Emmanuel Elone: I’m torn on this one. Alessia Cara definitely has some songwriting chops, but she also tends to toss in unnecessary cliches and tropes whenever she can. “Wild Things” is an ode to the youth, and Cara does some nice spoken word to bookend the song. Still, youthful anthems and pop tunes aimed towards individuality have been done by many generations for at least the last fifty years, and most of those tunes are more original or interesting musically than this. However, Alessia’s voice is tender, and she brings the passion that’s necessary to make a song that speaks for an entire generation. “Wild Things” has its bright spots and its dismal qualities, but I think that my enjoyment for this song narrowly edges out my annoyances with it. [5/10]
Chris Ingalls: As pop singles go, this is pretty standard stuff: dancey, contemporary synths meshing with a percussion-heavy beat, and a pretty singing voice that seems to be lightly dusted with that evil Auto-tune. Not really my bag, and — not to get all ageist on you — Alessia’s 19 years old. Maybe in a few years she’ll sic an OK Computer on us and we’ll all reminisce about her frothy pop days. [5/10]
Pryor Stroud: Notwithstanding her vocal prowess and sophisticated-beyond-her-years lyrical phrasing, Alessia Cara remains a facsimile of many of the other female, pop-R&B singers that have ascended before her. Nonetheless, “Wild Things” is an unimpeachable pure-pop confection that makes no apologies for its thematic straightforwardness. The interlocking vocal effusions of the chorus are lithe, bubbly, and emphatically triumphant — and, just like the song itself, so infectious that a direct-to-the-bloodstream vaccination may be in order. [6/10]
Chad Miller: Seems like a Lorde knockoff, but while Lorde finds success bridging concepts like maturity and youth, there’s a strong lack of the former here. The melody is a little plain in some areas, and the lyrics act like they’re more profound than they really are. [5/10]
SCORE: 5.25