The Singles Jukebox, 2024: May
May was the month that new singles from Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and Sabrina Carpenter entered the chat; two of them I didn’t bother to blurb, and the third is one of the best singles of the year. (Only I was very wrong: it’s most definitely not “dumb.”) I stand by my diss of Shaboozey’s record-breaker.
Calvin Harris x Rag'n'Bone Man - Lovers in a Past Life
Calvin Harris, ever the musical unoriginalist, sounds as if he's interpolating the likes of Darude here -- because if there's anything Harris knows, it's what's hot in dance/pop at this moment, and right now that's retro '90s dance and trance-pop. The oontz-oontz is pleasant enough, and Rag'n'Bone Man's overdone vocal "ache" fits it well. Neither terrible nor great, just as one would expect. [4]
Jelly Roll - Halfway to Hell
Quit bellowing, man. As much as I hate invoking these names, this is (Kid Rock rapping) x (Nickelback’s guitars) + banjo, and it = nothing I need or want to hear again. [2]
ILLIT - Magnetic
This smart K-pop groove has the feel of '80s first-wave electro without actually sounding like it. I don't love the sound effect-sounding stuff, but "Magnetic"'s airiness (especially ILLIT's vocals) counterbalances its rubbery bassline nicely. [7]
Artemas - i like the way you kiss me
This is why AI must be stopped. [1]
Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso
Jeremy D. Larson is right to suggest that this is like Carly Simon's "Why" pulled inside-out, and then, I think, perhaps stretched a bit like taffy left out on a hot summer day. This isn't as good as "Why" -- few songs are -- but it's got a similar vibe and smartly turns disco into easy-to-swallow pop. Carpenter sounds like she can't be bothered, which helps. Everything about this dumb record (I mean, "That's that me espresso"?) is smart. [9]
FloyyMenor x Cris MJ - Gata Only
Purely pleasant Chilean reggaeton, shuffling along nicely. I bet it sounds great in a club on a huge soundsystem. [6]
Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy)
Is this really that different from a legion of "we're all at the bar drinkin'" contemporary country hits? I guess it is in Shaboozey's cadences, but let's be honest, the "Tipsy" interpolation is wasted here. If this becomes a country radio hit, it'll be a delightful surprise, but that doesn't make it a particularly interesting record. [3]