Next to Me has quickly become one of my all time favorite songs, and Sande one of my favorite modern artists. Of course, this is coming from me, a vintage snob who spits on anything released following the end of the Cold War. I loathe the direction modern music has taken since the 90s, becoming little more than repetitive, pandering noise with almost no thought or effort put into anything but the hook. And often times, they don't even bother with that.

Rhythm and Blues, or "R&B" as it's now abbreviated, has born the brunt of this. No other genre has seen such a complete 180 degree turn as this one has, going from the upbeat, jazzy, soulful gospel of the good old days to a plodding bore. Autotune (as always) comes in abundance, but talent does not. Make no mistake, there still are good artists out there. There was no genome-altering virus unleashed in '91 that prevented out offspring from being able to sing. The problem is that the record labels have no interest in them. Why bother looking for talent if you can turn any buff manchild or any busty harlot into a star just by putting their face on an album cover they had no part in creating.

Enter Emeli Sande, a modest up-and-comer from Scotland who sets herself apart in two key areas. She can actually write worth a damn... And BOY, can she sing! She is still a way's away from being a superstar, but she has at least made it to the mainstream. Her album, Our Version of Events charted quite well, and her singles don't do too shabbily either. She's been a featured artist on many other tracks, including working with artists such as Professor Green, Kendrick Lamar, and... ugh... David Guetta.

We all make mistakes.

Her most well known song, however, and the one I'm here to talk about, is Next to Me. What is it about this this song that has captured my heart so tightly where no other R&B track could come close? For starters, it's one of them throwback songs that's been so popular recently, but not in the way that most of its contemporaries are. It's not a soulless "me too" like Get Lucky. It's not a trope magnet like Treasure. And it's certainly not a vapid, heartless spit take to the genre's face like Meghan Trainor's entire career seems to be based on. This is a creator-driven production born out of a genuine love for 1960s R&B. Back when it sounded more like this:

But perhaps most peculiarly for a modern throwback, it was created not as an homage the old style, but to stand amongst it. Ever wonder what R&B would sound like today, with postmodern sensibilities and 21st century technology, had it never turned into shite? Next to Me is your answer. Sande's booming, impassioned vocals sit side by side with a lively piano backing and powerful drums, sprinkled amongst various other additions such as wind instruments, a tambourine, a subtle echo effect that actually adds to the melody, and even backup vocalists.

It goes the extra mile and then some to bring back the soul of the 60s, but through masterful mixing and conservative use of modern technology, it plants itself firmly in the 2010s. And that's the best kind of throwback there is. If I wanted a song that really felt like the 60s, most of the time I'd just listen to a song that's actually from the 60s. I assure you, they are in no short supply. Sande doesn't simply point to the decade and unsubtly say "Those were the days, eh" like many others would. She instead learns the important lessons of the era and looks at what made the music so good, and then puts a sober, heartwarming spin on it to make it her own.

Next to Me is the best kind of gospel. It raises you up onto your feet and makes you feel glad to be alive. It not only celebrates life, it screams it. It makes you cry tears of joy at the very same time you're dancing like a raving fool.

But of course, the effect would not be complete without good lyrics, would it now? Writing is tremendously important in a throwback song, because if the theme is wrong, then you have failed critically in understanding the genre. At the same time, you don't want to dumb it down too much, or you're left with little more than a parody that lacks all necessary self-awareness.

This is a trap that far too many throwbacks fall into face-first, but which Sande deftly and skillfully averts. The lyrics in Next to Me relate the story of a woman caught in an ever-worsening situation, going from doubt to depression, to bankruptcy, to abandonment, to the very apocalypse itself, but kept on her feet the whole way by the man she loves and trusts. But what man, specifically? Her boyfriend? Husband? It never specifies. It could actually be her brother, for all we know, because this love song stresses not his good looks or his quality as a lover, but his moral fortitude. The man in this song is a paragon and a gentleman who, no matter how bad things get, will always remember the ones he loves. At the end of every day, when she needs him the most, he can always be found next to her.

Because of this, many have speculated that "Him" actually refers to God, and his own ability to get people through seemingly impossible crises. That's a novel interpretation, but I like to think that it refers to faith in the ones you love in general. Be it your S.O., your siblings, your family, anybody you can count on to help you out when things look their blackest. It's a fucking astonishing message, and an unexpected one in today's angsty, egotistical society. And it fits the uplifting Gospel/R&B style to a T.

In closing, Next to Me is not only a masterpiece of a song in its own right, it's significant for what it represents. As technology improves, art is supposed to improve alongside it. But ever since the 90s, that hasn't been the case. Music plateaued and then eventually turned sharply downhill, even as our recording and editing technology only got more and more advanced. We, as a generation, have been squandering our gift, and the promise of what changing times are supposed to mean.

Next to Me is a fulfillment of that promise. A modern song which is not only good, not only profound, and not only nuanced, but which stands among the best examples of its chosen genre. It is a graceful marriage of technology and artistry.

It is currently my pick for the best song of the decade.