2015 was a triumphant year for broken-hearted balladry; with contemporary music saturated by lover-scorned, kiss-off anthems that appealed globally to the masses. A cost of this, however, is that these refrains have gradually become so indistinctive and boringly similar that the raw emotion and relatability of the artist’s experience was lost.
Enter LOOP,
a fiery and defiant singer-songwriter whose debut single, 'Love Bites', breathes
much needed life back into a desperately worn out subject matter. “You think
you’d have the courtesy to come with a warning” the South London singer croons,
calling out a manipulative ex-lover over what is best described as spacey
electro-pop pulses, with subtle tinges of R&B. Airy, skeletal beats swell
and refract in the background, perfectly complementing LOOP’s uniquely raw and
bruised vocal performance throughout the duration of track. “It’s a song about
power”, the singer recently revealed, “about a man who has a complete disregard
for the women he encounters and uses, deceiving them to get what he wants then
leaving them broken and wanting – this is his means of control.”
Whilst this
may sound like something you’ve heard a million times before; LOOP’s approach feels
so refreshingly interesting and convincing that you find yourself unaware of
its potential comparators. In doing so, LOOP has overcome the major failings of
many of her contemporaries, establishing a winning formula through which the desired
emotion she wishes to express oozes effortlessly from her music. The listener is
captivated immediately, and their attention is held until the track’s message
has been appropriately conveyed.
Comparable to Banks’ 'Goddess' and Beyoncé's self-titled 2013 release, 'Love Bites' is a fearless and charismatic debut single from an artist already carving her place into alternative pop music.
Comparable to Banks’ 'Goddess' and Beyoncé's self-titled 2013 release, 'Love Bites' is a fearless and charismatic debut single from an artist already carving her place into alternative pop music.
