theme. It takes its cue from British R&B, soul and hip-hop, which adds authenticity to the setting. It’s in the songs, though, that the fantasy kicks in, which is jarring at first. It’s not helped by some trite lyrics and lacklustre vocal performances. But this suits the relatable, everyday nature of the film – normal people living a fantasy.

And we all need some fantasy in our lives from time to time. It relies too heavily on shallow cliché, but Been So Long is tongue in cheek and comforting – exactly what you expect from a movie musical.

3/5

Watch: Been So Long is showing at the London Film Festival and will be released on Netflix on 26th October.

New Music Friday 12/10

Little Mix feat. Nicki Minaj - Woman Like Me

No one can touch them. Other girlbands have been and gone, split up and disappeared into obscurity, but Little Mix just keep ploughing on as a solid foursome. Perhaps the key to their success is that they've rarely set trends but have just built upon those set by others. Woman Like Me is no different. Feisty delivery, lilting reggae rhythms, Nicki Minaj rap feature. It would be a great single, if it hadn't already been done two years ago by Ariana Grande in Side To Side.

Worth a listen.



ALMA - Cowboy

After a string of singles and EPs, Finland's Alma is still exploring and defining her sound. The debut album, though, is due next year and Cowboy is its lead single. The Americana feel, lyrics depicting her move to L.A., and the song title together feel a little on the nose, but it does retain the thumping beats and catchy hooks we're used to.

Worth a listen.



Maggie Rogers - Light On

It's been two years since Maggie Rogers rose to fame in a viral video in which, as a college student, her work was critiqued by Pharrell Williams. Light On, her latest single, looks back at those two years in a love letter to her fans. "Would you believe me now if I told you I got caught up in a wave?" she astutely questions in the opening lyric, before a chorus aimed at her fans that explores the fragility of fame: "if you're gone for good, then I'm ok with that." The production swells with cinematic grandeur and tiny details alike - her album early next year should be a consolidation of her talents.

Worth a listen.



KWAYE - Paralyzed

The Zimbabwean-London singer KWAYE was picked up by a music exec in an Uber and impressed with his unique electro-funk. But Paralyzed is the singer's most arresting track yet - a stunning R&B ballad that pairs vulnerable falsetto with stark production. The lyrics explore the fear of acceptance, of being judged by those we love, portrayed beautifully in the song's black and white video. It's as heartbreaking as it is empowering.

Add to playlist.



Little Dragon - Lover Chanting

Lover Chanting is the title track from the Swedish group's forthcoming EP, a track that's almost comforting in its familiarity. The house beats snap and bounce like rubber bands and singer Yukimi Nagano's enchanting vocal curls around the melodies - sounds we've come to immediately associate with Little Dragon. A solid inclusion to the group's ever-growing oeuvre.

Worth a listen.



Sia - I'm Still Here

Oh look, Sia has released another anthemic ballad with indistinguishable lyrics and a soaring vocal. This might be her forté, but it fails to rise to the levels of Chandelier, Diamonds or Alive. And yet, she's still here...

Don't bother.



Áine Cahill - Water Into Wine

Irish singer Áine Cahill is quickly finding a niche in gothic-soul, pairing a huge vocal with dark, menacing synth production. It worked for breakout hit Blood Diamonds, which developed from the more traditional sounding previous tracks Angels & Demons and Plastic, and it works for Water Into Wine. All melismatic vocals, clipped beats and richly layered production, this is a swirling, evocative release.

Worth a listen.