Here at CONTROLRadioUK we're always on the look-out for music be it for the playlist, or just because we think the tracks are pretty neat so check out our picks below.
First up? I don't know who decided this trend of putting the feature Artist after the songs title, instead of after the main Artist but I do not like it. I really wish this trend would stop but unfortunately we seem to be stuck with it forever so look forward to my incessant complaints. 'Lost In Your Light' is firmly in the ok-ish category. There's nothing about the song to really make it stand out, the video has no story, dancing is even worse and the song feels very lazy. The only things that save this song are the music, and Miguel. Rumor is Dua Lipa's debut album was delayed so that this feature could be included. Based on 3 listens in which this song hasn't become a grower, it's no a decision justified. Since I came across Dua Lipa's music late last year/early this year I have been excited for her album. She's a great singer/songwriter which is rare for Pop Artists these days. However if the albums more in line with the tone of her most recent features, I fear disappointment reigning in the kingdom soon.
Another forgettable song saved by the chorus and feature Artist. I'll resist repeating the above rant about feature Artist placement, and instead say I'm quite surprised by the hype surrounding this song. Despite what society in all its protests will have you believe, there isn't THAT much LGBT representation out there. If you have LGBT characters on a show they're soon written off, LGBT musicians don't get enough press to alert you to their existence, or the fact saying aloud in public you're LGBT may be the last thing you ever do. I guess that's why everyone clamors on-board anything that has the smallest whiff of being LGBT, and I can understand it. However over-hyping the most basic of things gives the impression that handing out the smallest breadcrumb is fine, job is done and there's nothing to see here. That's the problem I have with this song. Musically it is ok but everything else about it is forgettable. Songs about missing an ex have been done by better LGBT Artists. What's more with those Artists I truly believe what the song is trying to sell me. With 'Strangers' all I feel is an Artist climbing aboard a gravy train for the attention, and lapping up the congrats for doing the bare minimum.
If you're a woman you could've probably made a billion pounds for every time a guy said 'You're not like most girls' and a bonus off their bemused expression from not understanding why that's not a compliment. So for that I give Hailee Steinfeld credit for coming up with a song that is all about empowering women. I really wish we could all stick together, instead of allowing society to tear us apart and pit us against one another. Hailee Steinfeld is the prime sort of Artist for a song like this due to her young fanbase, and we can only hope that in the future we do all manage to stick together. However whilst lyrically this song is great, musically it's not powerful enough. This should be a girl-power anthem not a summer dance banger. Wilst I get what the videos trying to achieve, it comes off as cheesy and a little too preachy. Sometimes you need to step back and produce a simple visual concept, because the content of the song is good enough to sell itself.
Utter Carly Rae Jepsen's name and you'll be met by a herd of people proclaiming her to be the Indie Queen of Pop, presenting you with a catalog of bops and questioning why she isn't huge. The answer to that last part would be lyrically her songs are quite good, but musically? They tend to fall a little short. Where the songs could go high they go low, or in other cases nowhere. It's extremely frustrating as a listener knowing the potential that is there and not being tapped into. Thankfully 'Cut to the Feeling' doesn't have that issue. Musically this song is a belter which grows as it goes along and lyrically it's solid as well. The only wish is for Carly to be a more consistent Artist.
Have you ever pressed play on a song and could've sworn you'd heard of the Artist/Band before but Google gives you nothing? It's really annoying but thankfully this song isn't. I loved Dubstep when it first hit the mainstream a few years ago, and was so, so sad when it was replaced by mindless EDM Beats. Use it in spits and spurts and Dubstep is great - overload a track with it and you sound like a gigantic mess. Thankfully Krewella seem to have picked up on this and have given us a beautiful track. I like the message of the song lyrically, Dubstep being mixed into the chorus works perfectly, having scenery in a video is always a plus to me and even though the video doesn't have an exact story to it, I can work with it because it has an all round great vibe.
