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Musical Chairs

Close ft. Tove Lo by Nick Jonas

Recommended by Bella K.

"I was never a big Jonas fan but actually really enjoy this song."

I never got into the Jonas Brothers, but I've loved Nick's resurgence. I'm also deeply invested in DNCE with Joe, so I guess we could say I've become a big Jonas fan.

On this track, Nick provides excellent vocals over a smooth R&B beat. That falsetto <3

The overall sound is really cool just from the use of a couple unexpected instruments that add some extra flavor. Steel drums feature prominently, and there's definitely another unusual hollow-sounding percussive instrument that I can't quite identify.

Speaking of added flavor, Nick Jonas brought in the Swedish artist Tove Lo to sing with him on this track, and it works incredibly well. Adding a second voice amplifies the message, because now suddenly there's a palpable tension between these two personas who are afraid to get close but who are here singing a duet together. Yikes.

And it's not just any second voice. It's Tove Lo, sounding fly as ever.

Finally, I love the general flow of the lyrics in the verses. Whenever there's a mouthful of words that come so quickly that you have to practice a couple times before you tackle a song in karaoke, I call it a win.

Overview:

Genre:
Pop / R&B

Favorite Lyrics:
'Cause space was just a word made up by someone who's afraid to get too close.

Verdict:
oh damn, oh damn, oh damn...I'm locked in.