The Singles Jukebox

Two Spanish singers test our tolerance for tempo…

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Rodrigo Pasta: Aitana does deserve a gigantic worldwide hit… if only it could be one produced by Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo (“Despacito”, TINI, Sebastian Yatra, Carlos Vives, Anitta), the Latin pop gods who took her in a truly solid pop rock direction on her 2020 album, 11 RAZONES. This, on the other hand, is a dull attempt at TikTok virality with swooshing sounds that attempt nothing because they’re meant to evoke nothing but the vaguest feeling of “vibes.” This will soundtrack many 5-minute baking recipes tutorials.
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Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Shimmers and shimmies with all the romance and elegance of an episode of Emily in Paris.
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Scott Mildenhall: Simple but effective: the woozy throb adds a frisson to Zzoilo and Aitana’s easy interplay. It perhaps doesn’t get any easier than simply singing over the top of each other, but between his ebullient volume and her more characterful smile, it makes sense. The words trip out of them in something like the enjambment of new love.
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Katherine St Asaph: Like an attempt to speedrun charm. The tempo tricks you into thinking this is more catchy than it perhaps is.
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Alfred Soto: In its dervish-like rhythm “Mon Amour” suggests Savage Garden’s “I Want You” with almost the same verbal charm.
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Nortey Dowuona: Zzoilo has a flatter affect than Aitana’s fluttery higher register voice, but they blend almost startlingly well together and often slam right through the verses and chorus so quickly you can’t even tell them apart. The horns stop them short and halt their advance over the threadbare synths, bass and stumbling drums, but you’re moving so fast you can’t even be mad.
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Will Adams: The polite beat brings to mind Disney dancepop remixes, so a lot of the heavy lifting is done already before Zzoliio and Aitana’s playful back-and-forth take hold. In a slightly different universe, this is an Al Walser song; I’ll take the little victory that this is not the case.
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