Shura's debut brilliantly showcases her bedroom musicianship through a tapestry of smooth R&B-tinged electronica and '80s stylings.
Shura/ Nothing's Real
For someone who was born in the early '90s, Alexandra Lilah-Denton, known mononymously as Shura, is amazingly adept at crafting the pop sound of the previous decade -- think vintage Janet Jackson, Madonna, Diana Ross and Prince. What's even more impressive is the very fact that she is a self-taught musician, having learned how to use music production software through YouTube tutorial videos. Her 2014 single Touch, along with its introspective synths and breathy vocals, won over bloggers from all corners of the internet. The accompanying video for Touch, which Shura herself directed, has to date racked up over 20 million views -- the kind of virality that even some of today's A-list pop stars are struggling to achieve.
The subsequent singles Just Once, Indecision and the excellent 2Shy further confirmed that the hype surrounding Shura is no fluke. A fusion of gossamer R&B and synth-driven throwback pop, her sonic aesthetic has remained consistent and eventually extended to her long-awaited full-length debut, Nothing's Real. Immediately, instrumental opener (i) sets the tone with a swell of hazy atmospherics, which then segue into the more upbeat title track. "Never thought I'd be stuck in this bed/With a cheap clock ticking above my head," she coos, her voice all coy and coquettish, and reminiscent of the pre-Erotica Madonna. "One for me, one for you, one for them/Oh, what you looking at?"
Keeping the momentum going is What's It Gonna Be?, a vibrant synth-pop jam helmed by Greg Kurstin (a producer who's worked for Adele, Sia). Like most of her previous cuts, the song is about doubts and insecurities that happen when you're having a crush on someone: "Do I tell you I love you or not?/Cause I can't really guess what you want … If you got feelings for me/You just gotta speak honestly." On tender ballad Kidz 'N' Stuff, Shura muses over a love that's gone sour, crooning candidly: "I never thought that we'd break up/Thought we'd get married and have kids 'n' stuff … How can I not be everything that you need?"
The length of each track on this album varies considerably, from anywhere between 45 seconds for (ii) to close to 11 minutes (White Light). However, it's the songs with a standard run-time that prove to be the standouts, such as What Happened to Us?, the funky Make It Up and Tongue Tied, an ultra-smooth R&B number that revisits the introverted theme of 2Shy.
Though heavily influenced by Madonna, Shura doesn't share her flair for outsized extroversion. Rather, Nothing's Real is a collection of subtle, low-key songs that happens to be firmly rooted in the '80s synth-pop template. Intimate, modest and never overconfident, her songwriting is unpretentious and universally relatable; her voice radiating warmth and comfort like a soft, thick blanket on a cold day. This is, arguably, pop music at its most glorious.
THE PLAYLIST
Wonder Girls/ Why So Lonely
The girl group behind K-Pop smash hit Nobody is back with the lead single from their third LP and it's lovingly called Why So Lonely. The reggae-inspired number finds the foursome playing their own instruments (or so we're told) while channelling a "sad-girl" aesthetic. "Baby, why I'm so lonely?/I want you but you don't/Baby, no, I don't know/When I'll turn my back on you," they lament about unrequited romance to the backdrop of a soft, swaying melody. It may not be as readily catchy as Nobody, but it does grow on you after a few listens.
Britney Spears/ Make Me
Well, well, look who's back. It's Britney, ladies and gentlemen. The pop songstress has returned with Make Me, a new single taken from her upcoming ninth studio album. With its slow-burning R&B melody, whispery vocals and G-Eazy's guest appearance, the song marks a whole new approach to a Britney comeback single. "No rules/From the bar to the car, let's take it back to my room/Igniting the heat of the moment/Let the sparks fuse/Blowing up to the ceiling, we're burning bright/When we cross the line," she purrs, effortlessly breaking into a falsetto. Impressive!
James Vincent McMorrow/ Rising Water
Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow has just announced his upcoming third studio album We Move, and here we have a first taste of it called Rising Water. Produced by beat-makers like Nineteen85 (Drake) and Frank Dukes (Kanye West), the song marks a musical shift from McMorrow's usual brand of frosty melancholia with an upbeat melody and uplifting lyrics. "Because you make me feel alive/In spite of rising water/Abandoning my car/About a mile from nowhere," he muses over bouncy synths and a bright drum pattern. Cool and understated, this is a slice of minimal pop we can definitely get behind.
Wild Beasts/ Big Cat
With ANOHNI's Hopelessness, Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool and Blood Orange's Freetown Sound, it's fair to say that this year has seen its fair share of politically charged releases. The latest to join the ranks of disgruntled musicians are UK four-piece Wild Beasts. Lifted from their forthcoming fifth LP, their latest cut Big Cat is all funk and slinkiness with taunting lyrics seemingly aimed at politicians and the 1% of the world ("Big cat, top of the food chain/Big cat, top of the food chain/Big cat on top/Better show me what you've got").
The Pixies/ Um Chagga Lagga
There's something oddly charming about Um Chagga Lagga, the nonsensically titled new single by Boston alt-rock legends the Pixies. Taken from their album Head Carrier, due in September, the song is a heady mix of distorted guitar riffs, roaring drums and unrelenting energy. "Um chagga lagga on the side of the road! Um chagga lagga in the Languedoc!" frontman Black Francis shrieks during the chorus. A classic Pixies track, not to mention a return to form despite the absence of iconic bassist Kim Deal.
