Weekly Singles Review: Cheryl Cole, Magic! & Neon Jungle

  After a relatively quiet twelve months, 2014 has been a bit hectic in the world of Cheryl Cole. First there was the surprise return to 'The X-Factor,' then there was the even more surprising secret marriage to her French boyfriend and now there's the release of her aptly-titled first new track in nearly two years. You can usually rely on the new Mrs. Fernandez-Versini to produce a killer lead single but sadly 'Crazy Stupid Love' falls far short of the standard set by 'Fight For This Love,' 'Promise This' and 'Call My Name.' In fact, it's all a bit of a mess. The beats are clunky, the melody is entirely forgettable, while it's hard to determine what's more awful - the highly annoying saxophone hook or guest rapper Tine Tempah's use of the word 'dickmatised.' 

Magic! - 'Rude'
Cole's biggest threat for the number one spot this week arrives in the unlikely shape of a Canadian reggae fusion band fronted by the man who's penned tracks for the likes of Justin Bieber, The Wanted and erm, Michael Bolton. Hitmaker Nasri and his Magic! bandmates have already reached No.2 in the US with this laid-back tale of heartbreak, which like Bruno Mars' 'Locked Out Of Heaven,' channels The Police at their chart-conquering peak. But as perfectly pleasant as 'Rude' is, there's little too get too excited about and it's hard to see why it's become potential number one material at all. 

Neon Jungle - 'Louder'
After three bursts of speaker-blasting EDM pop, Britain's hottest new girlband change tact for the fourth single from their forthcoming debut album. The emphatic beats and sky-scraping melodies of 'Louder' is a solid attempt at the epic power ballad which allows the quintet to showcase their impressive vocal abilities. But by venturing into the kind of territory occupied by the likes of Little Mix and The Saturdays, they perhaps run the risk of losing their unique selling point. 

La Roux - 'Uptight Downtown'
Five years after spearheading the nu-synth movement, La Roux finally return one member down and with a funkier tropical disco sound for their long-awaited second album, 'Trouble In Paradise.' Teaser track 'Let Me Down Gently' was undoubtedly more majestic, but the Nile Rodgers-esque 'Uptight Downtown' is still an enjoyably slinky affair which proves that Elly Jackson can cut it on her own.
Charli XCX - 'Boom Clap'
Charli XCX has had a hand in two of the biggest global hits of the past twelve months, Icona Pop's 'I Love It' and Iggy Azalea's 'Fancy,' but her own self-described 'Tumblr-pop' sound has still yet to catch on outside the confines of the blogosphere. Taken from the soundtrack to 'The Fault In Our Stars,' the explosive new wave pop of 'Boom Clap' thankfully now looks like giving her mainstream breakthrough she deserves.
Jon is a music and film obsessive from Wigan. His current favourite acts are Haim, AlunaGeorge, London Grammar, Disclosure and Jessie Ware. He has tried but he still doesn't really get the fuss about 'Blurred Lines' or 'I Love It.'