They turn down; what now?
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[5.18]
Iain Mew: This is all about MØ’s personality and her way of giving every line both force and a lingering question mark. Even the ecstatic conclusion is a synthetic parody of her delivery. It would fit right on her album, which is fine by me.
[7]
Juana Giaimo: MØ’s confident and raw vocals are complemented very well with the precise and minimalistic electronics. As result you get a rather sinister atmosphere, which wouldn’t fit at all with such cheesy lyrics — if it weren’t for the rather enigmatic “fire a gun” of the chorus.
[7]
Alfred Soto: “All I need is a body to lean on” I can get with. “Focus/I can fire a gun” — huh? The stutters and chirps are what Britney would have rejected in 2011 for Femme Fatale.
[5]
Jonathan Bradley: DJ Snake’s trademark whir is here resituated as rave exotica, and MØ gropes around it like she’s searching for something she can’t even remember that she can no longer remember even losing.”Do you remember?” is the opening, and she sings as if peering through a veil, trying to make out a past now unrecoverable.
[7]
Katherine St Asaph: For a Diplo and DJ Snake project this is improbably sinuous, even sexy, the sort of mood the dusk hour of music festivals always promises and seldom delivers this well.
[7]
Thomas Inskeep: Well, this is pretty sedate by the standards of both Major Lazer and DJ Snake, innit? For my ears, that makes it an improvement; it’s a song, not just a bunch of over-the-top noises (which are particularly what I find DJ Snake tracks to be). MØ helps, too, by adding an element of musicality in her vocal. Not a standout, not bad either.
[5]
Micha Cavaseno: Is Switch even still in Major Lazer? Remember when this group would make what could now be recognized as proto-EDMish warps of dancehall but like, actually feature Jamaicans? Wouldn’t it be nice to hear Popcaan or Alkaline or a Vybz satellite transmission instead of this anyone and everyone? Did DJ Snake really need to be hired just so Diplo can jack his “Turn Down for What” preset? Think I can ask another question to try to avoid dealing with this humdrum affair?
[2]
David Sheffieck: Stays stuck in second gear, a far cry from DJ Snake’s ever-escalating, ever-dropping best work — even if some of the synths he uses here remain the same, like he’s selected a preset and forgotten how to change it. But the breakdown’s not bad, and MØ remains a compellingly emotive vocalist even when she’s not emoting about anything particularly compelling in itself.
[4]
Patrick St. Michel: Nice enough song, but sorta can’t get over the opening line about walking on the sidewalk. Some metaphors (I think?) just fall spectacularly flat.
[5]
Brad Shoup: Well, this is a rickety bridge. Too busy to enable contemplation, too precious to bang. It’s only when she becomes an alto sax that I find any footing.
[4]
Ramzi Awn: Besides the production on the vocals, the chorus is the main problem with “Lean On.” It’s too bad — it doesn’t sound bad. It just doesn’t sound right.
[4]