Singles Bar | OMR Reviews May 27th

Singles Bar – this week, releases from Rick Ross featuring Usher, Pitbull and The Subways.

The staff of One More Robot magazine throw their critical eye over three of the latest pop single releases…

Rick Ross feat Usher – ‘Touch’n You’
[Maybach Music/Def Jam]
★☆☆☆☆
Taken from Rick Ross’s upcoming album God Forgives, I Don’t, even the great Rozay must seek forgiveness for this sin against pop music. And noone loves Ross and his alpha male growls more than me. The man is a hook monster, frequently roaring down mammoth beats and chanting furious choruses with his mighty baritone. So why he felt the need to drop a syrupy love jam is a mystery. Here, the revolving wheel of interchangeable R&B hook-singers has landed on Usher, who gives a horribly tuneless performance on the hook, while Ross’s larger-than-life raps are reduced to little more than a purr. This kind of stuff can be done really well, but ‘Touch’n You’ is so generic it’s borderline parody. – Dean Van Nguyen

Pitbull – ‘Back in Time’
[Polo Grounds/RCA/Mr. 305]
★★☆☆☆
The lead single from the Men in Black 3 soundtrack, ‘Back In Time’ enlists everyone’s favorite party rapper Pitbull to deliver another infectious summer jam. The beat bounces with irresistibly giddy energy and a soulful fifties sample provides a pleasant chorus. It’s the sonic equivalent of junk food; addictive and instantly gratifying but while sugary food erodes your teeth, Pitbull’s sexual dance floor bravado erodes your mind. His lyrics are as baffling as they are soul destroying. “Give credit where credit is due/Don’t cha know that I don’t give a number two.” If he doesn’t care what people think, why does he demand acknowledgement? Regardless of how disorientating Pitbull’s yammering is, the song performs its task of being a blockbuster track to accompany a blockbuster film. Mission accomplished Pitbull. Mission accomplished. – Jesse Melia

The Subways – ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’
[Cooking Vinyl]
★☆☆☆☆
Perhaps indie music doesn’t lend itself well to the marketing ploy previously known as the ‘single’, but if there has ever been a more generic indie rock song than the latest from British outfit The Subways then I haven’t heard it. That being said, there’s something alluring about a band that can sing ‘”kiss kiss, bang bang” without a shred of irony. If you have ever listened to any British indie rock song, then you’ve already heard this one. – Alex De Petro