Nicki Minaj – ‘Chi-Raq’ (ft. Lil Herb)

Joe Muggs: It’s a bit weird hearing Nicki do deadpan, like, “when’s she going to wig out?” Disconcerting. The beat’s really, really good though. (7)

Aimee Cliff: Cue a million thinkpieces about how Nicki’s “back”. Nicki never went away. She’s always got a trick up her sleeve. (7)

Chris Kelly: It’s exciting to hear Nicki actually rapping again on a vicious beat, even if it fails to develop. And while it’s great to introduce Lil Herb to a larger audience, I’d rather hear Katie Got Bandz and Dreezy rap about Chicago’s troubles. (5)

William Skar: Oubliette heat. Nicki’s holding back, but, since the beat’s all stolen looks and screwfaces, that sort of makes sense. (6)

6.3

Use your keyboard’s arrow keys or hit the prev / next arrows on your screen to turn pages (page 2/8)

Future – ‘I Won’ (ft. Kanye West)

Chris Kelly: For a song about winning, neither Future or Kanye sounds particularly triumphant, and the limp production makes it sound like a less interesting ‘Honest’. Why bother paying Kanye if he’s going to phone-in a Late Registration-era feature? (4)

Aimee Cliff: This is a sickly heart-on-sleeve slow jam that has that smugness that “I’m so in love” songs pretty much always have, but that’s not the main problem with it. The main problem is it’s 2014 and two of rap’s biggest superstars couldn’t think of a better way to tell their baby mamas – who each have empires of their own – that they love and respect them than to call them trophies. Would rather listen to my own head smack against the wall. (1)

Chal Ravens: Kanye the type who make his girl sign a prenup stating she’s not allowed to lose her curves. “Reportedly”. (5)

Joe Muggs: Sounds like a pair of drunker-than-drunk travelling salesmen in some godforsaken Travel Inn getting sentimental over their wives having probably just rolled out of a knocking shop. That weird squeaky hiccup noise is what really gives it that full alcoholic coma atmosphere. Kind of compulsively fascinating, but a bit gross. (3)

William Skar: It’s a Razzie, lads. (4)

3

Use your keyboard’s arrow keys or hit the prev / next arrows on your screen to turn pages (page 3/8)

Bass Clef – ‘Self Perpetuating Fun Loop’

Chal Ravens: Very much a Ronseal proposition, this one. I like Bass Clef when he’s got his three-cornered rave hat on, but there’s a hint of nerdish self-awareness about releasing an acid track on PAN, isn’t there? Anyway, to borrow a quote from a fellow Singles Club contributor, I like the hi-hats. (8)

Joe Muggs: I really like Bass Clef, but I’m not sure he’s ever topped ‘A Smile Is A Curve…’ from 2006 for sheer good natured fun. This comes pretty close, but I have the problem that I can’t help wondering what it would be like with a trombone too. I’m pretty sure it would be amazing. (8)

William Skar: Not exactly Ralph Cumbers’ most characterful work, and definitely straighter-down-the-line than we might have expected from his PAN debut. Slips down very nicely, but totally outclassed by… (7)

7.7

Use your keyboard’s arrow keys or hit the prev / next arrows on your screen to turn pages (page 4/8)

Perc – ‘Bleeding Colours’ (Untold remix)

William Skar: …this brute. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve a Molotov cocktail to neck. (9)

Aimee Cliff: Like getting run over by sound. All hail Untold. (8)

Joe Muggs: Punk as fuck, like Suicide making a fart gag or something. Would actually really suit a load of distorted screaming and shouting over the top. (8)

8.3

Use your keyboard’s arrow keys or hit the prev / next arrows on your screen to turn pages (page 5/8)

tUnE-yArDs – ‘Wait For A Minute’

Aimee Cliff: Garbus’ more understated moments are some of my favourites. This is heartbreakingly honest. (8)

William Skar: tUnE-yArDs’ music, like structured exercise, always seems like ballache on paper, but when I actually resolve to get back into it, I wonder why I ever stopped. This is absolutely stuffed with good ideas. (8)

Joe Muggs: Haha, I misread “anti-pop” in the FACT article description of her as “AUNTIE-pop”, which sort of suits her as she definitely has a bit of the eccentric bohemian auntie about her. I’m really torn between this being quite charming and the sense that it could quite easily be sung by a character in Girls i.e. it will either grow on me or grow unspeakably irritating, so I’m going to sit on the fence. (5)

7

Use your keyboard’s arrow keys or hit the prev / next arrows on your screen to turn pages (page 6/8)

Sigma – ‘Nobody To Love’ 

William Skar: Ugh, I wish I hadn’t necked that Molotov cocktail. (2)

Joe Muggs: I’m an absolute sucker for pop d’n’b of the Wilkinson, High Contrast, Rudimental ilk, but Jesus wept, this is utter toilet. The hook is such dismal soft rock bollocks anyway, the only possible way it could have had any value is if they’d sped it up to comedy pitch, happy-hardcore style. In fact, let’s listen to some happy hardcore to clean our ears out. (1)

Aimee Cliff: Given the original ‘Bound 2’ video was such a stroke of genius, positioning Kanye as the lone American ranger right in the centre of aesthetics like this, this shell of the original is not only vapid but kind of offensive. Also, whatever you think of Kanye and Kim and their two-wheeled antics, it’s pretty obvious that they’re in awesome, grotesque love. Clearly no one experienced human emotion of any variety in the process of making ‘Nobody To Love’. (0)

Chris Kelly: Next time someone in the UK goes on about how US EDM is ruining dance music, I will point to this. That’s worth a point, right? (1)

1

Use your keyboard’s arrow keys or hit the prev / next arrows on your screen to turn pages (page 7/8)

Final scores:
Perc – ‘Bleeding Colours’ (Untold remix) (8.3)
Bass Clef – ‘Self Perpetuating Fun Loop’ (7.7.)
tUnE-yArDs – ‘Wait For A Minute’ (7)
Nicki Minaj – ‘Chi-Raq’ (ft. Lil Herb) (6.3)
Future – ‘I Won’ (Ft. Kanye West) (3)
Sigma – ‘Nobody To Love’ (1)

Use your keyboard’s arrow keys or hit the prev / next arrows on your screen to turn pages (page 8/8)