Lana Del Ray continues her with her lovelorn balladry, Radiohead music left overs are tasty, while Ozuna shows why he is the next big Latin crossover act. <span>Special "fan tracks" are supposed to be </span><span>a time when </span><span>artists cut</span><span> loose and</span><span> have fun. For Lana Del</span><span> Rey, good times apparently mean</span><span> reading Sylvia Plath, a fellow miserabilist. The late author's work is the inspiration and reference</span><span> in this ultra-dark and sparse piano ballad. The stream-of-consciousness lyrics do</span><span> conjure up some interesting imagery, but at nearly six minutes, it is really rather a long, slow and depressing dirge of a song. </span><span> </span> <span>Such is the pedigree of </span><span>UK art-rockers Radiohead</span><span>, that even a rejected song is better than most bands' strongest material. Originally released on the </span><span>vinyl single (remember them?) of their rebuffed James Bond tune </span><span><em>Spectre</em></span><span>, the boys have now </span><span>released the track to streaming services. Recorded as part of the sessions for their minimalist </span><span><em>A Moon Shaped Pool </em></span><span>album, the track's aesthetics are similar, with Thom Yorke's crystalline falsetto billowing a warning to "Keep your distance, then no harm will come".</span> <span>This is a nice little mash-up from the Syrian diva. Nasri, whose vocal dexterity includes singing in various styles from Syrian to Egyptian, sticks to her (successful) comfort zone of Khaleeji pop. Only this time, the heavy percussion associated with the genre is replaced by flamenco and Mediterranean-inspired guitars. </span><span>The star of the show is Nasri's vocals, which, over time, have become slightly thicker and smokier – a good thing, in our opinion. </span><span><em>Lahthat Al Liqa'</em></span><span> works because it allows Nasri to sound fresh and current without sacrificing her signature style.</span> <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/the-sounds-of-2019-nine-musical-artists-to-know-1.809210">Ozuna</a> <span>likes to keep it simple and catchy. Long-winded titles, </span><span>such as the aforementioned song by Lana Del</span><span> Rey, for example, </span><span>are not for him. As a matter of fact, he usually doesn't even like using more than one word</span><span>. After the success of </span><span>previous DJ Snake-collaboration club anthem </span><span><em>Taki Taki</em></span><span>, he returns with </span><span>latest sure-fire hit </span><span><em>Baila, Baila, Baila</em></span><span>. Fortunately, his reggaeton pop tunes are a tad more sophisticated than the title,</span><span> and this proves to be a fun and delightful track tailor-made for a day </span><span>at the beach. </span><span>Ozuna was </span><span>the most-streamed Latin artist on YouTube last year, and this latest release</span><span> is another solid step in his quest to cross over to an international audience.</span> <span>It is pleasing to hear that Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris is continuing the organic production approach explored </span><span>on his </span><span>most recent album, </span><a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/album-review-calvin-harris-s-sun-kissed-new-album-is-standout-1.559239"><em>Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1</em>.</a> <span>His latest track is the soulful house </span><span>of </span><span><em>Giant</em></span><span>, a collaboration with Rag'n'Bone Man. This is Harris in </span><span>more chilled mode; the synths pulse and beats throb, and there </span><span>are also</span><span> pleasant touches of brass, vocal chanting in the background, and strings. It presents an emotional backdrop for Rag'n'Bone Man to let rip with introspective lyrics detailing the strains of substance abuse and forgiveness.</span> <strong>_________________</strong><br/> <strong>Read more:</strong><br/> <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/the-sounds-of-2019-nine-musical-artists-to-know-1.809210"><strong>The sounds of 2019: nine musical artists to know</strong></a><br/> <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/yanni-to-perform-valentine-s-day-concert-at-abu-dhabi-s-du-forum-1.813532"><strong>Yanni to perform Valentine's Day concert at Abu Dhabi's du Forum</strong></a><br/> <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/arab-pop-stars-mohammed-assaf-nawal-al-zoghbi-and-nabil-shuail-to-star-in-sharjah-concerts-1.813224"><strong>Arab pop stars Mohammed Assaf, Nawal Al Zoghbi and Nabil Shuail to star in Sharjah concerts</strong></a><br/> <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/from-momoland-to-george-ezra-uae-concerts-to-look-forward-to-in-2019-1.807833"><strong>From Momoland to George Ezra: UAE concerts to look forward to in 2019</strong></a><br/> <strong><a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/the-most-important-man-in-pop-music-is-someone-you-ve-probably-never-heard-of-1.811719">The most important man in pop music is someone you've probably never heard of</a></strong><br/> _________________