Joker – “Only You” (Singles Going Steady)

Emmanuel Elone: When “Only You” started, I didn’t think that I was going to like it. The rattling hi hats were bland, and it felt like this song would just be another boring trap beat. I couldn’t have been more wrong. An epic horn section (the same ones on Vic Mensa’s “U Mad”) comes in, and then a vocal sample begins to weave its way around the banging production. Neither are gaudy, but both are tasteful, with enough musical twists and turns to make such a large scale trap instrumental flavorful throughout the whole song. However, while it’s good to talk about a song’s elements, “Only You” needs to be listened to in order to understand it fully. It slaps in the best way possible, and is one of the few songs that showcases trap music’s true potential. [9/10]

Chris Ingalls: One giant body slam of a song. The beats in particular are relentless, especially when paired with the divebombing synth chords. The song seems somewhat directionless after a couple of minutes and I kind of wish that more elements were incorporated, but there’s honestly little to complain about here. [7/10]

Pryor Stroud: Injected with towering electro blasts and Timbaland-like synth shivers, “Only You” is a maximalist R&B instrumental track that sounds like it could have fit perfectly on Hudson Mohawke’s last LP. Just before the one-minute mark, the first breakdown hits, and it’s a masterful combination of dynamics, instrumental force, and sheer pop energy. [8/10]

Chad Miller: Sounds like the kind of song you’d hear in an athletic store. It’s a pretty good track though. The big brass sounds nice with the more orchestral sounds. They both compliment the vocals really nicely, even if they’re just two repeated words made from what is probably just a three second sample. In the end, it’s put to good use. [7/10]

SCORE: 7.75