Singles Club

Another week, another Singles Club. Last week Britney got naked, Flo Rida exhibited his astounding knowledge of geography and the festive releases began. This week features X Factor rejects and one particular track that is very very NSFW.

StooShe - Betty Woz Gone

Let me be clear here and say this song is incredibly divisive. Musically, it's pretty basic, and lyrically it's a deluge of London slang that will both garner resentment from those who dislike the subculture, and guarantee Betty Woz Gone no radio airtime. However, this song isn't stupid, compared to many pop songs where the only message is to party. There's a real, pretty damn dark message behind the Lily Allen aesthetic, delivered by a group with solid vocal skill; which garners my respect. And there's a Fresh Prince of Bel Air reference, if that does it for you. – Nathan Blades

Jason Derulo – Fight For You

Alcohol does funny things to people. Personally, it makes me ask the DJ in Reflex to play ‘Africa’ by Toto. He never does. Luckily for me, I can now try requesting Jason Derulo’s latest single, where the track is heavily sampled (read: bastardised). Unrelentingly synthy and inhumanly repetitive, I don’t have much time for Derulo’s latest effort. The lyric ‘I’ll fight for you’ is intoned gratingly throughout, bested only in annoyingness by some kind of electric horn blower who seems to be (unsuccessfully)trying to get Jason’s attention. – Matt Patchett

Olly Murs – Dance With Me Tonight

Olly Murs’ new single is a step away from his last one, the chart-topping ‘Heart Skips a Beat’, but is no worse for it. ‘Dance With Me Tonight’ is happy, clappy and surprisingly catchy. Murs goes for a slightly retro sound this time around, with a double bass and swinging saxophone cropping up throughout. Fluffy pop with innocuous lyrics, but you’ll be clicking along in no time. – Matt Patchett

Emeli Sande ft. Naughty Boy – Daddy

Although we don’t get the buttery top notes as we did in ‘Heaven’, Sande’s husky low notes are perfectly juxtaposed to the more powerful vocals of the chorus. The bells and heavy drumbeat manage to keep the song melancholy without turning it into just another ballad, especially when the violins are added. After the first play I was still dubious as to whether the song wasn’t a bit boring, but I’m now converted. Just focus on the drums. – Serena Rudge

Rebecca Ferguson – Nothing’s Real But Love

Louis Walsh always said Rebecca Ferguson was a recording artist. Apparently he was right. A scary thought. Indeed Ferguson’s debut showcases her unmistakable voice: warm and quivering with a kind of smoky jazz quality. Unfortunately, it’s applied to a rather bland song. Reminiscent of Nora Jones and other Radio 2/Magic FM fodder, it lacks the substance to leave a lasting impression – an X Factor if you will (which you probably won’t). – Matt Patchett

Enrique Iglesias ft. Pitbull – I Like How It Feels

Another Enrique song, another three minutes of my life wasted: rigid singing, vapid music, and pretty awful lyrics (he’s apparently living “cause the feel’s right”…). At times the music seems to be building up to something, a something that turns out to be “I like how it feels” repeated over and over again, until you want to throw your speakers out of the window. Pitbull’s solo isn’t any better, a stream of seemingly unconnected words in which he manages to rhyme ‘Oprah’ and ‘mediocre’. Not sure she’d be too pleased… - Serena Rudge

Hit and miss. In any case, let The Apprentice Meerkats put a smile on your face. Until next week, intrepid listeners.

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