A-Lister

Pop is enjoying quite the eccentric era at the moment, and if you listen to any of the underground’s brightest young stars, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Take A-Lister for instance; a compelling songwriter and artist who has been steadily on the ascent for about three years now, A-Lister’s new single/video combo in “Groove-A” doesn’t follow any aesthetical trend other than the public’s basic need for smooth beats and killer harmonies. Structurally derived from equal elements of melodic hip-hop and alternative pop, “Groove-A” is hardly easy to categorize, but it’s definitely an easy song to get hooked on.

There’s not as much bass in the backend of the mix as I would have preferred here given the size of the percussion in the grander scheme of things, but I suppose I can understand the concept A-Lister was trying to employ. In leaving a little bit of space in the picture, we do get some negative juxtaposition for the vocal that definitely spotlights just how charismatic a delivery he has despite the otherwise rigid backdrop he’s working with. It’s quite different than what the status quo might have called for, but then again, that’s half the appeal with an artist like this one. It’s definitely difficult for me to feel good about calling “Groove-A” an outright pop single, mostly because it feels far too creative and rebelliously experimental for what the term has come to represent for a lot of fans and critics the same.

Commerciality undeniably plays no part in the punch of the hook here, and I don’t hear any obvious (or vague) allusions to other tracks already scaling the charts in 2020. It’s an honest swing coupled with genuine swagger from A-Lister, thus resulting in the kind of treat most pop music aficionados can’t get enough of. A-Lister is admittedly as indie as they come in this business, but I really like his dedication to staying as original as he can in this single and its fun music video. “Groove-A” has all the right pieces one would count on finding in a solid FM hit, but literally none of the cosmetic foundations that usually come standard for something specifically geared towards a radio-friendly audience.

The best artists have always been those who didn’t care much for the conventions in their medium, and it is in this regard that A-Lister just might be part of their elite club without even trying to join it. 

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Trace Whittaker

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

9/2020