Taio Cruz - 'No Other One'
I like Taio Cruz. I like the way he carries himself. I like that he seems to be a friendly fella. I like that he does good interviews - watch this space for a festive corker coming soon - and I like that he comes across as the kind of man who is very secure in his own talent, while not acting like he believes his singing could work as a possible cure for a broken leg.
I like the fact that he's sort of a UK Ne-Yo - a dapper fella with a strong jawline - AND a UK Akon - squealy voice, does a lot of song-work for other people - all rolled into one. I like the fact that he wrote such a fantastic song for Tinchy Stryder and Amelle Berrebah that it basically destroyed the Sugababes (for now *DRAMATIC MUSIC*). I even like the fact that he can't spell 'rock star'.
But. BUUUUT...I am not at all sure whether I like his new single.
(. Which is just plain confusing. Where's he off to? Why's he leaving her at the exact moment he is singing about not leaving her? WHAT IS GOING ON?)
Part of the problem - OK, ALL of the problem - is that it just sounds so incredibly nowadaysy. Those chuntering synthistrings, the Basshunter-simple playground melody and Akon-harmonies, the WON'T-SOMEONE-PLEASE-UNPLUG-THE-FESTERING-AUTOTUNE autotune, all very prominent noises in the '09. Only trouble is, we're nearly finished with the '09. The '09 will very soon be yesteryear's news.
In fact, we're all gearing up for a last prance around the fountain of the '09 before The Big One-Oh comes rolling around and we have a whole new box of sonic toys to fiddle about with. So, while this would probably have sounded box fresh before, say, the TinchDubz 'Number One' came out, it's all getting a bit much now.
Which is a bit of a shame, cos if you had never heard all of these noises arranged in this manner many, many times before, you'd be forgiven for getting a little bit excited and maybe proclaiming this as the very Sound Of The Future.
Which, in a way, it is. It's just it won't be for very much longer.
Download: Out now
CD Released: September 28th
Â鶹Éç Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comment number 1.
At 28th Nov 2009, RandomEnigma wrote:Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 28th Nov 2009, RandomEnigma wrote:Oops posted a no word comment there? Which I guess means it wasn't actually a comment! Anyway I'm getting really sick of all these upcoming British urban artists...otherwise known as the Brrap Pack! I liked them first but Taio Cruz, Dizzee Rascall, Tinchy Stryder, N-Dubz and Chipmunk are all really ripping each other off with their generic radio friendly synthy R&B cum hip hop! Of course, I suppose they're just following the trend set out by their American counterparts such as Akon, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown and Flo Rida. But this is a perfect example of generic R&B at its worst!
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Comment number 3.
At 29th Nov 2009, harrythedog10 wrote:Personally I don't mind Dizzee Rascal or Chipmunk but I can't stand the others, this song is essentially modern R&B by numbers; the horrible strings, the stupidly high vocals and the pointless video which is only there to get some women to wear their underwear. It's sad because there are some good R&B songs but this definately isn't one.
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