If there's ever a song that can teleport you to a heat-struck, wet dance floor on a summer night, it's "Mesmerised" the glossy new single from up-and-coming London neo-soul voice Worricka in full throttle cahoots with pop rebel Boy George. "Mesmerised" is a feeling of an instant classic monkey magic slithery, celebratory dancing with just the right amount of glitter to tumble out.
The vibe, of course, is there from the jump that inimitable throb of a club anthem steeped in deep soul and jazzy warmth. It's a rhythmically grooving, synth-flecked nod to 80s pop's golden age with traces of Bowie's Let's Dance roiling just below the surface. But this is no retro rehash. "Mesmerised" sounds very now, updated by Worricka's lush, velvety vocals and by the textured production of Craigie Dodds and Juan Luis Ayala. Worricka, that Essex soul singer with an ear for the poetic and surreal, adds an intimacy to the song's telling. "Mesmerised" grabs that perfect, electric moment when eyes meet on the crowded club floor, and time stops for a second. Every vocal run he does is saturated with longing, with curiosity, with that dozens-of-cocktails joy.
Enter Boy George, one of the great voices of any generation, bringing gravitas and a touch of class to this sun-kissed banger. Their chemistry is undeniable, and that's no accident. This partnership has been in the making for 15 years. The two first met through their mutual friend, the drag icon and DJ Lady Lloyd, when a random Instagram message from Worricka during Paris Fashion Week sparked a creative friendship that is finally coming to light here.