Corinne Bailey Rae - Paris Nights/New York Mornings 4/5
iTunes
Arguably Rae's most commercial track off
The Sea, "Paris Nights" is a welcome reminder of why we fell in love with Rae. A healthy dose of sass, velvety-smooth vocals, a little bossa-soul and hooky guitars, make up this pop gem. Refreshing and enjoyable it's a worthy summer single.
Starshell - Superluva 3/5
Myspace
The songwriter behind Kanye's "Love Lockdown," and first female artist signed to Mary J. Blige's imprint, Starshell has high expectations. Her lead off single from her as-yet-titled debut "Superluva" is a sure fire pop hit. All the elements of a summer smash, easy to digest, and just the right amount of mischief to keep you intrigued. The club favourite, doesn't command heads to turn but it does command your hips to move.
Band of Horses - Factory 3.5/5
Official Website
Offering a sleepy number for download on their website. It's swelling strings, and melancholy mood, Band of Horses sing lines like "I was thinking it over by the snack machine/I thought about you and a candy bar," its hard not to hear your own little heart strings swell.
Kelly Rowland - Commander 3.5/5
Leaked
Her lead-off single, finds Rowland collaborating with DJ/producer David Guetta, with whom she scored a hit in 2009 on "When Love Takes Over." This dance/electronica track is a declaration of Rowland's new role as the modern day Donna Summers. It works for and against her, as the song is a cliche and doesn't compare to her previous single with Guetta but the chorus' "Right now I command you to dance," shows Rowland brass and general power to move your ass to the nearest dancefloor.
3OH!3 feat. Ke$ha - My First Kiss 2/5
iTunes
This foot stomping collaboration between two of pop's current "it" kids, 3OH!3 and Ke$ha finds itself as a rather forgetful summer single, to be forgotten five minutes later. A little sass on Ke$ha's part and the boys chant like singing, fail to hit the mark.
