The Singles Jukebox

Tsk, more artists pre-empting our scores.

[Video][Website]
[4.33]Claire Biddles: The beat feels plodding rather than blissed-out, and I don’t get any distinct personality from Jones’ verses — is “don’t hate the player, just hate the game” honestly a viable rap lyric in 2016? The Earth Wind and Fire sample is a neat idea but it just makes me want to pause the song halfway through and listen to the original on repeat.
[3]

Alfred Soto: Interpolating one of the most euphoric songs in recorded history is a just and necessary decision, and I understand why Kent Jones would want to sound like yours truly singing along to “Let’s Groove” in the car.
[4]

Iain Mew: It’s a poor show that “Exes is”/”exit is” is as good as the wordplay gets, but more damning is the lack of musical energy that leaves even the interpolation ponderous.
[3]

Thomas Inskeep: I loved the way Jones interpolated Barry White on “Don’t Mind,” and was the only one of my colleagues who felt that way. I suspect they probably won’t think that much more of “Alright,” on which Jones interpolates a stone Earth, Wind & Fire classic to less impressive effect. Musically, I’m a fan of how Jones and co-producer Illa utilize “Let’s Groove”‘s melody; lyrically, it just seems like a super-random freestyle into which he didn’t put more than five minutes of thought. Something something about strippers and a hook-up I think. “Alright” gets over thanks to its tune, but just barely.
[6]

Jessica Doyle: Maurice White pulled “just lose yourself” out like taffy, making it an invitation to relax, to sink into the sensuality of the dance. (Of all the things a 747 could have done, White made it glide.) Kent Jones not only turns it into “Don’t lose yourself,” he cuts the final syllable of “yourself” off quickly, to go with the new song’s mood of suspicion and economic anxiety.  It’s all well executed; but why do it? “Let’s Groove” is a gorgeously open song, and Earth, Wind, & Fire would have been justified in not feeling open at the time (its video was the first broadcast by BET, in an attempt to showcase black artists still locked out by MTV, pre-Thriller). How do you use that backdrop to complain preemptively about a woman without making yourself look small?
[4]

Natasha Genet Avery: <brclass=”apple-interchange-newline”>I’ve mostly enjoyed R&B’s embrace of creative interpolation: updated beats can showcase cool riffs, different tempos can help accentuate interesting rhythms, and samples can expose new audiences to classics. “Alright” only reveals Kent Jones’ weaknesses: his vocals can’t rival Maurice’s, his revised lyrics are inferior and forced, and the tired trap beat lacks the timeless danceability ‘Let’s Groove”. I blame Jeremih.
[3]

Will Adams: The “Let’s Groove” bassline reproduced via a slinky club synth line was far more enjoyable than I thought it’d be. The lyrics leave a bit to be desired, but the faithful interpolation is never not fun; “Alright” is, yes, just that.
[6]

Edward Okulicz: A groove in its new context can say new things, but “Let’s Groove” might live in a region beyond the usefulness of that proposition. The source material is a treasure and so gentle and generous; it’s a song a kid or their grandparents could get down to at a wedding, and this ungenerous song is a waste of the gift. Any  more than ten seconds of Jones singing falsetto would clear a floor.
[4]

Jibril Yassin: It’s a bit of a letdown hearing Kent Jones merely settle for his best Adam Levine impression on that chorus after his recent guest spot and his mixtape proved he can do a lot more.
[6]