Song of the week:
Ina Wroldsen — 'Strongest'
It's the wroldest trick in the book: write some songs for other people, launch a solo career of your own. Ina's more than paid her dues though — having made her name as the sixth Saturday, Ina's since become one of pop's most prolific songwriters, with recent credits including Calvin Harris, Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie and Jess Glynne. In the past we've also written about her duo Ask Embla but with a new major solo deal things are now properly kicking off for Ina as a solo artist, and 'Strongest' is her opening shot. It feels instantly familiar — sonically it's not a million miles away from at least two recent hits — but the song covers unusual lyrical ground and her voice is bursting with personality.
Wrong of the week:
Sam Smith — 'Burning'
In case you're wondering that's an 'r' and an 'n'.
Additional notes:
- The Sound Of Arrows' new album is extremely special.
- Pitbull and Fifth Harmony's 'Por Favor' is, in many ways, classic Pitbull: within the first 17 seconds he's called himself Mr Worldwide, declared that Fifth Harmony are sexy, rhymed 'TLC' with, er, 'TLC', and used the phrase "if you know what I mean" in relation to a presumed double entendre (but actually no, we do not know what he means).
- We didn't include the new Stereophonics song in this week's playlist, sorry if you've come here looking for that.
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