Single Review: Youngman - 'Who Knows' - Released 29th January
Youngman
London singer Youngman has announced the release of his new single ‘Who Knows’. It’s a blend of underground club loops and beats mixed with a mainstream pop vibe. Youngman (Simon Smith) is a relatively new talent on the vocal scene, and ‘Who Knows’ is the second offering from his album ‘Me & My Music’ which is set for release this year.
He has some big names backing him, being described as “The future of pop” by Annie Mac (Radio 1) and the “next in line” by Zane Lowe (Radio 1) it is likely he has a bright future ahead of him.
But what of the track itself? It’s a laid back chilled-out club style anthem, with a repeating vocal loop that has been pitch-shifted up to give it that high chipmunk-style voice. The main vocals themselves are auto tuned within an inch of their life (think Cher’s ‘Believe’). Personally I’m not a fan of overdoing the vocal effects, they can sound amazing if used to make an impression here and there, but sticking them on for an entire track can just become plain annoying. I think this choice in production will divide listeners, people will either love it or hate it.
There is not much development in terms of vocals or music, it’s very much a non-changer throughout and failed to blow me away given its rave reviews. From what I gather though, Youngman is well-liked in the industry for his more modest attitude and love of his musical style. That alone, gains my respect, and while I can’t see this clogging up my iPod the question that remains is ‘Does it make a good club anthem?’ with which the answer has to be ‘Yes’…
Review by Melissa Phillips
Review by Melissa Phillips
