The Singles Jukebox

Remember when Timbaland was good? Man, memories.

[Video][Website]
[5.00]

Adaora Ede: What appears to be an official crossover into urban pop in the West for Jane Zhang (that slurred smiling/wyling slant rhyme gave me goosebumps, and not the good kind AT all) ends up beholding itself awkwardly into the realm of kitschy minimaltronica. Both genres are kinda dated for a debut, both genres I could recall at least two instances of being Windows Phone commercial background music. Zhang’s straining through the verses and pre-chorus, stylistically, not physically; it’s a little evident that it’s a bit difficult to pull off a legit RnB song without crooning a lil’ something- leave a lot to be desired. Somehow, the ineptness is pleasantly charming because even after five or six verses of the same-old “worst-day-ever-but-wait-i’m-actually-wildly-rich-and-famous-this-isn’t-so-bad”, that repeated vocal ornament will get you bopping your head back and forth. In Re: Asian acts hitting America, I appreciate the sentiment of “Dust My Shoulders Off” (although Timberland’s involvement makes me question its true intent): it’s so unlike the forceful dance-heavy tracks that are peddled to American listeners as a desperate plea to get us to listen; not every stop has been pulled out, the swaggerjacking is limited and what is left in its place is unadulterated enjoyment.
[6]

Alfred Soto: “Party’s still goin’ on,” Zhang announces over a twitchy beat familiar to any follower of pop since Timbaland hooked up with Missy Elliott. I can’t get too excited because it’s not 2006.
[6]

Jessica Doyle: The mixing goes wrong on the chorus: I think it’s supposed to emphasize a communal approach to resilience, but the result is Jane Zhang disappears right when the listener needs her most. Points, though, for the melancholy in her voice, as if she needs to convince herself as well as us. (If she sounded more confident the song would be more off-putting.) Two extra points for one of the wittiest music videos I’ve ever seen.
[6]

Iain Mew: It’s interesting the effects of sounds passing from current into retro. If this song had been sung by Nelly Furtado in the mid-00s, it would still have been mundanely carefree, but it would surely have a different feel to it than Jane Zhang’s for not being so obviously stranded out of time. The dislocation enhances the song’s mood, which is more than can be said for the sound effects.
[6]

Anthony Easton: A distinct argument for the global blankness of a certain kind of pop voice, Timbaland’s production has been smarter and more interesting than here, perhaps because Zhang gives him so little to work with. 
[3]

Will Adams: “Dust My Shoulders Off” is a bit too relaxed to make a big statement, but I have a hard time denying music that sounds like a hundred whirligigs spinning at once.
[6]

Jonathan Bradley: This year of 2016 is not the right time for chipper “always look on the bright side of life” exhortations, particularly not when they’re ushered in over Timbaland production that’s decorated like a rich child’s birthday party: fussy and garish. The illustrative sound-effects and organized-fun listener participation (“everybody here is saying…”) contribute further to the sense that I’ve been roped into a pageant planned by Zooey Deschanel’s Jess Day character. We all need cheering up, but surely quirk is not the answer.
[4]

William John: Though he still resorts to hamfisted tricks such as inserting the sound of a chagrined engine following a line about car trouble, Timbaland’s presence is atypically inconspicuous on “Dust My Shoulders Off,” allowing the airy, carefree Zhang to shine. At the same time, one can’t help but imagine a more vivacious version of this song built around the moment where the vocals are layered in the chorus, which here provide respite from the overarching slightness.
[6]

Edward Okulicz: The production is too bland to have an impact, it’s quirky and tricksy but with no flavour. The same is somewhat true of Zhang, because a song that speaks to resilience would work better if it were more relatable. An Asian female pop artist crossing over in the West would be a fine thing, but oh, that it happens with a first-rate song and production tailored for the singer rather than a faded genius’s second-rate hand-me-downs.
[5]

Crystal Leww: At this point, it’s unclear what it will take for a artist from East Asia to make it big in the US. However, I am certain that this twee mixed with rapping nonsense will not cut it. Trying to capitalize off a Timbaland signoff? Girl, did you see what happened to Tink?
[2]