Rihanna feat. Kanye West and Paul McCartney - Fourfiveseconds

We've been waiting for a new Rihanna song for a very fucking long time and to be quite honest I was sick of waiting until I heard that just what I wanted had been dropped online. It wasn't exactly the sassy, beat driven joyride I was expecting. 'Fourfiveseconds' is an acoustic guitar led, midtempo jam with a pleasant melody and a convincing vocal performance from Rihanna. It peaks at the middle 8, Rihanna's voice cracking in all the right places, complemented by gorgeous gospel keys. Overall though the song fails to make an impact even after repeated plays and by the end you're left wondering if you missed the finale. Then you realise you didn't imagine the limp, lacklustre experience you just sat through. An artist like Rihanna releases songs that stamp themselves into your memory. I will be singing 'We Found Love' when I'm 65, 'Fourfiveseconds' I doubt I will remember ever happened. 

2.5 / 5

Charli XCX feat. Rita Ora - Doing It

Charli XCX had quite the 2014. She snatched her first major hit with the astoundingly catchy 'Boom Clap' (with a shockingly shit music video) and she notched up a collaborative worldwide hit with sometimes talented rapper Iggy Azalea on 'Fancy' (with an awesome music video). Thankfully, music video budgets have been bolstered for her upcoming single, the third release in the run up to her new opus Sucker, 'Doing It'. 

Rita Ora has a verse and does some singing here and there, cementing her status as an amazing collaborator and average solo songstress. 'Doing It' retains the 80s vibe of Charli's last album True Romance but it's a more poppy affair that would have slotted perfectly into the late 90s pop boom. This is a frivolous, infectious romp and the laws nature stipulate that you enjoy it.

4 / 5