The Singles Jukebox

And with this pick from William John, we *also* have not a lot left to say. This is our final post of our Amnesty 2k23 special.

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William John: We’re at the end of 2023, and while the Origibabes are finally back again, they’ve now got upstarts to contend with. Say Now, known by the dubious moniker “needanamebro” for most of this year, are three young singers who combine imperiousness and beatific harmony; the more things change, the more they stay the same. “Not A Lot Left To Say” goes by in a blink, but perhaps that’s by design, given that it’s documenting the painful moment of a relationship that sits somewhere between Erykah Badu’s “Next Lifetime” and a kind of detached apathy — to say anything more than nothing seems fruitless. The song’s spacious production reminds me of “Everything is Embarrassing,” Dev Hynes’ classic traipse through the gloom with Sky Ferreira. It was Hynes who guided Mutya, Keisha and Siobhan back from the figurative dead ten years ago, and while they’re hardly in danger of being replaced just yet, I’m excited by the prospect of Ysabelle, Amelia and Maddie continuing their legacy.
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Nortey Dowuona: Ysabelle starts the song off on a tough but wistful tone, feeling a bit let down by how it all collapsed and ended, but slowly accepting the outcome. Amelia is completely over it all, wanting badly to move on and put it all behind her. Maddie is still not over it, still longing for those close days. But Amelia, allowed the only direct riff on the bridge, soars, her unspoken hurt lingering in those notes, then she returns to the alcove of the group, all of them united in putting this relationship to bed, but quietly wiping a few tears away, hurt yet resolute.
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Ian Mathers: Breakup songs that also acknowledge “don’t wanna be your friend, don’t wanna be your ex” are too few and far between, and this one has a commendable sense of swing, vocal performances, and brevity to match. Like the relationship, it ends just when it needs to.
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Michael Hong: Soft girl group harmonies and fluttering club kicks. Where those disappear, the song feels scant, yet the words feel stickier. For the amicable break-up song that “Not a Lot Left to Say” is, are you supposed to only come out thinking about the words “bet I’m still the one?”
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Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Densely packed pop product — every line genuinely makes impact, every hook connects with none of the excesses that aspirational pop groups sometimes burden themselves with. This is competent and poised but never stiff; the three of them balance the clear effort they’re putting into this attempt with the joy of having the chance to try it.
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Will Adams: Formerly known as needanamebro, now known as Say Now. Both names are so bad I assumed this was a Xenomania project. They’re not, but the bland UK pop polish of “Not a Lot Left to Say” could have convinced me on its own.
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Crystal Leww: One of the most wonderful things about UK pop music is how it’s continued the tradition of the girl group in Western pop, which has largely ceded ground to Asia. Say Now follows in a long lineage, which recently just made FLO the Sound of 2023, and “Not A Lot Left To Say” is just stacked and layered harmonies on top of each other. I feel like this is like the **~~Just Girl Things~** version of when the dude at the party busts out the acoustic guitar — just three girls riffing and seeing how they can jam together and make a little tiny shitting on their ex. Cute! 
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