Carly Rae and Queer Eye is the perfect pairing, an antidote to the politically hard times we live in. Now That I Found You will be the theme to the new series from the Fab Five and its fizzing pop joy will underscore hair flips, sassy comebacks and feelgood sincerity. "There's nothing like this feeling baby / now that I found you," she sings over throbbing synths and instantly catchy earworms. There's nothing like a Carly Rae pop banger either, the exuberant "now that I found you!" in the middle eight a literal high point.
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Marina - Superstar
Marina has been open about her struggles with mental health and its clearly influencing this era of new music. Superstar is a sad banger through and through, the song's fragility reflected in her soft vocal and delicate piano underpinned by deep beats and a chorus you can dance to. The new album is 'LOVE + FEAR'; this track combines the two.
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Tom Walker feat. Zara Larsson - Now You're Gone
Tom Walker winning the BRIT for British Breakthrough was certainly a surprise. Now You're Gone (from his album 'What A Time To Be Alive') doesn't do much to dispel that. The house beat beneath the otherwise plaintive production is an interesting contrast and Larsson's vocal is a welcome addition. But Walker's personality doesn't exactly shine through.
Worth a listen.
benny blanco, Selena Gomez, J Balvin, Tainy - I Can't Get Enough
At first listen there's not much to this song. Four featured artists yet it consists of little more than a hummed hook and a beat. That beat creeps up on you though and seeps into the brain. With its mix of US and Latino artists, this has the potential to be a real global hit.
Worth a listen.
Emily Burns - Too Cool
Burns is churning out the hits at the moment. Too Cool is a breathless pop track with a playful edge typical of her style. There are plenty of small details too: the vomit noise at the line "it kind of makes me sick" in the second verse; the expansive post-chorus; the extra layers in the final chorus. Could this finally be the hit she's been looking for?
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Sigrid - Sight Of You
A week to go until Sigrid's album is out. So why not release yet another single? There are no surprises here, with heavy string stabs and a classic pop feel that's buoyant and catchy but not quite her best. Let's save something for the album release, eh?
Worth a listen.
Jonas Brothers - Sucker
After a pretty successful solo career, Nick Jonas has returned to his brothers for this new single, their first since splitting in 2013. The bass in the verses is as sexy and stylish as the cover art, but the stunted chorus is a letdown. Sucker is notable more for its video that features the brothers' girlfriends - it makes you wish they'd form a supergroup instead.
Worth a listen.
Ellie Goulding - Flux
Is Ellie Goulding trying to have an Adele moment? Flux is a piano ballad about past lovers, a stripped back affair without the synths and beats we've come to associate with her. "I'm still in love with the idea of loving you," she sings over minimal production, while the accompanying video is all black and white and moody and raw. This puts too much emphasis on her voice that doesn't have the necessary power to make this work.
Don't bother.
