Artist
Olly Murs Feat. Rizzle Kicks
Why we feature this artist Heart Skips a Beat: the rhythm makes room for the interruption Heart Skips a Beat gives Olly Murs a buoyant pop setting with just enough rhythmic looseness for Rizzle Kicks to enter naturally. The 2011 recording moves between a clear…
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- United Kingdom
- Sound
- pop
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The story of Olly Murs Feat. Rizzle Kicks
Why we feature this artist
Heart Skips a Beat: the rhythm makes room for the interruption
Heart Skips a Beat gives Olly Murs a buoyant pop setting with just enough rhythmic looseness for Rizzle Kicks to enter naturally. The 2011 recording moves between a clear sung hook and a more conversational guest passage, keeping the same easy momentum throughout. Its nervous romantic premise sounds cheerful because the beat refuses to become overly serious.
A hook built to be returned to
Murs delivers the melody with a lightness that suits the clipped accompaniment. The short phrases and offbeat movement keep the song active even when the lead is holding a note. It is an arrangement that can suggest a dance without turning the singer into another percussion instrument.
Rizzle Kicks alter the pace of the language rather than replacing the musical setting. Their appearance introduces a sharper, spoken rhythmic shape before the refrain returns. The effect is playful, giving the song a second perspective while preserving the main vocal as its point of reference.
The original 2011 partnership
Sony’s original Heart Skips a Beat EP dates from August 2011 and explicitly credits the duo. The recording became part of Murs’s In Case You Didn’t Know album and reached number one in the UK during the original single campaign. The official video keeps the same featured billing.
The partnership works because the guest section has a definite purpose. It breaks the sequence of sung phrases, adds a different kind of energy and makes the next chorus feel fresh without requiring a dramatic production change. The song is compact enough for the contrast to register immediately, yet relaxed enough for the switch between singing and rap to feel unforced.
Essential releases
Heart Skips a Beat
The original Rizzle Kicks version combines Murs’s buoyant refrain with a guest passage that changes the song’s verbal rhythm.