But what do we push for a second album?
Claire Davidson: Tyla’s delivery here immediately reminds me of Rihanna, as she blends an effervescent confidence with unfailing demands for her partner to provide a sexual intensity that can match hers. (The prevalence of car metaphors in this song doesn’t hurt, either.) Yet the instrumentation of “Push 2 Start” is ill-equipped to provide that spark; the percussive groove does well in accentuating Tyla’s charisma, but by never using that dutiful patter to foster tension or cultivate a more dynamic scope, the song lacks the smolder that Tyla’s lyrics bring to mind.
[6]
Mark Sinker: I think it’s nice that we keep coming back to sex as a kind of car.
[8]
Kayla Beardslee: I’ve tried to ignore the Tyla-Rihanna comparisons for the most part (they seem a bit reductive, considering the difference in their cultural influences), but this is pure Rihanna. And I’m not just saying that because I thought the hook was an “S&M”-core “I like you hurt me” for months, instead of the much more sensible lyrics they actually are… whoops. “Push 2 Start” is basic as far as Tyla tracks go, with a short runtime, less complex negotiation between amapiano, pop, and dance than songs like “Water” or “Breathe Me,” and little of her signature breathy vocals. Breezing through straightforward hooks, it just needs to do enough to get you shaking your ass, and certainly succeeds.
[8]
Leah Isobel: Everything in “Push 2 Start” is percussive as fuck: the morse-code guitar figure, Tyla’s approach to the vowel as simply a bridge to the consonant, the way the stacks of drum and 808 bass render the song a nearly endless procession of air columns boosting up into each hook. Mechanically flawless.
[8]
Katherine St. Asaph: Tyla’s debut was good but not inimitable — she didn’t invent amapiano, nor did she position herself as a singular figure within it. “Push 2 Start” is more imitable still, crossing further into pop-R&B — which is nevertheless a crossover worth having.
[7]
Jel Bugle: More perfectly fine modern easy listening. Very much has the vibe of a third or fourth single from an album, diminishing returns setting in.
[6]
Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Tyla’s self-titled album was one of the best pop debuts in recent memory — a perfectly compact 40-minute system of hooks, each song capturing a slightly different facet of her skillset as a vocalist and songwriter while holding to the same amapiano-tinged, internationalist R&B. “Push 2 Start,” awkwardly placed at the start of the album’s deluxe edition, is more of the same, but slightly lazier. There’s nothing as thrilling as “No. 1” or “Truth or Dare,” let alone “Water”; the hooks are less sharp, and the track as a whole suffers from a certain shagginess. (Getting post-post-prime Sean Paul on the remix also reveals a lack of faith in the song.) Yet even mediocre Tyla is still worthy my time — from a lesser artist this would be a highlight.
[7]
Ian Mathers: It’s not at all a slight on Tyla or this version of the song to note that, after I’ve heard the version with Sean Paul on it, this one feels like it’s missing a little something. Still very good! But he just fits in so well.
[7]
Melody Esme: Strikes me as less essential than my favorite songs off her debut, but I feel like I could listen to her sing anything and be happy. What a voice. (The Sean Paul remix is also fun for what it is, even though his vocals are mixed noticeably louder than hers, for some reason.)
[7]
Nortey Dowuona: I think the balance you need to strike on a next single should be between 11 or five writers. “ART” had five folks (Ari PenSmith, Mocha Bands and Believve, alongside Tyla and producer Sammy SoSo) and is slick, bouncy and bright. Everyone’s idea is given space, shape and a place in the song: a perfect follow-up for a massive smash single. Joining that pitch perfect team are Jack LoMastro; partner in crime Rayo; SJO; Olmo Zucca, who tagged Rayo into this one; and of course this Maroon 5 atrocity. Now, are you seeing through all these songs where this one is going wrong?
[4]
Alfred Soto: The grace with which Tyla’s tracks begin slow then swell to a multi-tracked chorus beguiles me: an ephemeral sense of community, swaying like young trees to the delicacy of the beats.
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