Ariana Grande - Problem (Feat Iggy Azalea)

After the shitfest that was/is 'Talk Dirty' by one Jason Derulo I never wanted to hear a pop infused horn section again. Then Ariana Grande went and stuck one in her new single Problem and it's actually pretty awesome. 

Problem is an uptempo pop track with brilliantly polished production, some cool lyrics, and lovely singing.  The song opens with "Hey baby even though I hate you/ I wanna love you" and Ariana makes it clear she's not just some Nickelodeon alumni brat with mediocre talent. Iggy Azalea even drops a rap in the middle eight and it's burgeoning with sass and a cheeky homage to Jay Z. There are bound to be those who set her and peer Demi Lovato up for combat, however the two kid stars couldn't be further apart. As far as this song is concerned, Ariana doesn't need to worry about competition.

4 / 5

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence Review: "She's emotionally bruised and beautiful..."

Lana Del Rey's Born To Die is a distinct 'debut' album that polarised opinions from critics. Some hailed her authenticity and emotive performance while others found her high pitched timbre and contradictory low gravelly jazz tones unpleasant. Both opinions aside, Born To Die went on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide and as incohesive and random as it is, it is one of the most intriguing albums to come out of 2012. 

The problem with Born To Die is that it doesn't gel, dipping in and out of themes and identities so often that you never get a sense of who Lana Del Rey is. The beauty of songs such as Born To Die and Blue Jeans is countered by frustrating and forgettable tracks like Carmen and Million Dollar Man. What Lana needed to do was show us who she is, consistently. Thankfully, the identity she portrays on third studio album Ultraviolence is far more accessible, relatable and grounded than the retro noir mistress acted on her last. There's nobody better at portraying 'black and white classic' than Lana Del Rey and when you couple this with the production of Dan Auerbach (Black Keys) you have the starlet and the auteur. 

Jessie Ware - Tough Love - "Jessie Ware is awesome."

5 / 5

Jessie Ware is awesome. That's a fact just like the earth being round. Her debut album Devotion is incredible. Leo Tolstoy took 6 years to write War & Peace. That's a lot of facts for a Monday night. Her new single Tough Love dropped tonight on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show. I was excited and I was nervous; maybe a sweaty palm or two. Thankfully, the nerves were wiped out as soon as the first verse kicked in and Jessie's vocals floated high above the wavering synths and echoes. Then the immense gorgeousness of the chorus came into earshot:

"When your heart becomes a million different pieces / That's when you won't be able to recognise this feeling/ That's called tough love..."

Her vocals are more ethereal than ever before and coupled with beautiful production from BenZei, this is one of 2014's and one of Jessie's most sophisticated tracks. It could fit into Devotion nicely, but there are hints that her next outing might be even more unforgettable.

Nicole Scherzinger - Your Love - "Skip to the midway mark..."

Boomerang was a bit of a misfire for Nicole Scherzinger last year, which is a shame because it's actually quite catchy and not shit once you play it a few hundred times. She's now back and like her nemesis Cheryl Cole (sounds good doesn't it?) she's releasing a new single just in time for Xfactor fever to carry it to a lower top 10 placing... if she's lucky. Your Love is from her tepidly anticipated sophomore album.

It starts off with lots of caribbean beach flavour, courtesy of Rihanna hit makers Tricky and The Dream. Then there are some "yeah - yeah' bits and a "woo". Going well so far right? Then Nicole jumps in with a really 'shit attempt at being seductive' spoken word segment which includes a line about being knocked out like Michael Tyson. It improves once she actually starts singing but then takes a nose dive when she "doo doo doo"s; this seems to have become habit in the now lazy popscape, throwing in some noises because you can't be arsed to come up with some proper lyrics.

If you make it past the first 50% of the song things do improve vastly. The mid section is brilliant and saves this 4 minute track from being a complete waste of time. The production amps up and the bass thumps under her vocals as for the first time on the track, you actually feel like you're listening to a popstar. Your Love isn't quite what I was expecting after such a lengthy hiatus from the charts. It's nowhere near the epic quality of Don't Hold Your Breath. The production is faultless throughout, however if you're a lyric snob you'll probably guffaw. Skip to the midway mark - it's really a very good mid section.

2/5

Cheryl Cole - Crazy Stupid Love - "Paint by numbers pop..."

It's hardly surprising that Cheryl Cole is releasing a new single a few months before her Xfactor comeback. It's also unsurprising that said single is distinctly pop and has a very catchy chorus. The problem with this record is that it's not particularly memorable, nor is it pushing any musical boundaries. Sure, she's not known for being experimental and Crazy Stupid Love is no exception. She's roped in Tinie Tempah for a pointless rap somewhere in the middle and she's shoved in an annoying sax section after every chorus. It's no Call My Name, but it is produced by Wayne Wilkins who did the hard work on Fight For This Love and Promise This. It's a paint by numbers pop record, but even that fail safe doesn't save this single from being a flavourless disappointment.

2/5