New singles reviews– Frank Ocean, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Justin Timberlake and more

There have been quite a few new singles released from a variety of artists over the past couple of weeks, some pretty bad and others undeniably amazing, and I’m here to tell you about the best and worst. 

Going from worst to best, let’s start off with Paramore – no one should be surprised here. I’ve never been a fan of Hayley Williams’ singing, let alone the rather dull music backing her up. Her voice lacked character, something the guitarist would occasionally make up for, and I paid attention to both while listening to “Now.” Unfortunately, not much has changed since their last album release in 2009 except for heavier guitar strumming and weird high-pitched accents. The lyrics, singing and guitar stay as boring as ever, though. Next, let’s look at Demi Lovato’s “Heart Attack.” Though I haven’t enjoyed any of her music so far, her newest single wasn’t too bad. She keeps her edgy pop style throughout the song, and though the subject matter is pretty typical (a girl putting up defenses, afraid to fall in love), I think she wrote the lyrics in a way that gives more perspective.

Justin Timberlake dropped “Mirrors” recently, which was kind of a disappointment after “Suit and Tie.” The multiplied vocals in the chorus really took away from his iconic pop voice that shone through the verses, and I can’t say much about the lyrics. However, “Suit and Tie” is one that I added to my library immediately. Starting off on a slow R&B style, after a short pause almost a minute into the song, it dives into an uptempo dance beat that incorporates trumpets and dreamlike melodies in a funky pop style similar to that of “Lovestoned.”

Learning more about his beliefs and personality through his awe-inspiring music, I’ve been loving Frank Ocean more and more, along with the rest of the world. It’s no surprise he’s earned two Grammys, especially after listening to “Eyes Like the Sky.” The song starts off acoustic and slowly incorporates drums while Ocean sings about seeing and blindness. When I heard the line, “I said ‘Have you ever seen the mountains?’ He said ‘No but my faith can move those,’” I almost shed a tear. The song is truly beautiful, just like his last single for Django Unchained, “Wise Man.”

I’ve saved the best for last. I’ve been a fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for a couple years now, diving into every song from “It’s Blitz,” “A Fever To Tell” and “Show Your Bones.” Needless to say, as soon as I heard a new single from their upcoming album already dropped, I was all over it. I was overwhelmed just one minute into “Sacrilege.” The Yeah Yeah Yeahs take their sound to a whole different level that is unexpected and simply must be praised. Beginning with a clash of Karen O’s soft vocals and her sassy screaming, the bass that kicks the song off is soon accompanied by a perfect sequence of drumming. Then comes the overt pop sounds that fill in the spaces unoccupied by Karen O’s voice. This is probably the one band that can get away with repetition in almost all their songs and maintain my love for them.