Look no further for analysis on three of the biggest singles released in the past week. Coldplay gave us another taste of its buzz-surrounded fifth album, Drake supplied his fans with a filler track and Wilco let us know it’s still working hard.
**“Paradise” — Coldplay (3.5/5)**
After Chris Martin and Co. dropped “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” back in the early summer, it sounded as if its upcoming album, _Mylo Xyloto_, due out Oct. 24, would have a distinct dance feel to it. It was certainly a bit of a departure from the band’s typical laid back pop rock. “Paradise” finds the band tuned back down a little bit. Though not as wired, the new single does have its own flavor, venturing into a chorus very similar to a OneRepublic hook.
Fans of the group should appreciate the song, and non-fans who listen to pop radio will have no choice but to be subjected to the track nonstop for the next couple months or so. Coupled with the first single, “Paradise” gives me a good feeling that _Mylo Xyloto_ will at least have good cuts despite the terrible title.
**“Club Paradise” — Drake (2/5)**
The title of Drake’s new single suggests the Canadian rapper wrote a song about a nice hideaway for him and his homies a la 2Pac in “Thugz Mansion.” The reality is there’s no plot, no catchy beat and, per usual for a Drake song, a terrible hook. The lyrics are about how his life isn’t that great, how the women he loved have left him, etc. It’s hard to feel bad for a guy whose biggest problem is knowing “them strippers by their real names.”
I will give him props for attempting an extremely laid-back track with little signs of any percussion, but this is pure album filler. The album in question is “Take Care,” which is slated for release Oct. 24 on the Young Money label. Drake has big shoes to fill, as label king Lil Wayne’s “The Carter IV” recently hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts with 964,000 units sold in its first week.
**“Born Alone” — Wilco (3/5)**
Though Wilco’s second single in anticipation of new album “The Whole Love,” due out Sept. 27, starts off with pop promise akin to gems like “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’s” “Heavy Metal Drummer” and “Jesus Etc.,” frontman Jeff Tweedy pulls in the reigns when the chorus comes around. Instead of a big time hook that sits like an elephant in the booth, the band opts for a simple guitar lick.
Of course, that’s just fine. The guys in Wilco have accomplished enough in their careers to warrant doing whatever the hell they want, and this is a pretty straight-up number, pleasing to the ear but not earth-shaking good. Look for a review of “The Whole Love” in MOVE two weeks from now.