Manika, ‘Just Can’t Let You Go’ – Song Review

17-year-old newcomer Manika 'Just Can't Let You Go' on the summery pop tune that serves as her debut single.

Musically, the song is almost too busy, blending elements of surfpop, synth-pop and hip-hop -- and that's just the first 30 seconds.

The track opens with an a cappella harmony section, but before that can develop into anything interesting, vibrant synths take over, only to be quickly replaced by a verse from Young Money rapper Lil Twist.

With a voice that sounds somewhere between Miley Cyrus and Rebecca Black, Manika sings about being unable to say goodbye:

"Wish I could make you stay / How can I let you off so easy / Please believe me, it's not that simple / How can I let you up and leave me / Well I just can't let you go / I just can't let you go."

Lil Twist returns for another verse later, which seems like overkill, although we can understand the logic behind a brand new artist wanting to feature someone like Twist, to lend the song a bit of credibility.

'Just Can't Let You Go' is not a particularly memorable tune, but given Manika's A-list team, we're sure this isn't the last we'll hear from her. She has significant industry support, having been discovered by Frank DiLeo, Michael Jackson's manager, and she's also working with the King of Pop's choreographer, Travis Payne, as she prepares for a short nationwide tour of malls starting in late July.

Listen to Manika, 'Just Can't Let You Go'