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From the welcome return of an L.A. supergroup to the latest release from this winter’s biggest blockbuster, here’s a look at five of the best tracks to have been unveiled over the past seven days.
Little Mix – “Boy”
The highlight of their surprisingly strong second album, Salute, the X-Factor winners continue to distance themselves from their talent show past with a slick and sassy slice of 90s inspired R&B which sits somewhere between Destiny’s Child’s “Bills Bills Bills” and Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody?”
Initially titled “Dying Is Easy,” The National maintain the high standards of the other contributions we’ve heard so far from the forthcoming Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack with this suitably sombre indie-folk ballad.
Britney Spears – “Perfume”
Following a string of pulsing EDM-inspired anthems, Britney Spears showcases her more vulnerable side as she tries to mark her territory by spraying her cheating boyfriend with one of her many designer fragrances on yet another perfectly-crafted Sia-penned ballad.
Broken Bells – “Holding On For Life”
The first taster from The Shins frontman James Mercer and super-producer Danger Mouse’s second studio effort, After The Disco, “Holding On For Life” is a gloriously dreamy blend of Americana, psychedelia and funk featuring a falsetto-led chorus which channels the Bee Gees at their Saturday Night Fever peak.
Lily Allen – “Somewhere Only We Know”
Following in the footsteps of Ellie Goulding (Elton John’s “Your Song”) and Gabrielle Aplin (Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “The Power Of Love”), Lily Allen gives another British pop classic the stripped-back treatment (Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know”) for the soundtrack to department store John Lewis’ annual tearjerking Christmas TV ad campaign.
