OK. Here we go:
The Saturdays are the textbook example on how to break the pop industry these days - there's no question that even if the girls have never had a number one single, they're one of the most talked about new pop acts and that's enough to warrant success. They started off as a direct spin-off of the reigning girl group (in this case, GA) - the songs mirrored what they were doing a year back. Even if they were probably made to follow the mould GA had created, they weren't thin on the quality and musicality - they really, honestly had the makings of a hit.That move works for a debut album but that era of their music is all done and over - it's time to welcome the new Saturdays.
The point of what they did during their first album was to actually get them the attention (good or bad) and cement their presence in the industry. It wasn't done for creativity or credibility (although Work is still one of the most brilliant pop songs ever) - it was done as an introduction. Now that their second album is due and (I presume) done, there's something they had to do and may I say that they did it damn well.
The girls need to make a sound that's distinctly them and they need to steer away but not clear of what their first album offered. I put the most pressure and importance on a sophomore album because it says so much about the artist - this is one of them. This new album will show us if the girls really have the ability to release songs worthy of the hype, keep us interested in them and have the right to be called artists in every sense of the word.
When I first heard the clip last night, I wasn't impressed but told myself to save the judgement for until I'd heard the entire song. Now that I have, my previous thoughts are all wrong.
The song is just like how Genie was for me, only that the 'I don't like it but it's OK' stage lasted for a few hours - overnight. It's a new sound for the girls over-all and on the surface but the more you listen to it, the more you hear bits and pieces of the previous album. They aren't obvious but the little emphasis on them is enough for a semi-trained ear to notice.
Everything starts out European techno-y and the vocals are clean but the chorus kicks in and the whole song explodes with this rock but ever so slightly techno instrumentation and Vanessa's intellectually (meaning you have to think about it to realize that she has one of the most gorgeous voices ever) jaw-dropping vocals carry the chorus. Throughout the song you hear the emphasis on the rock elements and less on the processed side - the middle 8 even boasts of some electric guitar!
All in all it's a great song but the more important thing to commend the girls on is successfully transitioning from their first to second albums - now all we need to hear are the other tracks!
5/5 Like duh. Need I say more?
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