It would be a cold-hearted individual who didn’t feel a little bit sorry for Craig David. The guy went from the ‘Next Big Thing’ to a public laughing stock in the blink of an eye. It looked for a while like the funny-haired garage sensation was going to be forced to spend the rest of his life being mocked with cat-calls of ‘Where’s Kes?’ and ‘Craaaaaaig David’ while working down his local Pizza Hut in Southampton. But fear not, fans of the beanie hat-wearing slicker-than-the-average popster, because he’s back. And blow us if he hasn’t got a hit on his hands.

OK, we admit the main reason this tune’s got us flexing our limbs around the dancefloor is the stupendous David Bowie ‘Let’s Dance’ sample. But hey, if Kanye West is allowed to nick his beats from forgotten ’80s gems, why can’t our Craig? And yes, there is an unfortunate breakdown, where Craig slips in one of his trademark croons that leaves your bum-cheeks clenching for dear life, but if you can sit through that, you’ll find yourself nodding along to what should be his biggest hit since ‘Seven Days’. It’s almost enough to make you forgot about his big plastic face on Bo Selecta . Almost. (AF)

MP3 | Craig David – Hot Stuff

MP3 | Craig David ft. 50 Cent – Hot Stuff (Ayo Technology Remix)