The Wanted: 'Walks Like Rihanna' - Single review

|  By Lewis Corner  |  

They don't make boybands like they used to. There was a time when the requirements to be a teen pin-up included wearing matching clothing, being drenched in water and pulling out some slickly-choreographed dance moves with plenty of pouting and sly winks to camera. It's an era The Wanted have fun with in their latest music video, but will the accompanying single land its own place in classic pop history?

On paper, a song based around the idea that a female is desirable because she walks like a popular icon sounds dubious at best. "She can't sing/ She can't dance/ But who cares?/ She walks like Rihanna," the band coo over light Euro-flecked guitar riffs and nod-along beats filled with more fluff than a stuffed fairground toy. However, chart guru Dr. Luke's knack for a brain-invading melody means it sticks with you whether you like it or not - and that's what all boyband hits are supposed to do, right?