Pop Perspective: Danny L Harle & Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Super Natural” Rated & Reviewed

Mike Wass | August 12, 2016 5:44 pm
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At Idolator, the editors share a passion for high-quality pop. Occasionally, our tastes align. Other times, not so much. So, in the spirit of debate (and online drama), we’ve developed a recurring feature called Pop Perspective. In a nutshell, our editors dissect a particularly noteworthy pop-event, and give it a rating out of 10.

That way you’re getting a full spectrum of views and we can all vent. (It’s cheaper than therapy!) The latest track to be dragged under the Idolator microscope is Danny L Harle and Carly Rae Jepsen’s perky new single “Super Natural.” Is this the perfect PC Music/pop hybrid or a failed experiment? Read our thoughts below.

Robbie Daw — 6/10

Whether you love the output of PC Music or feel like bashing your head against a wall when you hear it, one of its key players, Danny L Harle, has snagged a plum collab with one of pop’s most underrated sweethearts, Carly Rae Jepsen. Thankfully blooping and bleeping “Super Natural” isn’t remotely as horrifying as, say, this or this. But still it doesn’t hold a candle to CRJ’s finer moments on either Kiss or Emotion.

Bottom line: This is some straight-up EDM-Lite with a bit of a human touch (thanks to Jepsen’s vocals), that will no doubt go down as being no more than a curiosity in the singer’s discography.

Rachel Sonis — 7/10

Listening to this, I’d be endlessly intrigued to hear what an entire album of CRJ-PC Music collaborations would sound like. Jepsen’s peppy vocals sound euphoric against Harle’s larger-than-life, techno-pop melody. And though it might seem different from anything she’s ever done, “Super Natural” feels like a natural step forward for crit-pop’s “It Girl.” It’s actually kind of a match made in heaven.

Carl Williott — 8/10

Two albums in, CRJ has mastered the art of making superficially happy love songs sound profound. So naturally, Harle said in this song’s presser that she was his first choice to deliver the lyrics and melody he came up with here.

It’s one of the safer PC Music productions, so if it had been paired with a singer like Charli XCX or Hannah Diamond or something, I’m not sure it would’ve been as effective. It would’ve felt underwhelming. But with the way Jepsen exudes such cheeriness, it’s pap of the highest order.

Mike Wass — 7/10

For me, the gold standard for PC Music/pop collaborations remains Charli XCX’s glorious “Vroom Vroom.” Sophie’s rubbery bloops and bleeps are seamlessly integrated into the Brit’s already-demented pop aesthetic to create something bold and exciting yet familiar. “Super Natural,” on the other hand, sounds like an overcooked Carly Rae Jepson remix. It gets a 7, however, for bucking the infuriating downtempo dance trend.

AVERAGE SCORE: 7/10

What would you rate the song out of 10? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!