Labrinth pulls off yet another pristine, passionate endeavour through his latest number ‘No Ordinary.’ The British singer-songwriter has always displayed a knack for taking simple melodies and working wonders with them, and he does so again with this latest feature.

The composition is gentle but magical in its own way, especially when coupled with Labrinth’s soulful, touching voice that seems to hit every feeling in the range. The first verse makes use of light bass instrumentation that is resounding without being overpowering; the vast majority of the focus is on Labrinth's phenomenal vocal range that’s underscored at each and every step of the way. What gives the composition the extra edge is the vocal layering and overlapping that carries us all the way to the chorus. His voice is so powerful that even the moderate notes are charged with an all-consuming force. The lyrics refer to both ‘devotion’ and ‘Holy Ghost,’ hinting to the religious stylings of the melody, though they’re never hammered in. 

Labrinth’s personal faith looms over the composition but is never directly addressed by the singer himself, allowing the song to be interpreted in a wide variety of ways. Another significant creative choice is how the chorus undercuts complexity and is just buoyed by an uncomplicated yet telling refrain of ‘La, La, La.’ And then the dreamy synth machine takes over, and the listener is left stunned by the instrumentation riff that follows. The snaps and clicks that linger in the spaces in between will further immerse the listener into the wonder of the song. 

But the listener has to hold on until the end to process the different types of instruments and rhythms that chime in throughout the verses. By the end, Labyrinth finds another level of his vocal range and just belts out those high notes with so much passion that it nearly spills over and out of the song, but the musical journey is still intact and the experience is immensely profound. 

‘No Ordinary’ is part of Microsoft’s launch of Xbox series X and S, so fans will be pumped to have such a tremendously upbeat and promising song leading up to their adventure. 

Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.