Best Mates Thursday segues into All-London Friday…

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[5.85]

Martin Skidmore: We have another lively house production from Fraser T. Smith (as on “Number 1”), this time with added Sugababe, which is always a good thing. Her hook is very strong and catchy, and Tinchy is as enjoyable as ever, so the whole thing is irresistible. There’s still something a bit ridiculous about his success, but I am all for it, and this will surely continue his run of big hits.
[8]

Anthony Easton: So much noise, so much chaos, so much metallic energy (as in cutlery at the bottom of a stainless steel sink), and I am a sucker for the rough boy voice rapping and the pretty girl voice singing, which this does well.
[6]

Alex Ostroff: His cadence evokes TI’s recent inspirational kick, but it’s a bit early in Tinchy’s career to be speaking of the perils of fame, isn’t it? Regardless, this is appropriately epic for a ryde or die track, and quite enjoyable.
[7]

Michaelangelo Matos: As a Yank I think it’s a hoot that they’re trying to sound so damn American, but I’m also struck that this is only the latest example of a grime act aiming straight for the top of the charts, the whole post-“Rolex” thing as far as I can tell. I can see the closing credits of the rom-com already.
[6]

Talia Kraines: “Never Leave You” might use exactly the same formula as his last two singles, but it just sounds cheap and nasty to me.
[2]

Matt Cibula: I like this better when I pretend that it is a pop remix of a house classic, because then the piano chords and constant breakdowns make sense. Otherwise it all seems a bit too-too to me, trebly and troubling and clattering and clanking all over the place — and I can only keep up the illusion for so long.
[4]

Rodney J. Greene: I like a few splashy Jordin Sparks ballads and I like some measure of crabby Brit-rap, so I don’t see any good reason why I should be opposed to the combination thereof, especially when the Sparks parts are this exuberant.
[7]

Martin Kavka: Absolutely wonderful. In the lyric, in the slinkiness of the bassline, in the simplicity of its arpeggios, and in Amelle’s voice, “Never Leave You” manages to capture both the innocence of new love, and the maturity of old love that has reaped the benefits of the knowledge that love has to be worked and stoked in order not to become shopworn. The peak comes in the last verse, which is rapped/sung by both of them: “I’ve been gone since the weekend. So how’s your week been without me? How you keeping?”
[9]

Alex Macpherson: I don’t blame Tinchy for this. I’ve no doubt he genuinely loves the music he’s making now, and he seems to be having the time of his life. I blame the wider musical culture in this country that made him realise that cheap’n’cheesy crap like his past three singles would sell. “Never Leave You” is a mess. It rushes along at a frantic pace, propelled by a synth line pumping away purposelessly and an out-of-place, meandering house piano, but doesn’t go anywhere of note. A swamp of treble buries every ounce of character that both Tinchy and his guest, Sugababes’ Amelle Berrabah, possess. What’s really sad is that Tinchy continues to make excellent music – which is then buried on guest spots (his turn on Toddla T’s “Safe”), or released for free (the EP uploaded this week to his website), because anything that codes too obviously “urban” (ugh) is deemed inappropriate for the charts. What a terrible indictment of the British music industry all of this is.
[3]

Ian Mathers: I noticed that some of our commenters were kind of pissed that Tinchy Stryder has — is ‘sold out’ the right term? But, having never heard him before, I enjoyed the hell out of “Number 1”, and this one is even better. I have no idea how it stacks up against his old material, but this is a deliriously maximalist pop whirlwind, and Amelle does a surprisingly great job with the hook. It feels as if there’s about three choruses here, and weirdly enough the florid rush of the music and the breathless excitement of the narrative reinforce each other. It helps that I can honestly see this song as continuing on from, and being sung to the same person as, “Number 1” was.
[9]

Anthony Miccio: God, if you’re listening, please make Speidi cover this. It already sounds like them, and I’m sure they’ll appreciate the message of devotion. So get on it. Thanks.
[5]

Additional Scores

Hillary Brown: [5]
Chuck Eddy: [5]