Justin Brings Sexy Back...Again!

JustinTimberlake,
bringing sexy back for a second time in 2013

My first post of 2013 has to be about my excitement over the fact everyone born before 2000 can now rejoice that the original teen heart-throb Justin is back and ready to defend his title against Bieber. That's right; Mr Timberlake is making a come-back into the music industry after four years since his single 'Carry Out'. We have all enjoyed seeing him on the big screen, but now Justin has established the fact he is a capable actor it is time he goes back to his musical roots. He left us wanting more when he took a break and so his return to the studio has been eagerly anticipated by fans and fellow artists as opposed to singers that try to plunge back into music when quite frankly, we all had had enough many years back (sorry Britney). When Justin announced on his twitter that he was releasing a new single, a frenzy swarmed across the internet as predictions about collaborations, genre and title started to appear. However, with this excitement brought high expectations and the pressure was on for Justin to release something that would please fans of 'Justified' but also show his maturity and progression in the music industry. So 'Suit and Tie' featuring Jay-Z (and of course Justin's right hand man Timberland) was released with mixed reviews. Personally, I love it. The song follows a similar structure to older songs such as 'My Love' whereby there is a distinctly different introduction before the song kicks in. It starts with a slow, seductive feel reminding us that Justin has not lost his cool-factor with age then, after a pause, develops into a Robin Thicke style fresh pop/R&B fusion. The classic horn section of the song mixed with the modern dance melody reminds us of Justin's sassy sophistication that has proved timeless. I think the song has definitely fulfilled the needs of Justin fans as the only negative views I have seen are by listeners who prefer completely contrasting genres of music and therefore no matter what Justin brought out would not be happy with. As a fan myself, I cannot wait to hear what else Justin has got to offer us in 2013 as he has proved that, even with a break, he still knows how to make chart impact.

Lawson - The Girl I Knew

 

Lawson first caught my eye when I saw them open up for The Wanted and, as I predicted, they have exploded onto the charts and are on their way to huge success. Boy bands such as One Direction and The Wanted are certainly dominating the Top 40 at the moment, but Lawson are definitely a band as opposed to a BOY band because they play all of their own instruments (and write their own songs, earning them lots of credibility). The band have said that their inspirations for their debut album, 'Chapman Square', are John Mayer and The Wanted, but their music reminds me more of Coldplay's recent work. However, my favourite from the album is 'The Girl I Knew' and I have chosen it as today's recommendation because I think it is beautifully written and performed. It is a simple, acoustic song that is an excellent example of a band stripping down to tell an emotional story. The song immediately captivates you as Andy Brown's vocals have a lot of depth and soul. The chorus involves a key change with the repetition of 'The Girl I Knew' to emphasise that this is a song about heartbreak and missing somebody. Mentioning 'Covent Garden' reminds the listener that this is a British band and including a location that is familiar with many people is great as it helps the listener to imagine the story. This is the first time one of my recommendations has been 'mainstream' as such, but airplay and chart success has not brainwashed this band into making music that the record label wants instead of what they want to write and I hope that this continues. The matter is controversial but I believe a talented band like Lawson deserves to sell lots of records rather than songs with meaningless lyrics and heavily auto-tuned vocals. Definitely give 'Chapman Square' a listen and decide for yourself which is your favourite (meaning song not gorgeous band member, but I guess you can do both!)