Seinabo Sey
I Owe You Nothing
You know what they say about Seinabo Sey songs: you wait two years for one and two come along at once. She owes us nothing but she gives us loads with a double A-side, the most enjoyable of which is this track: a languorous but hearty screw-you to any passersby telling her to “cheer up, love”. Definitely check out the Aristotle-quoting video; Seinabo basking in the glow of a burning cop car is Quite Something.
Louisa ft 2 Chainz
Yes
The artist formerly known as Louisa Johnson has dropped the power ballads and the Johnson (ooh-er), and now she’s all about having a dance in the club. But then there are also a lot of sex sounds going on, so maybe she’s actually about banging in the club. Pop songs are only cool when they have rappers on them, and thankfully 2 Chainz had space in his schedule. Most famous for randomly going “2 Chainz!!” at any opportunity, he doesn’t disappoint by randomly going “2 Chainz!!” and delivering a nonsensical verse that definitely wasn’t written for Yes.
Halsey ft Stefflon Don and Big Sean
Alone
File under “Being Famous Is So Hard” and cross reference with “These Diamond Shoes Are Too Tight”. This Halsey rework is fairly forgettable until Stefflon Don comes along and completely blows the staid hip-pop out of the water with a verse that sounds as if it was flown in from another time and place and song to be wedged, thunder-stealingly, into Halsey’s. Oh, and Big Sean is there too, I guess.
Calpurnia
City Boy
The kid from Stranger Things is in a band and that band is absolutely fine if you like wobbly guitar psych made by kids who have probably never even seen a psychedelic toad let alone licked one. “I am a city boy,” the kid from Stranger Things sings. “You are a city girl.” Can he make it any more obvious?
Junglepussy
Showers
Musicians letting their infant relatives feature on songs: should this be allowed? It’s like when you’re in a cafe and a toddler starts playing peek-a-boo with you, and you have to leave because you don’t know how to get out of the situation. Sure, we all thrill when Beyoncé lets Blue Ivy on the mic but it’s a bit more annoying when Junglepussy invites her three-year-old nephew to gabble away on this otherwise enjoyable song. Dogs, on the other hand, are always welcome, both in cafes and on tracks. More dog features, please.
