• Remarkable vocal by XYLØ
• Minimal (in a negative way)
• Forgettable, but with some potential for a rework
I carefully avoid ranting about EDM artists creating pop, but “Sometimes” has something that both impressed and disappointed me, so I would like to spend some time reviewing it. Summer is coming, and many biggies are starting to release poppish tunes, trying to conquer the ambitious prize of “Summer hit 2019”. Nicky Romero is participating with his new collab with DallasK (what a comeback… I guess?) and the alternative pop singer XYLØ, already heard in “Setting Fires” by The Chainsmokers.
So “The Chainsmokers“, a duo that is already somewhat predictable when it comes to making pop… Imagine a copy of their style. XYLØ’s vocal is delicate, vibrant, with evident passion: a vocal that I’m genuinely enjoying. What triggers me is the laziness of the base, which presents embarrassing minimalism in its structure (basic percussions and a calm lead left alone doing all the job) with the fantastic surprise consisting of unnecessary vocal chops in the riff.
It’s like throwing a fish in a barrel, those songs are made for secure Spotify revenues and for climbing up the charts, but it’s a shame that such a beautiful vocal by XYLØ has been wasted in this way. I was hoping that DallasK, a talented artist who despite his “softened” dark electro house style would keep a particular personality, but I didn’t hear that in this production. Nicky Romero, unfortunately, is not new to these unnecessary pop hits.
However, I have the feeling that “Sometimes” will receive a “festival” treatment by the Protocol boss or, why not, by DallasK. It happened with the Taio Cruz collaboration, “Me On You“, so I might reevaluate my feelings towards “Sometimes”. There is a good vocal, a rather catchy melody, and an “empty” atmosphere to fill up…
At the moment, this production is a big, wasted, chance. I am waiting for the rework, Nicky.
What do you think?
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