Plan B - 'Prayin'
Plan B is a hard man. He wants us all to know this. And if you don't know it, he's going to go to extravagant, sweaty lengths to prove it.
He might sing '60s soul music in a high voice, but in case you may conclude that this makes him a wuss, he does it with maximum, throat-tearing intensity, as if his larynx doesn't wanna do the job, but he's gonna FORCE IT.
He might perform his songs on a stage for everyone to see - just like JLS do - but in case you are under the impression that he NEEDS the approval of an audience, he does it with what the Arctic Monkeys call "the face on" - glowering and furious.
He might wear a suit, but this does not mean he has sold out, to other men in suits - and anyway, his one is tailored to look as if he could rip it off and stuff it into an enemy's windpipe, should the situation arise.
You'd be a fool to mistake him for a banker: he looks like The Accused.
(. It's literally a riot.)
And there's more: He might have created a soul concept album, but in case you think this is a pretentious, bookish, swotty thing to do, he has filled it with street-level details which take in murder, bad love, wild nights out, prison, swearing, and redemption. A bit like that album by the Streets, only without the broken telly (and with more murder).
He might have a song in which a character he has created is praying to God because of the awful things which have befallen him, but in case you think that it is weak that he, Plan B, could ever show that kind of frailty, he's singing as if he is praying HARDER THAN ANYONE HAS EVER PRAYED IN THE HISTORY OF FAITH. Those prayers are like press-ups, maan.
The song may contain more spiralling horns than a tornado in a moose enclosure, but in case you associate brass with parping, cheeky, Mark Ronson indie-remakes, they are massively punchy horns. The kind of horns Joshua would've used to give the walls of Jericho a good seeing-to. MAN HORNS, in other words.
And if all of that sounds awfully tiring, well sometimes it is. But he can take it, and why? Because he's a hard man, Plan B.
So long as we are all aware of this, he don't need NUFFINK, GOTTIT?
Download: Out now
91Èȱ¬ Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
"Another fine example of Plan B's accomplished storytelling ability."
"In the distance, the haters continue to grind their teeth..."
"Obviously praying should be our first resort, our Plan A, rather than plan B or further down the list of priorities."
Comment number 1.
At 12th Jul 2010, spirit wrote:This is a superior soul single with one hell of a hook right in the heart of the chorus .
The voice and orchestration really excel in what is a quite, lavish production , that really allows the vocal melody to truly soar .
Due to the success of top ten singles "Stay Too Long " and "She Said " , the parent album is almost at the double platinum stage .
The release of this radio-friendly , corker of a single will fuel further interest in the album and tip the balance in a positive way.
"Prayin" is already bounding up radio playlists , quicker than an Iniesta half volley into the corner of the Dutch net .
This Plan B single is one EL of a victory !
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Comment number 2.
At 12th Jul 2010, spirit wrote:"More spiralling horns than a tornado in a moose enclosure "
Hilarious , I am still laughing ten minutes after reading it .
5 stars !
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Comment number 3.
At 12th Jul 2010, OddOne wrote:@2 That was a brilliant comparison wasn't it?... I actually laughed!
This song is 5 stras all the way, no-one in the charts right now sings a song with this much emotion in the voice. A truly brilliant single choice and one that will only elevate his break-through fame further.
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Comment number 4.
At 14th Jul 2010, Mak Wai Keung wrote:I think the video are very like the drama.
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Comment number 5.
At 24th Sep 2010, Jehn wrote:This is better than the song..the song is pretty good, but this is hilarious. Maaan.
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