Matt Cardle - It's Only Love (7th Heaven Radio Edit)

"You don't have to fall, lean on me"

Not only is this an absolute revelation, but it's also the single biggest musical surprise of the year. I severely disliked Matt Cardle on series 7 of X-Factor UK, where he came in first over acts like One Direction, Cher Lloyd and Rebecca Ferguson. I wasn't alone in this dislike, as Cardle's winner's album died a quick death on the charts while all three runners up have been amongst the most successful acts ever to come out of the series. Even though I never cared for Cardle's perceived bad attitude or complete lack of presence, what I could at least admire were his vocals. Now, with this remix of his new single, those vocals have finally been put to brilliant, downright soul-stirring use. This track sounds exactly like I wish the Delays still sounded (and would fit in quite nicely on their 2006 album, You See Colours). Cardle simply has the voice for dance music. It's powerful, androgynous and textured. I'd count this as being in the top five singles to come out of that year of X-Factor, and that's saying something considering he was one of my least favorite contestants of the series. Drop your preconceptions and listen.



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