The Singles Jukebox

Charting in France and on the TSJ sidebar…

[Video]
[7.14]

Crystal Leww: Aya Nakamura’s follow-up to “Djadja” is arguably more of the same. Last time I was less impressed by the breezy sound to it, and while “Copines” isn’t any less breezy, I think the hook just bangs more?
[8]

Alfred Soto: Lovely bubble-house with a terrific Aya Nakamura riding the chorus synth stabs like a pro. Is summer really over? I hereby designate this Song of the Late Summer.
[8]

Nortey Dowuona: Lego Bionicle and T-Rex drums circle the subtle, smooth bass and popping synths while Aya sits on this tiny set above the atmosphere, carefully building and expanding it until it encompasses the whole Solar System. Placing it upon the Sun, she is satisfied and goes off to take a snooze.
[10]

Ian Mathers: Both song and video are a bit like “The Boy Is Mine” if it started with the women in question already sick of the guy’s bullshit, which is obviously delightful. Beyond the topic, though, the song is still effervescent. The layers of percussion and a particularly bright synth note are offset enough to give the groove an appealing slinkiness that meshes with the chorus and a great vocal performance from Nakamura, radiating confidence and sly contempt for this guy who thought he had the better of her. 
[7]

Cédric Le Merrer: Is the best thing about this post Djadja single the fact that Aya Nakamura seems poised to be more than a one hit wonder ? Or that she flips NTM’s casually mysoginist line from French hip hop classic “La Fièvre” (the one about a girl “finer than the finest of your girlfriends”) into a feminine solidarity chorus.
[7]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: Less sluggish than “Djadja” but it’s not enough to make this feel any less anonymous. Thankfully, the blunt lyrics grant “Copines” a bit of character. Just wish Aya Nakamura’s delivery was as colorful as before. It’s hinted at in the bridge, but she mostly opts for an incessant plodding that weighs down the beat. Last year, her voice used to blend so elegantly with Congolese guitars. Now, they’re just floating above spume.
[3]

Jessica Doyle: I’m not sure there’s enough here to hold up to multiple listens over time, once “Aya t’a flambé” stops being a novelty and becomes a given. But there’s so much confidence in that line, in the whole song’s balance of relaxation and indignant energy, that “over time” will be a while.
[7]