Tom: Waiting For? No? No. Never mind.
Tim: With his previous song All I Need, Joakim achieved the only number 1 song in Sweden this year that isn’t Despacito, Shape of You or by Clean Bandit (it was only there for one week, but it’s the principle that counts). Here’s his follow-up, which is, unusually, in a fairly different genre.
Tom: Is the new genre “a bit dull”?
Tim: Yeah, it kind of seems so. It’s not completely different, obviously, as there’s still dance parts to it, particularly in the second half of each chorus, and it never gets remotely ballady or anything. Primarily, though, we’re firmly in your very very standard Selena Gomez style summer pop territory: two verses, each followed by a two part chorus, middle eight and close.
Tom: I’m a bit baffled — I know I’m being harsh, but it’s not exciting enough to be a dance number, not quiet enough to be a ballad, and not… it’s not anything. It feels like it’s been procedurally generated around one sentence.
Tim: I don’t think that’s being too harsh, because you’re right, it’s nothing exciting in terms of new pop music; on the other hand, I’d put it fairly high up in the ranks of standard pop.
Tom: Also, is that “what’re you waiting for” female vocal lifted from Love Me Like You Do? Because it sure sounds like it.
Tim: Hmm. I don’t know, I’m not complaining, because it’s still a very decent track to listen to, but it does seem odd to switch immediately away from what gave you a very successful record. That one broke a few boundaries; this really doesn’t. It’s very good, but it’s just a bit standard.
Tom: “A bit”.