TRACK OF THE WEEK

Liam Payne & Rita Ora
For You

Liam Payne has found himself on a good song for the first time since Steal My Girl, although why he’s got top billing above Rita “Thanklessly-Doing-All-The-Work-Only-For-A-Man-To-Get-All-The-Credit-As-Usual” Ora on this tempestuous Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack cut is baffling, given he does one verse and Ora does the rest. For You is sweeping, surprising, romantic and brilliant; nothing like the film, then.

Justin Timberlake
Filthy

Justin Timberlake is back, and that long read about sex robots he bookmarked six months ago has really stayed with him. Despite an early teaser video that was basically a folksy advert for beard oil, Filthy is a funk clatter with a video featuring a Timberlake-controlled robot grinding on a bunch of women. A crushing great rock riff tries to play nice with the dumpy post-dubstep of the verses while the “future pop production” sort of works in a way that the sheer cringe of Timberlake’s lyrics don’t at all; he shoots for “daddy” but lands at “daaa-aaaad”.

Bruno Mars & Cardi B
Finesse

This extremely 90s new jack swing remix of 24K Magic’s penultimate song is so much fun you might as well hire yourself a bouncy castle for the weekend, stick Finesse on repeat and have done. This could be the moment your mum learns about Cardi B, given that she makes it through without any swears, and any wedding DJ worth their salt will have this on rotation from here on in.

Public Access TV
Lost in the Game

Sort of like what the Strokes might have sounded like if the Strokes ever lightened up, Public Access TV have somehow managed to merge a brassy gameshow backing track with a relentless cowbell and the hookiest hook in the history of hooks without making me want to stab pencils into my ears. Nice one.

Kendrick Lamar ft SZA
All the Stars

Kendrick Lamar is very good and SZA is very good so why does All the Stars fall so flat? Written for the upcoming Black Panther film, the various elements of a good song are here but they seem to have been sanded down until all the edges are smooth and there’s nothing particularly interesting or memorable about it. Chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, then they all went home for tea.