TRACK OF THE WEEK
Charli XCX
Boys
The queen of sugary subversion is back with an unashamed crush anthem about having beautiful men on the brain 24/7. The glitchy electropop, patois-tinged enunciation on the chorus, and a who’s who of the world’s most eligible lads – from Riz Ahmed and Ezra Koenig to Stormzy and Jack Antonoff – in the vid make this the only choice for track of the week. No Corbyn cameo, though, unfortunately.
Demi Lovato
Sorry Not Sorry
The revenge-fuelled, R&B-tinged break-up banger is a summer must, and Demi nails hers so well that even if you don’t have a recent, crappy ex who viciously crushed your hopes and dreams, you’ll still feel compelled to have the last laugh. “Baby, I’m the baddest/ You fuckin’ with a savage”, you’ll roar in the club, while everyone backs away, terrified.
Superfood
Unstoppable
Birmingham’s Superfood used to be a very acceptable indie outfit, not brimming with innovation, but making competent Britpop rip-offs to polish your Dr Martens to. Fast-forward three years and they’re all about smart sampling, dreamy reggae beats and infinite amounts of swagger, all of which can be found here. Could have been a bit “gap yah spent wearing dashikis”; is actually excellent.
Snakehips & Anne-Marie ft Joey Bada$$
Either Way
“Just tell me what you wanna do, I’m easy, I’m easy”, coos Anne-Marie – former Rudimental chum-turned-pop force – to Joey Bada$$, who’s after a girl who’ll “follow me, just swallow me”. Even an excellent Jason Derulo-indebted “Mmm whattyasayyayy” refrain and some sharp EDM/R&B production from British duo Snakehips can’t stop this from feeling a bit pervy: like Joey is the super-persistent guy, lingering at the bar all night, telling you his nan’s just died, and Anne-Marie’s the girl awkwardly going along with proceedings. Say no to creeps, and to creep-pop.
Shania Twain
Poor Me
Man! I Feel Like A Woman! You’re Still The One. Come On Over. These are the songs we know and love you for, Shania. Poor Me, however, is a rather apt title for this mess of a comeback. Intro ripped from Rihanna’s Te Amo: check. Pound store trip-hop vibes: check. Weirdo lyrics about finding something in your man’s closet: check (was it little green men? Someone else’s pants? She doesn’t expand on her discovery, sadly). Naturally, this don’t impress me much at all.
