Today's Other Song: Elle Varner 'I Don't Care'
To piggyback on my earlier praise of contemporary U.K. R&B, here's the new single from the U.S. native responsible for my favorite R&B album of year, Perfectly Imperfect (no really, it's much better than its title). Elle Varner's so far best known for her previous single, "Refill," a bonkers marriage of fiddles and 808s that sounds nice but, depending on how you want to read it, is extremely nasty (I haven't heard semen suggestion — "Can I get a refill?" — come off more innocently since Mariah Carey's "Honey"). "I Don't Care" probably has less classic potential, but it's a lovely, starry eyed ballad propelled by a giant, textured break beat and Talking Book-style keyboard flourishes.
At 23, Varner is already fearless, singing outside of the lines of her own songs and letting her voice go ugly. She sings like she's lived three times as long as she has. If her material is so rich at this point, I can't wait to hear where else her life takes her.