Today's Pick

Loick Essien has revealed the video to his new upbeat love song "Me Without You," which will serve as the fourth release from the London singer's forthcoming debut album, "Identity," is currently slated for a March 5, 2012 release. Following on from the summer success of his No.2 club hit "How We Roll," the 21-year-old returns to the charts with another winner track and it shows that the young artist isn't scared to show his vulnerable side with a raw and emotional ballad insight into love and heartache.
Having co-written this emotive track which is mixed and produced by Mike Spencer, "Me Without You," is a proper blub-fest about breaking up with someone who you still want to be with, and trying to go on without them. "There's nothing worse than ending a relationship with someone you don't want to break up with," says the daredevil. "This song is about trying to rebuild your life when it feels like you can't go on without them. Everyone has felt like that at some point and it's something we can all relate to."
In the current pop climate, it takes balls bigger than a prizewinning pumpkin to steer of the ubiquitous lowest common denomiguetta club sound that has pop pinned to the wall by its throat, and on the basis of his second single we can conclude that Essien does indeed, metaphorically, have a sizable scrotum. "Me Without You" sounds current, of course, but there's a lightness of touch in the production that lets the song itself breathe. Which is all rather splendid. It should also be noted that "Me Without You" concerns one of our favorite pop topics: the nonstop blubbathon stage of a collapsed relationship.
That was sad enough. Then we saw the new video for it and it seems that Essien thinks being completely heartbroken makes him immune to getting run over. From one promising UK act to another, Essien has yet again delivered a single that sounds nothing like its predecessor. Undeniably mesmerizing, the voice re-establishes his abilities, and exactly why the R&B singer was nominated for a MOBO. "Me Without You" is an amazing Pop R&B song. It is a really beautiful and heartfelt, sad, breakup song. It has a cool, harder, almost-rock-type beat with smooth vocals on top. I'm really impressed with this singer's voice. He's got talent.