The Singles Jukebox

And then there’s hitting the mark too closely…

[Video][Website]
[5.00]

Juana Giaimo: This song could be a Lorde song, except that it wouldn’t because Lorde knows one trick Jocelyn Alice didn’t learn: having a personality and reflecting it in her songs. 
[4]

Alfred Soto: The ease with which I could sing “Royals” over that synth bed creeped me out; even Jocelyn Alice’s treating the title with the same regard as Lorde did hers floored me.
[5]

Katherine St Asaph: There’s sounding like Lorde, and then there’s being able to sing the entirety of “Royals” over the song with zero tempo or chord weirdness. That’s all “Jackpot” is: blatant follow-the-leaderism plus an over-sprawling gambling metaphor. Jocelyn loves the game but espouses zero desire to fold, raise, bluff, hold, or otherwise perform any actions that’d push the game forward, which come to think of it is how crushes do feel. Overall, somehow an improvement.
[6]

Thomas Inskeep: Her over-enunciation is annoying, but I like the weird almost-dub bass.
[4]

Ramzi Awn: The synthwork on this Canadian gem steals the show, and Jocelyn Alice’s voice helps it along admirably. The build-up is greater than the chorus, but some of pop’s best songs were built this way, rendering them easier to repeat than, say, “Fancy” as performed by Charli XCX. There is little to critique on “Jackpot.” It is, simply, a formidable song. 
[7]

Will Adams: No, you’ll never be “Royals.” Not that that was a worthwhile goal to begin with, anyway.
[4]