Chart Review: 01st Mar 2024
Making sense of a nation’s musical tastes
Not a large clutch of brand new material this week, but two of the three top 40 debutants are among the best of the week. The pick of the bunch is SZA’s “Saturn”, a surprise release from last week that has reached (15) and is simply a cut or two above anything else on the charts. It’s beautifully produced, shimmering R&B that unfolds in a dreamy fashion. The attention to detail in the delicate keys, the warmth of the bass, the gently unfurling structure - it’s an excellent track that makes me excited for her forthcoming new album. I liked 2022’s SOS but didn’t return to it - perhaps I will now.
At (29) is “Kitchen Stove”, the first single by Croydon rapper Pozer. There’s precious little information about the guy online, but evidently this was a much-anticipated track, presumably built via the usual modern methods. Not that I had to wait personally, but it was worth it - this is great street rap delivered with feeling and a lack of posturing. The beat is minimalist and woozy - it’s got a bit of Angelo Badalamenti about it, actually, which adds to the haunting, chilly vibe.
Distinctly less interesting is Central Cee’s latest, “I Will” (18). It’s hard to see exactly what he’s going for here - he spits without a great deal of energy over some boring acoustic guitar loop, with lyrical content that’s half positive vibes and affirmations and half sex rap. I’ve heard a bit of Cee’s music before quite liked it; this isn’t a terrible song by any means, I just don’t think it really works.
I’m watching with trepidation the steady rise of Good Neighbours’ “Home” (26), another entry in the Sincere Indie Boys genre. This is a rare mixture of twee and boisterous, an annoying whistling intro and booming synth bass. There’s precious little going on with this one, which touches down somewhere between 6 Music indie and Imagine Dragons stadium rock on a budget. It’s also continuing the trend of singers insisting on singing as loud as they possibly can and hoping for the best.
I didn’t note it last week but I was struck again by how surprisingly much I like Zara Larsson & David Guetta’s “On My Love” (28). Guetta gets a lot of stick and I’ve certainly seen him do some pretty cringe stuff; I have no idea what he, specifically, is bringing to the table on this track. Her voice is great, though, powerful but totally controlled. There’s not a whole lot to it but I like the chord progressions and the timeless nature of this kind of Europop.
The scene at the top remains much the same, though Djo (Steve from Stranger Things) has climbed six spots to (5). I’m not warming to this one per se but I do think it’s got a bit going for it, especially as far as music from an actor goes. It’s the middle 8 that really throws me out of it when he starts shouting. The moody, retro verses are cool.
I’m happy to see Teddy Swims replacing the dreaded Benson Boone at (2) - lack of originality aside, “Lose Control” has a lot of warmth to it, and I find Teddy himself pretty endearing after hearing him on an interview talk about his past as the singer in a metal band. Beyonce, though, snags the top spot once again and rightly so. There’s some big stuff coming from the likes of Charli XCX in the upcoming week so I’d be surprised to see “Texas Hold ‘Em” do the threepeat. It’s a worthy (1) for the time being, though.
Pick of the week: SZA - “Saturn”
