AJ Tracey and Mabel have shared their location with you…
[Video]
[6.00]
Scott Mildenhall: You Londoners and your fancy compass-point postcodes. Having those letters all SEWN up may well engender complacency, because AJ Tracey doesn’t seem to see fit to veer too far from “Ladbroke Grove”, a road that itself extends all the way to W11. Credit to Mabel for a hook that sounds archival, albeit no more enduring than the fumes on which Tracey is running.
[6]
Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: So obviously a re-do of “Ladbroke Grove” that it’s kind of impressive — AJ Tracey knows that he’s at his best when he is slotted in between a chopped up R&B singer hook and garage revival production. It’s a wash overall — Mabel still hasn’t sung a note that hasn’t sounded derivative of a more talented vocalist, but Take a Daytrip make excellent work of the beat, repurposing the ice cream truck arpeggios they used on “Mo Bamba” to give “West Ten” downward momentum on the hook. Tracey himself has improved as a rapper, bobbing and weaving between the clattering chaos of the beat — he’s in his element, and sometimes repetition is worth it.
[7]
Thomas Inskeep: I am 100% here for a UKG revival, esp. with Mabel singing choruses and AJ Tracey sounding like a lost member of So Solid Crew.
[7]
Wayne Weizhen Zhang: At the risk of sounding like I’m being intentionally difficult, “West Ten” is an interesting listen for me because of my prior conceptions of the two artists involved. That is, I’ve always liked AJ Tracey’s rapping but simply thought he’s been attached to subpar songs; and I’ve never liked Mabel, but always though her music has been at least decently produced. “West Ten” slots perfectly in the middle of these two opinions: AJ Tracey’s verses are decent but his hooks are banal, and Mabel sounds as dull as ever, but over a nice beat.
[4]
Brad Shoup: A duet with overlay: I like that, as a rule. When they intersect, the track finds a couple higher gears, especially paired with that raindrop motif, parceled out three notes at a time.
[7]
Alfred Soto: Why do they collaborate — because they realized they had little to say by themselves?
[5]
Katherine St Asaph: Are there Mabel stans? I remember in 2009 being baffled at how critics found Rihanna blank or personalityless, especially after Rated R. Are there people reading the same thing about Mabel and being equally confused? Maybe they could tell me the way into “West Ten,” on which both she and AJ Tracey are perfectly genial and competent, and forgotten within seconds.
[6]