The Singles Jukebox

Swedish star in “only okay” shockah!

[Video][Website]
[5.56]

Will Adams: Katy Perry’s “This Is How We Do” if it didn’t suck, right down to the atonal synthbell rolls. It’s not as strong as her past successes “Rooftop” or “Wanna Be Your Baby,” and Larsson still needs to find her own voice that’s not so indebted to early Rihanna’s nasal tone, but “Lush Life” fits in well in the end-of-summer landscape.
[6]

Katherine St Asaph: I don’t like being so jaded, but any more of these “alternative” yet uninspiring pop debuts — Ryn Weaver, Halsey, Allie X and so forth — and the entire industry goes on au courantine. The backing track can’t decide whether it wants to be Ariana Grande or Catie Shaw, never mind lush; the carefree fronting advertises itself so hard I keep waiting for it to turn into an actual commercial, perhaps for a spritzer drink or app-based dating startup.
[2]

Thomas Inskeep: Her voice is early Rihanna, her song is Major Lazer writ super-pop, and Epic would do well to release this Swedish #1 in the U.S., because it sounds like a monstrous hit, and would slot perfectly next to songs like “Talking Body” and “Lean On” on American radio. 
[5]

Alfred Soto: Is it Major Lazer? Iggy Azalea? Rihanna? Contemporary pop at its most cannibalistic.
[3]

Scott Mildenhall: Closer to what the phrase “cool for the summer” signifies than Demi Lovato’s perilous interpretation; Zara is having a lovely time, the overriding of butterflies being her sole concern, sorted with minimal drama. The gentle hint of Kygovian Tropicana, as yet rarely heard in British popstars’ singles, is quietly magnetic, and the way the melody bounces with the beat is a splendid synthesis. There are no grand statements, either lyrically or sonically, just a no-frills account of a mostly blissful moment in life.
[7]

Brad Shoup: This is what rooftop parties could use. The bass and scrambled-tambourine sounds are sticky without being adhesive; Larsson’s cadence, likewise, glides along the meter. 
[7]

Ramzi Awn: What a title. What a … voice? I think that’s a voice. Perhaps the brand of voice that depends more on character than quality, and Larsson might be missing some of the character. She does not sound stoic, but she doesn’t sound excited either. In terms of the song itself, the chorus is glitter, and the composition neat. Production deserves a nod, too. All in all, “Lush Life” describes dawn adequately.
[6]

Edward Okulicz: There’s about six songs on Tove Styrke’s slept-on record that sound like this and are better, just sayin’.
[6]

Rebecca A. Gowns: A wonderful macaron of a pop song; pistachio and creme, and baked just this morning, but well-cooled and appropriate for any weather. In three small bites, it’s gone, and the aftertaste is just as pleasant. Lush indeed!
[8]