1) Nate Ruess – Brightside
Quirky yet utterly beautiful pop song which makes full use of Ruess’ idiosyncratic vocals over a backdrop of jazzy piano chords, squeaky string sections and eerie music box sounds. Dreamy and magical.
2) One Direction – History
Bittersweet Pop track which serves as a perfect ‘goodbye’ (at least for now) to fans. Considered by many as an update of Toy Story classic ‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’, acoustic guitar strums and a sing-along Chorus make this a perfect Pop anthem.
3) Rihanna & Drake- Work
Rihanna returns with this laid-back reggae-pop track, aided by Drake. It’s rhythmic and catchy with Rihanna’s heavily auto-tuned vocals sliding effortlessly over clever production.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/clips#p03grqg5
4) Ellie Goulding – Army
Stunning synthpop track in the same vein as material on Goulding’s debut ‘Lights’. Over jittery guitar samples, crashing percussion and simmering synths, Goulding sings of her best friend.
5) Zayn – PILLOWTALK
Sexy and sultry alternative R&B track comprised of thunderous beats, eerie electro elements, broken vocal samples, wailing guitars and soaring melodies. It’s a far-cry from Zayn’s One Direction days and conveys a far greater depth of maturity, mostly through its sexual themes.
6) Lion Babe – Where Do We Go
Funky disco-themed neo soul track from New York City duo Lion Babe.
7) Taylor Swift – Out of the Woods
Dramatic synthpop track comprised of broken vocal samples, gated percussion and Swift’s almost whispered vocals. One of the highlights of Swift’s ‘1989’ album, it’s perhaps the best representation of the album, utilising scatty samples and ’80’s electro sounds.
8) Lawson – Money
Lawson return after a period of instability in terms of musical output. The release of the band’s second album has been repeatedly delayed but they are now preparing or its release in March. ‘Money’ is its lead single (excluding last year’s single ‘Roads’), a catchy pop-rock track in a similar vein to ‘When She Was Mine’ and ‘Brokenhearted’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGgFZufBB20
9) Dawin – Dessert
Catchy, jittery and squeaky pop track by American singer and producer Dawin featuring a rap from Silento.
10) Tom Parker – Lost In Your Love
Ex member of The Wanted Tom Parker impresses on this catchy house track which he has also produced.
the-music-box.co.uk 