First the bad news: You cannot convince me that “Happy” isn’t more than just the third incarnation of “Halo”/”Already Gone.” Congratulations, Ryan Tedder–you’re still a one-trick schmuck.
And now for the mostly good: The song is very good–like, very, very good, seven plays in a row and counting good–and will (and should) undoubtedly garner the same international fanfare as “Bleeding Love”–it’s just been done two or three times before. Generally, I’m loving it.
Similarly, the cover art is completely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G (see above). Gorgeous! One of the best single covers of the year, hands down.
