The Singles Jukebox

Our reviews fulfill the title prophecy.

[Video][Website]
[5.43]

Will Adams: Letting go is about as universal of an endeavor you can get in pop music, but Foxes’ tricks give it weight. She tends to write in the upper reaches of her register, giving her vocals just enough strain to cut her otherwise syrupy tone. Furthermore, the way the chorus just bounds — after threatening to be a carbon copy of “Can’t Hold Us” with that piano intro — just on the brink of a full-out drum ‘n’ bass break symbolizes that struggle to just let go. The song never seems to release — it ends where it starts with lyrics from the first verse — tinting it with a sadness that Foxes appears to enjoy working in.
[7]

Alfred Soto: This British top ten goes for an updated Pat Benatar we-will-be-invincible sound, complete with dance flourishes. Docked a notch for hesitation — is it Benatar or Martika?
[5]

Patrick St. Michel: Dress this up in all the piano, handclaps, pounding drums, strings and drama you want, but this is still just the musical equivalent of a poster that says “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” This zips along, but it also treats going out for the night as some sort of epic effort worthy of being carved into a stone somewhere. It never really sounds fun.
[5]

Scott Mildenhall: Which John Newman song is this? No hang on, the vocals have come in and that’s definitely a woman. It’s Foxes, and her voice still isn’t particularly expressive, failing to carry the ebullience that wears down somewhat after the 500th time you hear this, still expecting the delicate tones of John Newman. Admittedly her words are of detachment and desperation, but affectlessness alone doesn’t constitute wrought.
[6]

Mallory O’Donnell: And whisper heroic nothings in my ear.
[2]

Brad Shoup: I just became aware of a universe in which “Spectrum (Say My Name)” doesn’t have to exist.
[7]

Katherine St Asaph: Florence Welch and Ellie Goulding are to The Hunger Games what this is to Divergent: big-budget, big-feelings pop by/for girls, which retain surprising amounts of quirks and can stand a few more iterations than the grumps want.
[6]