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Jason Derulo - 'Whatcha Say'

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Fraser McAlpine | 12:33 UK time, Monday, 9 November 2009

Jason Derulo

Let's get the bad news out of the way first: If you were looking for reasons to take against this song, there's plenty of evidence to fuel your argument. You'd be WRONG, but that's not really the point, is it?

For example, taken as a whole, there is nothing particularly new or fresh happening here. It's got the same basic production as any number of R&B slow jams doing the rounds at the moment, suffers from an attack of the cyberthroats, and the same synthetic string section that everyone else has been plugging into their mixing desks. It is, in a very real sense, SO 2009.

On the other hand, who cares? It IS 2009, for the time being at least.

(. Something to think about next time you lose your keys.)

What makes this a cut above the usual is the daring melody at the heart of things, and the robo-harmonies, which weave around each other like wrestling snakes. It's relatively easy to tart up a dull tune with some harmonies, but if you've got something which isn't afraid to throw itself around a bit, then the harmonies can do likewise and before you know it, your song is a purring firework display in the sky.

That's essentially what this is, but it might take a listen or two for the depth of colour to reveal itself. The good news is that if you let Jason's spiralling robo-choir worm their way under your defences, you will find that they're only here to do nice things, like plump your emotional cushions and stroke your sore feelings. It's as if there was some Dr Who-style invasion scenario, only in this reality, the Daleks actually use their sink-plungers for, y'know, unblocking the sink.

Or, to rein in the metaphors for a second: This is a very good song with very good singing on it. Please take the time to listen to it. Thank you.

Four starsDownload: Out now
CD Released: November 16th

(Fraser McAlpine)

PS: In retrospect, I wish to retract the sentence "plump your emotional cushions". Sorry.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    You might want to look up a certain song called Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap, which has been sampled on this garbage.

    It annoys me that someone with such huge talent as Imogen Heap is not as successful as she deserves to be when there are people like this Jason Derulo loser who take other people's ideas and just talk over them.

  • Comment number 2.

    In response to Otemetry above, Imogen might be very talented but her music clearly isn't as popular as RnB. Thousands of songs are sampled all the time and made into really good tunes, like this one.

    If you don't like it, don't listen to it, simple as that. Just stop crying.

  • Comment number 3.

    T-Pain vocoders - yawn
    crunk drums and synths - yawn
    lyrics that repeat over and over again 'I cheated, sorry, take me back, I beg you' but actually go nowhere - yawn
    And it's also joined the I'm-Gonna-Have-A-Sample-That's-From-A-Completely-Different-Genre-To-Make-Me-Look-Cool bandwagon.

    Nothing against good sampling (Paper Planes anyone?) but God, Hide and Seek was about the Holocaust, yaknow. It's a bit crass.

    This is lazy, forgettable, and will be off all my mates' iPods in at the latest six months. Just like all the other crap that dominates pop music. It's supposed to be of the moment, but you can't use that as an excuse for the quality.

  • Comment number 4.

    This is as catchy as swine flu though :/

  • Comment number 5.

    MozFoz...

    Now normally I don't bother to blog anywhere...however I thought I'd better just clear something up...

    Although I can see your thinking, Hide & Seek has absolutely nothing to do with the Holocaust. It is a song about the passing away of someone very close to Imogen and her family and the way that persons memory was perceived to be treated by some non-family members.

    As for the rest of your comment, I think I generally agree, it is yet another flash in the pan pop style R&B tune which is ok...quite catchy...doesn't really add anything to society and will definitely be on NOW 269, or whatever number it's up to!

    @BloggingLiam - too true..you know you don't want to catch it, but you know you will!!

    Have fun people...and remember...a song is only as good as the people that listen to it!! :-)

  • Comment number 6.

    "a song is only as good as the people that listen to it".

    What does that even mean? I listen to Wild Beasts and I have watched the X Factor. Does that mean that both Jedward and Wild Beasts are exactly as good as I am? As good as I am at what? Listening? Water Polo?

  • Comment number 7.

    I don't get anything from this song at all, doesn't help that I heard it about twenty times yesterday playing out of kids phones.

  • Comment number 8.

    well it is catchy. Surely any song can be about whatever the person wants, its what people take from it. hide and seek could be about the holocaust, if you see it that way.

    this is a good thing because people will find out this came from imogen heap and start listening to her.

    the 'a song is only as good as the people that listen to it' statement does not make sense.

  • Comment number 9.

    not gonna lie.. even without imogen's help.. the 'when the roof caved in' bit is great..

  • Comment number 10.

    I absolutely love this song and that Imogen Heap sample from Hide And Seek is superb , and the way it is weaved into this song is pure GENIUS !

    5 stars !

  • Comment number 11.

    No.

    It ruins an absolutely amazing song by changing the meaning and piggy backing on the sucess in America of the track. Cheap trick, cheap sample and cheap of Imogen or her label to allow it.

  • Comment number 12.

    Well, in fairness, Liam, I had never listened to Imogen Heap prior to hearing this song. When I heard the song and found out that it used a sample, I wanted to find out how the sample would completely trash Whatcha Say and I was right. Imogen Heap is fantastic and if this song influences people like myself to listen to Hide And Seek then power to Jason Derulo.

    But I think Spirit is having a fit of insanity giving the track 5 stars. Sorry, Spirit! :)

  • Comment number 13.

    I just think this song welds together perfectly with all it's component parts , making a really good pop song .
    Due to my love of this song , it made me investigate Hide And Seek by Imogen Heap , and when I heard the Whatcha Say refrain , the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

    Imogen's track is ethereal bliss .

  • Comment number 14.

    Now listen to the whole of that album please :p

  • Comment number 15.

    @12 .

    Randy , I am a busy man , but if you want me to , I will give you an indepth breakdown as to why , this is a very good song . Even the Big Mac alludes to this in his last paragraph , so I am in highly esteemed company .

    @11 and 14.
    Liam , I know you have referred to Imogen's album as "total eargasm " before , and it is ordered and I am waiting for it's arrival .

    Given that her voice and sample is far and away , the main hook and centrepiece and core of the whole song :

    Does anyone else think it strange , and frankly quite freaky ,that Fraser did a whole review of Whatcha Say by Jason Derulo , WITHOUT ONCE , mentioning Imogen Heap ?

    How is that possible ? :)

  • Comment number 16.

    Jason Derulo's new single Ridin Solo is out on May 31st .

  • Comment number 17.

    I'm glad he's releasing that, his record label wanted him to release 'What If', but in my opinion, 'Ridin' Solo' is much better, despite being a little over-produced in the vocal section. It has previously entered the top 100 three times before, never really peaking anywhere amazing a la 'Telephone', so it should do very well as it's popular but not so much that it stunts it's chart position.

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