“She can’t sing, she can’t dance/But who cares, she walks like Rihanna!” So goes the chorus of the Wanted’s new single, “Walks Like Rihanna,” which name-checks the pop superstar and offers some big, dumb pop fun.
The track, which premiered on Capital FM on Monday morning (Apr. 29), is less dance-oriented than the Wanted’s recent singles “Glad You Came,” “Chasing The Sun” and “I Found You,” instead opting to utilize a standard guitar line to support the deliciously cheesy lyrics. “She’ll be the girl of your dreams… if you can close your eyes,” goes a typical line, harkening back to the days in which O-Town were asking for a girl who’s a mix of Destiny Child, just a little touch of Madonna’s wild style, with Janet Jackson’s smile.
The Wanted: 2013 Album Preview
“Walks Like Rihanna” is the latest offering from the Wanted’s debut U.S. full-length, which follows last year’s self-titled EP and is still searching for a firm release date. The Wanted released “I Found You” as a lead single to the album last year, and while the quintet performed the song at the American Music Awards last November, the track has only sold 223,000 copies, compared to 3.6 million downloads for their Top 5 hit “Glad You Came,” according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old member Nathan Sykes is currently recuperating following surgery to remove a hemorrhage on his vocal cords earlier this month. Sykes did record “Walks Like Rihanna” with his Wanted mates before the procedure.