By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Welcome to the latest edition of Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews! We have a lot of music to unpack, so let’s get this party started.
What’s Your Pleasure? By Jessie Ware
English singer-songwriter Jessie Ware just dropped one of the best pop albums of 2020. Her fourth studio album, What’s Your Pleasure?, features a combination of synth-pop and dance-pop tunes. Ware teamed with Alexandra Govere, Daniel Parker, and James Ford to co-write most of the album’s successful tracks. Music aficionados could instantly compare them to several classic tunes. “Ooh La La!” might remind music fans of a lost Prince and the Revolution track, while “Soul Control” could almost be this generation’s “I Feel for You.” What’s Your Pleasure? has the potential to receive several music awards, and I look forward to hearing more from Ms. Ware in the future. A
Tracks to Download: “Spotlight,” “What’s Your Pleasure?” “Ooh La La,” “Soul Control,” & “Step Into My Life.”
At Home- EP by Pentatonix
Pentatonix released their latest extended play: At Home. The quintet (Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, and Matt Sallee) recorded the EP at their respective homes during the coronavirus. The Grammy-winning A cappella quintet covered a diverse group of tunes that ranged from The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” to Dua Lipa’s “Break My Heart.” Pentatonix continues to showcase why they are the rulers of A cappella music with their phenomenal EP: At Home. B+/A-
Tracks to Download: “Blinding Lights,” “Break My Heart,” “Dreams,” & “when the party’s over.”
“March March” by The Chicks
“March March” marks a new age for the band formerly known as the Dixie Chicks. Following the George Floyd protests, the group dropped “Dixie” from their names, and they are known as the Chicks. The group teamed up with some of the music industry’s prominent songwriters, including Jack Antonoff, Ian Kirkpatrick, Ross Golan, and Dan Wilson, to pen this tune. Set in the Black Lives Matter protest backdrop, the Chicks delivered one of the powerful protest tunes in modern music. A
“Slow Grenade” by Ellie Goulding & Lauv
Ellie Goulding’s latest studio album, Brightest Blue, is getting closer to be released. In addition to the studio album, the “Lights” singer-songwriter releases EG.0, a side B with several guest collaborators. One single that is a part of Side B is “Slow Grenade.” The track features Ellie Goulding teaming up with music wunderkind Lauv. With the help of co-writers Joseph Kearns, Brett McLaughlin, and Oscar Gorres, the duo mashed their two unique styles for a superb pop track. A-
“Coño” by Jason Derulo, Puri, & Jhorrmountain
I like Jason Derulo, but this song is total cluster****. The singer-songwriter and Cats actor teamed up with Puri and Jhorrmountain for this abysmal piece of music. It is one of the songs that I regret listening to this year. F
“Smile” by Katy Perry
We are one month away from the release of Smile, Katy Perry’s fifth studio album! Billboard reported that the American Idol judge and “Chained to the Rhythm” singer-songwriter dropped the title track off her record. In addition to receiving assistance from Brittany “Starrah” Hazzard, Ferras, Oliver Goldstein, and Josh Abraham, the record also samples Naughty By Nature’s “Smile.” The song is a delicious piece of ear candy, and I cannot wait to hear the rest of the album. B+
“Sometimes Things Just Fall Apart” by Rence
Jake’s Take friend Rence dropped his latest single: “Sometimes Things Just Fall Apart.” This track is probably one of Rence’s most personal songs to date. While the run time is two-minutes and 46-seconds, “Sometimes Things Just Fall Apart” showcases Rence’s bright future as an established artist in the music industry. A-
“Can’t Live” by Tristan Cole
Another dear friend to Jake’s Take, Tristan Cole, just dropped one of the best dance-pop tracks I have heard this year. Tristan co-wrote this track with Ahmod Goins, and Mod-G produced it. The Nile Rodgers-esque guitar licks drive this brilliant up-tempo dance track to make music lovers get up and groove. Great song, Tristan! A-
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