No lie, but Sean Paul's harshest critic almost likes this track.
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I’ve made it no secret that I’m not a Sean Paul fan. His placement on songs often feels bizarre and oddly rushed – as if he’s been crammed in purely to rack up the number of big names on the record or as part of the terms of his record deal. His atrocious contribution to Clean Bandit and Anne-Marie’s otherwise-okay ‘Rockabye‘ somehow manages to turn one of the best tracks of recent times into one of the worst. The executive that decided he should collaborate with Little Mix should be immediately fired. But his new track, on which he actually takes lead credit, is actually not that bad, largely as he’s not just there to arbitrarily yell “DAILY STRUGGLE” and “BIDDABANGBANGBANG.”
‘No Lie,’ released alongside Tory Lanez-bearing ‘Tek Weh Yuh Heart,’ features rising talent Dua Lipa, who is surely one of the best things to come out of 2016. She takes a backseat in the verses, allowing Paul to actually show off his musical qualities (“Exotic, the way you move” is actually a catchy riff) before coming into her own with an eclectic and smooth chorus that actually blends well with the Jamaican flavour. The beat perfectly fits with the harmonies and, although he does still feel the need to randomly interject at points, it feels generally more in place. Yes, it’s not anywhere near as strong as Dua Lipa’s own singles – I can listen to ‘Blow Your Mind (Mwah)’ for hours without getting bored – but perhaps there’s hope for Sean Paul’s comeback yet.
‘No Lie’ is out now via Island Records
