Single Review: Mark Ronson – ‘I Can’t Lose’ (feat. Keyone Starr)
2 min read
Get up out of your seats ladies and gentlemen because Mark Ronson is back in the house and he has once again brought the funk. I Can’t Lose is the fourth single to be released off Uptown Special and it follows in the same vein in those that came before it through its contagious groove that is sure to get you moving.
Although the album features some huge names like Stevie Wonder and Kevin Parker, Keyone Starr, who features on this tune, was until now an unknown talent. In the search for a young Chaka Khan, Ronson and co-producer Jeff Bhasker drove through Mississippi, checking out church choirs and other musical venues until they came across the young Ms. Starr at Mississippi State University. Through her upbeat soulful voice that strains into a raspy howl at all the right moments, she sounds more than at home alongside the platinum selling vocalists.
This track is pretty synth heavy; the groove is largely produced by the interplay between a fluid bass-like synth line and a relatively straight drum beat. Aside from this, the instrumentation consists of spontaneous flourishes on the synth and intermittent bursts from a tight horn section, including a brief warbling trumpet solo. This combination gives the song a nostalgic character that connects it to the rest of the album. When everything’s flowing together, you’ll most probably be singing “Aw yeah! Alright!” along with Keyone Starr in appreciation of this, the latest punchy single from Uptown Special.
