Single Review: Girls Aloud's "The Promise"

I'm a sucker for anything from Girls Aloud.

It was the only reason why I would sit through an hour and a half's of BBC Radio 1's Switch online, waiting impatiently for the UK pop group's new single "The Promise". On hand to introduce the track was my second fav (after Cheryl) Nadine, who described the song as a "progression" from their #9 hit "Can't Speak French".

The results?

This is definitely unexpected. Utterly unexpected. I was expecting something along the lines of "Sexy! No No No" or "Something Kinda Oooh", so this sound is definitely a jolt. Not a bad one, though.

The song has a serious 60s vibe; it sounds similar to a Tom Jones song and its structured like a track from one of music's golden eras. Sorry to the fans who were expecting a storming dance track (like the aforementioned); Nadine wasn't lying. The song will not make you pull out the dancing shoes. It's one of their more mellow efforts, something we don't see often. Honestly, its not the easiest song to catch on quickly with, but I definitely give them credit for expanding their musical horizons. In fact, the jarring difference makes it all the more intriguing. The 60s sound is definitely in (a la Duffy, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Mark Ronson, even the Sugababes), but this sounds nothing like it at all. Gotta give it to Xenomania; they make sure their GA songs sound nothing like anyone else

They all sound amazing in the chorus, but I've got a bit of gripe. Who made the decision to allow Sarah to sing lead? Seriously, what? I get Nadine does it all the time, but what about Cheryl? Or Kimberly? Or Nicola? I just don't get choosing her, since she is the weakest vocalist out of all of them (sorry Sarah fans). She sounds okay, but I think one of the other girls could've done it more justice.

This song is definitely a grower of a single, but it shouldn't stop the girls from continuing with their amazing top 10 single streak. If anything, the girls should be lauded for their increasing musical depth. It's something you wouldn't expect from a girl group from a reality show. Then again, they've gone on for 6 years, so maybe we should.


Rating: 7/10