Cher Lloyd is following in the steps of Kesha... she's all ready for your "Dirty Love." Yesterday (March 30), the British pop sass master/pop star released the third song from her new album Sorry I'm Late, and the track is a sugar rushed ode to those guys who treat you like crap.
Though Lloyd herself is a married woman, she does not want you to call first, or put your clothes on or even treat her particularly well. "I see you walking with a halo / Cover it up, cover it up, my baby," she sings at the very beginning of the song.
From there, she tells her bad boy boo to let out his inner Tarzan, embrace his caveman and play a bunch of games with her head/heart. It's sort of the opposite of what most girls want, but there Lloyd is, championing somewhat mean behavior throughout the whole tune. It's odd and twisted, something Lloyd even acknowledges in the song, but it's what she wants. Guys who call first and are straight up "nice" are boring to her.
OK, then. Whatever works for you, girl.
Differing lyrics aside, "Dirty Love" is a fast-paced sugary pop jam, further differentiating Lloyd from the gritty, hip-hop influenced sound of her debut album Sticks + Stones.
The light beat pulls a bit from the Tarzan and caveman references in the lyrics, adding a bit of a tribal flare through the use of conga drums and other Eastern instrumentation. The pre-chorus begins with a flurry of electronic, zooming percussion, and the verses wind around the beat, as Lloyd races to finish each phrase.
Lyrically and attitude-wise, "Dirty Love" is all Lloyd, though it's clear she's trying to be more accessible to a wider, modern audience. While "Swagger Jagger" and "Want U Back" found fanbases in both the UK and the US for their so-bad-it's-amazing and irritating brand, "Dirty Love" (and the other two songs released from Sorry I'm Late) carry a more pure pop flavor.
It doesn't feel like this music is enough to bring Lloyd fully into the mainstream, particularly in America. It's just different enough not to be wholly generic, but it lacks some of the total personality and funk of her bigger hits to date.
Listen to Cher Lloyd's "Dirty Love" below:
"Dirty Love" is the third song to be released from Lloyd's forthcoming second studio album Sorry I'm Late, following the release of "I Wish" (feat. T.I.) and "Sirens." Sorry I'm Late is set to be released May 27.
