Now that’s how you break out onto the scene in 2017. Newcomer Emma Dewing’s “Buttons” passes the “dope test” with the ease and grace of a ballerina (cause she is one). She sounds dangerously confident, her vocals accented by subtle flairs reminiscent of Shakira. Ely Rises’s production is anchored by punchy percussion that either sounds like or is a dusty old drum break from the classic hiphop days. The arrangement as a whole screams pop smash, with a quick tension-filled verse exploding into the uber-catchy chorus, and then doing it all again over slightly more fleshed out production. It feels like a guilty pleasure song AND an actual favorite song at the same time and that’s really tough to pull off.
Her style and image is striking and combined with the clever song, we’ve got something seriously compelling here. Making a great song isn’t enough in 2017 – things move so fast that even truly fantastic art is almost rendered “disposable” by people’s constant thirst for “what’s next.” You’ve got to really penetrate and create a cultural impression, and Emma seems to clearly understand that. There’s obviously no shortage of talented female vocalists releasing music every week, but this is something that truly stands out and makes me want to know more, see more and hear more as soon as possible.
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