Tag: Sigala

Becky Hill, Sigala – Heaven On My Mind

“I expect a Sigala track to have an element of joy in there”

Tom: I briefly thought Sigala was going to cover a song from Jesus Christ, Superstar. That’s “Heaven On Their Minds”. This is, obviously now, different.

Tim: Yes, yes it is.

Tom: Anyway, Becky Hill’s off the first season of The Voice UK.

Tim: Oh yeah, forgot that about her. Nice how it hasn’t stood in her way, mind.

Tom: And I can’t help feeling this needs a bit more Sigala. To me, he’s always associated with Big Happy Summer Tracks, and this doesn’t quite hit that mark for me.

Tim: Hmm, that’s fair – recently he’s betting getting a bit Galantis-y in his style, and you’re right that this isn’t quite as upbeat as you’d expect from that.

Tom: There’s nothing actually wrong with this; it’s a more-than-competent dance track, and I don’t think it’d empty the floor in a club. But it feels like it’s missing something: I expect a Sigala track to have an element of joy in there, and this just seems like… a regular song. Any ideas why?

Tim: No, actually. And particularly once you’ve got the titular heaven in the lyrics, maybe you’d be right in expecting something higher pitched, with less dark intensity to it. As it is…yeah, doesn’t quite feel right.

Sigala feat. Ella Henderson – We Got Love

“Bit of alright, isn’t it?”

Tim: Around about this time last year he teamed up with Ella Eyre about having just got paid; now he’s on with another Ella chatting about having bills to pay. Sure, why not.

Tim: Bit of alright, isn’t it?

Tom: It’s one of those songs where the lyrics make less and less sense the more you think about them. Ideally, it’d be exciting enough that you don’t really think about the lyrics, but…

Tim: Sure, it’s not a dance floor classic like Easy Love or We Came Here For Love (I’m spotting a theme with the names here), but it’ll absolutely do just fine for an up and about tune in a largely dull November.

Tom: Low expectations: MET. Although to be fair, I did really start to enjoy that last chorus.

Tim: I’d hang around on the dance floor for it, and I doubt I’d be the only one.

Sigala, Becky Hill – Wish You Well

“BREAK OUT THE PINEAPPLES.”

Tim: Remember 2016’s theme of Tropical Fridays? Well, it’s obviously too early to suggest they might be making a comeback, but for now, let’s BREAK OUT THE PINEAPPLES.

Tim: It’d be a good start, no?

Tom: It’s not bad! That “loyalities, insecurities and priorities” line stands out as being a really well crafted lyric: I don’t know the rhythm terms to explain what’s going on there, but it’s certainly catchy. As is most of the song, unexpectedly.

Tim: Admittedly I’ll always have a slightly rose-tinted view of Sigala, partly because he’s from Norwich, much like me, and also because his name is Bruce, which is an astounding name for a 27 year old Brit to have. Even so, I think this is a very good track to come out with.

Tom: You’re not wrong there. I am properly surprised by this: I expected this to be another regression-to-the-mean standard dance track, but there’s something in there that really stands out.

Tim: It’s his first new track since he put out his album last year, and that post-chorus breakdown, whilst being entirely devoid of coconuts, is astonishingly good. It is, in fact, entirely reminiscent of early ’00s dance tracks, and I absolutely love that.

Perhaps it’s a little lazy to immediately assign a ‘yes please’ to a track just because it brings back good feelings of times gone past, but I don’t care. Those are memories of music I loved, and never stopped loving, and it’s fantastic to hear it all over again. Especially when it sounds this damn good.

Sigala feat. Kylie Minogue – What You Waiting For

“You’ve got Kylie, you want to give her the best track you will ever make in your life.”

Tim: Sigala’s debut album was also released last Friday; given the number of singles he’s already released, it contained a grand total of four new tracks. This was one of them.

Tom: And the Kylie collaboration’s an album track? Blimey. Talk about setting expectations high.

Tim: It’s fair to say Sigala’s established himself as one of the top names in summery tropical dance music, and with his first name being Bruce it was only a matter of time until he landed a prolific Australian.

Tom: I didn’t quite facepalm at that line, Tim, but I did scrunch up one side of my face and lower my eyebrows in a kind of a “huh?” gesture.

Tim: You what?

Tom: I didn’t need to write that sentence out, but I’m hoping that anyone reading it would try and imitate that face. Anyway, yeah, this is… well, actually it’s really generic, isn’t it?

Tim: It does, though, seem a bit of a waste. You’ve got Kylie, you want to give her the best track you will ever make in your life – not this, which as Sigala tracks go is entirely average. It’s not bad by any means – but it certainly doesn’t deserve Kylie.

Tom: Album track.

Sigala, Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor feat. French Montana – Just Got Paid

Tom: I remember talking, last week, about a track that sounded like Sigala. Let’s see if Sigala still sounds like Sigala.

Tim: The second time he’s teamed up with Ella Eyre, following last year’s brilliant Came Here For Love, and stylistically…

Tim: …it’s very very similar, and I have no problems with that whatsoever.

Tom: Yep. Although that is, rhythmically, a very odd, offbeat introduction and first verse. Go on, listen to it a couple of times, and then try and sing it exactly in time.

Tim: Hmm..huh, yeah, that is tricky. Both he and Galantis seem happy to share this particular sound, and, as I’ve said so many times before whenever it’s cropped up: I love that sound. Admittedly, this isn’t quite as great as previously: Ella’s vocal grates a little when there’s very little melody to actually sing in her parts of it, and as ever I’d happily take a version without any rapping.

Tom: “When you hear the haan” might be the worst rap middle eight lyric I’ve heard in a long, long time.

Tim: Stylewise, though: it’s still great.

Tom: Not the greatest message in the history of music, but there’s plenty of precedent for it.

Tim: Debut album’s about next Friday, though since 12 of the 16 songs on it having been already released as singles it’s more like an official playlist. Nonetheless, given all this I’m looking forward to the other four.

Sigala & Ella Eyre – I Came Here For Love

“Bruce”

Tim: Last time we came across Bruce (yep), we pointed out that he had basically produced a Galantis song. His latest is slightly different, in that it actually sounds more like classic Galantis than current Galantis does, so I don’t quite know where that leaves us.

Tom: Better than actual Galantis?

Tim: Ermm…not…hmm…oh. Well.

Tim: Actually, the main thing it leaves us with is a bloody good song, and let’s be honest, that’s really all that matters.

Tom: It should be all that matters. I don’t think it’s massively memorable, but I also don’t think that matters for a track like this — it just sounds good.

Tim: It starts out great with that repetitive but very good synth hook; the chorus is an utter joy, both vocally and instrumentally; and the video is colourful, cheerful and joyously infectious with all its dancing.

Tom: There’s also enough interesting stuff going on in the chord progressions and melody that it doesn’t sound like a completely generic dance song. Even at three minutes it does feel a bit long, though.

Tim: I love this track very, very much, genuinely can’t think of anything bad to say about it, and, with no trace of hyperbole, can’t get enough of it.

Sigala & Digital Farm Animals – Only One

“Strong echoes of Galantis”

Tim: Brilliant fact I’ve just discovered: Sigala comes from my wonderful hometown of Norwich (strapline: A Fine City). But anyway, I’d like you to push play on this lyric video, and then close your eyes so you can’t read the words. Just for the first fifteen seconds or so.

Tom: Your garlic sea?

Tim: Actually, I was more wondering exactly where that ultra light beam was staring, but if you don’t hear it then I won’t spoil it for you. But misheard lyrics aside, this is very good, not least because it has strong echoes of Galantis lurking around in there.

Tom: About thirty second in, I forgot this wasn’t Galantis. It feels very much like their style — albeit with a lot of Sigala’s synth patches applied to it.

Tim: In fact, that’s the main reason I like it so much – we’re into the time of the year where we can look back, and I can safely say that Love On Me is at least top five of 2016 for me.

Tom: Mm, that’s not unreasonable. There is a minor trend for these sort of happy, fun tracks, and I’m on board with it.

Tim: Right – this brings out some of the same emotions and feelings, and with very similar instrumentation it’s not hard to see why. But I don’t care that it’s markedly similar – all I want to do is enjoy the song, and I very much do.

Sigala feat. Imani and DJ Fresh – Say You Do

“A pretty damn good followup.”

Tom: Sigala. Not to be confused with Sigma. Previously produced an absolutely brilliant cover of the Jackson 5. This time: paired up with a singer called Imani and the needs-no-introduction DJ Fresh.

Tom: Well, it’s not quite the instant-recognition floor-filler that we’ve had before, but it’s a pretty damn good followup.

Tim: Yeah – it’s certainly got a lovely swaying side to side at my desk chorus to it, which I’m very keen on.

Tom: Same tropical-house style with percussion that’s clearly in DJ Fresh’s style over the top of it. It feels almost routine: but it’s a very, very good routine.

Tim: It is indeed – very enjoyable, and while it might not be quite as good as the debut, it’s more than enough to keep the brand going. BRING ON THE SUMMER, I say, just as snow begins to descend on most of the nation.

Tom: Put this in the middle of a DJ set, and no-one’s going to be unhappy.

Sigala – Easy Love

“It’s unpretentious, it’s simple, and it’s amazingly fun.”

Tom: I know I’m a little late to the party on this one, but it’s still current enough to be getting airplay everywhere. And I absolutely love it.

Tim: Good, because you should.

Tom: This is an amazing remix. It’s unpretentious, it’s simple, and it’s amazingly fun. Remind you of anything?

Tim: A few things, but I’m guessing you’ve got something particular in mind?

Tom: Take the catchy bit from a popular song, speed it up a bit, add some new instrumentation and a strong beat behind it. Heck, if it had someone shouting over it in a German accent, this could almost be Scooter.

Tim: Well…

Tom: Okay, maybe Scooter feat Kygo. Which, incidentally, would be INCREDIBLE too now I think of it.

Tim: Yes. Yes, that’d be a whole of wonderful. Let’s MAKE IT HAPPEN. Somehow. I don’t know.