You may not have heard of new reggae pop outfit MAGIC! until this summer, but you’ve known lead singer Nasri Atweh’s catchy lyrics for years.
As the lyricist in production duo The Messengers, Atweh has written hits ranging from Pitbull and Christina Aguilera’s “Feel This Moment” to Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never.”
Given Atweh’s penchant for penning modern-day sing-alongs, it makes sense that the greatest strength of MAGIC!’s debut album “Don’t Kill The Magic” would come from the infectious songwriting.
Lead single “Rude” skyrocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and for good reason: “Rude” tells a relatable story about rejection from a lover’s parent and a couple’s subsequent rebellion through memorable verses and a chorus that stays in the listener’s head for weeks.
Don’t think MAGIC!’s pop sensibilities compromise their reggae inspirations, though.
Sure, the steel drums of “Let Your Hair Down” and off-beat guitar chords of “How Do You Want To Be Remembered” fit the album’s pop aesthetic, but the group’s approach to reggae fusion deftly retains key characteristics of reggae while updating them for modern ears.
Reggae purists will knock MAGIC!, but even they can’t deny the presence of the genre’s signature themes of love and longing.
Some weaker entries weigh the album down, most notably the unfitting faux-punk track “Little Girl Big World.” “Don’t Kill The Magic” never gets philosophical, but that clearly wasn’t MAGIC!’s intention.
The group delivers in creating light pop tunes that never pander nor offend. Its debut LP won’t make the “Best Of” lists but will certainly dominate sales charts for many weeks to come.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 7/31/2014 under the headline "Reggae-pop band MAGIC! debuts album"]
