13 Dec 2011

Dev & Enrique Iglesias ''Naked'' [Review]

Dev teams up with Enrique Iglesias for a new single "Naked", ahead of the former's debut album, The Night The Sun Came Up, upcoming release on March 27 in the US.

With the success of "In The Dark" and the news that Dev gave birth to a very healthy baby girl this week, details about her new music could hardly be contained. So after a remix of her new single "Naked" hit Soundcloud early last week, the alleged radio edit of the song popped up on file sharing sites on Friday. Dev (along with her producers The Cataracs) confirmed the leak and posted the full song on their Facebook pages last night.

Leaking songs prematurely is not the right thing to do. Artists are often horrified by the idea that unfinished songs are making their way out. In Dev's case though, there's is another side to the argument. Dev is very much a product of the social media generation and she has posted many demos and tracks on YouTube for fans to share. For Dev a good leak can be a strategically calculated move to create a perfect launching pad for her new music.

What has also helped Dev to break out into the pop mainstream over the last 18 months is her appearance on other people's tracks. She has been a featured vocalist on songs by Far East Movement, David Guetta, Martin Solveig, Eric Saade and JLS. "Naked" is different though. It's formulated as a duet and both Dev and Enrique Iglesias are both equally credited.

Muscially, the song continues where "In The Dark" left off. The Cataracs have totally found Dev's sonic sweet spot by turning down the BPMs and creating a sleek and hypnotic club groove that is mighty infectious.

It's the perfect backdrop for Dev's oh-so sexy and sultry performance that dominates "Naked" along with Enrique Iglesias' yearning vocals that amplify the production's summery qualities. It's one of those tracks that the more you hear it, the more you love it. It gets under your skin. In a good way. ("Naked" will be available 12/20 on Indie Pop/Universal Republic)