Tim: Hearing this track made me go straight out to my local music program to buy his newish album, Reborn. We’ve already very much enjoyed Underground and Toxicated Love (title aside) from it, so tell me Tom – what do you think of this?
Tom: I like it. Other than his voice sounding just a bit like Verka Serduchka, which is a bit distracting.
Tim: Hmm, I suppose it does a bit, actually. Other than that, though: the fade-out ending loses him a point or two, but aside from that I don’t think I can fault this. Lyrically it’s lighter than his last two tracks – a close relationship takes the focus, rather than poisonous feelings or the weird getting run over outside a nightclub thing that was in Underground.
Tom: I’m not sure about the “exclusivity” metaphor he’s got going on in those lyrics – it’s laboured to the point of being ridiculous.
Tim: OH COME ON – are you seriously telling me you’ve never had a password-protected relationsh—okay you may have a point.
Tom: Maybe I have. Does a safe word cou—actually, never mind.
Tim: Let’s move on. There is an enthusiasm in the backing there right from the start of the first verse, and when that chorus drops and you get the high-pitched synth running up and down for the rest of the song you can not help but move at least one leg in time to the beat.
Tom: I realised, while reading that paragraph, that my leg was indeed moving in time to the beat.
Tim: Exactly.
Tom: But despite that, the “love, love, love” middle eight and final chorus just doesn’t quite work for me.
Tim: Really? I love that whole section, and I also especially love the off-beatness of parts of it – the ‘you give to’ that introduces the chorus I think is inspired. If they sorted out the ending, this is a song I would have loved to see on stage competing in Melodifestivalen, because I think it would be an easy finalist, and maybe even a winner – it’s certainly on a par with everything that’s in the final this year.
Bold statement coming up: I reckon this would probably make the top three of the tracks we’ve featured here – it’s on a par with Lovekiller and What Makes You Beautiful, which were both perfect examples of pop music.
Tom: Whoa, whoa. I’m not so sure about that. To be honest, now we’re past 500 reviews, I think I’d be hard pressed to make a top three at all, but – while this is a great track – I’m not sure it achieves perfection.
Tim: Well obviously there are lots of great tracks, and personal favourites – The Silence, Hollywood Hills, Destiny (yes, really), Heart Is King, Call Your Girlfriend – wow, you’re right, there are loads – but when it comes to picking out flawless pieces of pop music, those two are the ones that stand out, and now this one.
Tom: It’s a cracking pop song, better than most that we cover, but those are high standards to judge it against.
Tim: True, but this matches them, I think. And regardless of whether you’re on ‘perfection’ or just ‘great’, I strongly advise getting his album Reborn, which came out in January, has not a single duff track on it and, unlike a lot of music we cover, is available in all good UK download stores.