Mika: 'Rain'

When Mika excitedly burst into the public consciousness two years ago, it was nigh on impossible to avoid his piercing falsetto and over-exuberant personality. His debut album Life In Cartoon Motion shifted over six million copies worldwide, with some even heralding him as the new Freddie Mercury, but for others he was nothing more than a nauseating annoyance hogging the airwaves.

Those unconvinced that much had changed when Mika returned with 'We Are Golden' this summer should be pleasantly surprised by 'Rain', the second single from his Boy Who Knew Too Much album. The shrieking has been reined in, the nursery rhyme hooks have been ditched and instead we're treated to a concoction of shimmering synths, layered vocals and throbbing, clubby beats. As it builds towards a crescendo that's both intriguingly dark and glitteringly magical, Mika proves he's perfectly capable of channelling his hyperactivity in the right direction. Here's hoping for more of this in the future.


> Click here to read our review of Mika's album