Justin Timberlake is back on my radar (on my ray-duh).
This time however, he’s here to try and propel his latest protégé, YouTube sensation Esmée Denters, back into the spotlight once again.
For those who might not remember, Timberlake first signed the Dutch singer onto his label, Tennman Records, back in 2008. After recording with Timberlake and a host of other producers, Denters released her debut album, Outta Here, in Europe during the summer of 2009.
Unfortunately, her debut album didn’t achieve too much traction across the world (aside from her home country, hitting #5 on the charts)–but hey…persistence is a virtue, right? Or something like that.
The track is a light, refreshing electro jam, mercifully free from much of the Timberlake/Timbaland bells and whistles that began to clutter the radio during their 2006 to 2008 reign. (This may mostly have to do with the fact that the track was co-produced by the incredible Stargate.)
The song’s accompanying video, which was just released today, strikes me as an American take on the Cheryl Cole/Will.I.Am collaborations going on overseas right now with the whole pretty singer, annoying producer dynamic going on. It’s cute, simple…I like it, generally.
While I don’t know if this song will lift off in the States (though it ought to), I’m rooting for it nonetheless.
“Love Dealer” is the third single from Outta Here, and will be released on iTunes on May 4. Her debut album will be released later this summer in the US on Interscope Records.