Tim: Would you like to see the single most convincing argument ever for lyric videos to be professionally made?
Tom: I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?
Tim: I mean really, if you’re going to make a copyright infringing lyric video, at least put some effort to get the timing, and indeed the lyrics themselves, right.
Tom: I get the feeling the tool they used didn’t let them.
Tim: Hmm, possibly. But ANYWAY, let’s talk about Ben Haenow, because upsettingly basically nobody else is. Winner’s single aside, he got just one track from his (really quite good) first album released, with roughly no promotion at all even though it featured actual Kelly Clarkson, and then got binned off by Syco just three months later. Not quite a record – Steve Brookstein only lasted seven months, but then he’s Steve Brookstein.
Tom: And meanwhile, Fleur East is… well, still technically going.
Tim: Well fortunately, Ben’s a nice chap, and so is BACK with this, a darned good track.
Tom: Really? I mean, it’s not actively bad, but it seems like a lot of missed opportunities here. Each part of it seems to be just not quite there — the vocals are a bit buried in the mix, the backing almost seems discordant at times. What do you like?
Tim: There’s a slight Take Me To Church vibe about it – a (comparatively, but really not) calm verse, a quiet part and then going properly all in, deep, emotional and heartfelt, for that chorus. For me, that works so, so well, and I love it. Not as much as either of his previous ones, admittedly, but it’s still damn good.