Rated: Naughty Boy - Hotel Cabana - Album Preview

Check out the embedded preview of Naughty Boy's debut album below. It sounds way better than I imagined it would. Lots of Emeli Sande on there, some Bastille, Ed Sheeran, Tinie Tempah and god damn Gabrielle! 

Rated: Naughty Boy Featuring Emeli Sande - Lifted

If you attended your gran's 70th birthday celebrations last year it is almost a certainty that Emeli Sandé performed. I'm right... right? The performer of almost any televised event in 2012 is back after a relatively lengthy 6 monthish hiatus, at least by her standards. She's come back with her pal Naughty Boy, with whom she sang on the stunning 'Wonder' last year. It's one of those songs that makes you feel lucky it popped up on shuffle, lucky to have it in your life. Just me then?

So what's the new collaboration like then? 'Lifted' is an exciting track, harking back to Emeli's own debut single 'Heaven', a glorious song that should have gotten far more attention than it did. It's packed with trip-hop bells & beats, laid under Emeli's incredible vocal arrangement. The opening quivering violins are beautiful and the songs build up is subtle but ultimately explosive. If this pair did an entire album together it would more than likely be perfect.

5/5