The Singles Jukebox

We have thoughts on samples again…

[Video]
[5.50]

Hazel Southwell: Can’t describe how soothing some good grime flow over a melancholy sample of Ultra Naté’s “Free” is if you’ve spent any time at all conscious in Britain recently.
[7]

Scott Mildenhall: People will return to monoliths like “Free” for a long time to come, but it’s what they do with them that’s interesting. Comparing this with MNEK’s recent take leaves it looking quite uninspired. Headie One clearly has experience of the whole semantic gamut of the word trap, but the tension that could provide beside Ultra Naté just isn’t apparent in a song that quickly becomes monotonous.
[4]

Alfred Soto: Grumbling melancholic sound-as-vision with guitars prettier than expected. 
[6]

Tim de Reuse: Pro: The quiet arpeggios of the beat are a great contrast to his clunky, percussive flow. Con: The word “Both” is such an awkward combination of phonemes to base a song around that after a couple listens I’ve reached that point where it’s stopped sounding like a word entirely.
[6]

William John: It’s nice to hear the “Free” sample again, but MNEK paired it with a far more befitting vivaciousness and emotional intensity two years ago, and Headie One’s dour approach to self-aggrandisement is far less appealing.
[4]

Will Adams: I, for one, am wholly in favor of Ultra Naté’s “Free” becoming as popular a sample as, like, the Amen break.
[6]