Here’s a question I never thought I’d ask: has anyone reading this ever been brought to actual tears by an N-Dubz song? I don’t mean in a snarky sense, y’know like someone would overdramatically claim that the ‘Dubz are so appalling that it makes them WEEP for the FUTURE OF MANKIND ITSELF.

No, what I’m asking is whether you have ever found yourself misting up while listening to ‘Ouch’ or ‘I Need You’. Genuine misting, OK? Proper actual tears of unadulterated melancholy (or, at a push, ecstatic joy). Anyone?

Well if you haven’t, maybe now is the time to start…

(Here’s the video. Don’t be sad, but I have to tell you that it does not feature N-Dubz, or Bodyrox, to any noticeable degree.)

The early signs are promising. The massive churning string section from Pachelbel’s ‘Canon in D Major’ – or the Farm’s ‘All Together Now’ if you are your own dad – is well recognised as a sure fire tear-jerker. Throw in a few “everything’s gonna be alright” chants, inspired by Bob Marley’s similarly eye-moistening ‘No Woman No Cry’ and we are well on the way to a total blub-fest before we even LOOK at the video.

Normally I’d say the song has to work on its own merits, and you can’t take the video into account, but this is a rare exception. It’s a selection of dance clips from Streetdance 3D, intercut with a slightly mizzy kid in a red tracksuit. So you’ve got effort and skill and spectacle, juxtaposed with insecurity and comfort. A lip-trembling mix, and one which represents the heart of the matter in hand.

And here’s N-Dubz, puffed up with how far they’ve come, proud of everything they’ve achieved and, yes, STILL doing that blessed “nana-naii” because that is their trademark (albeit one which is less useful to the band than the fact that they sound so very much like themselves. Just sayin’). They know they have the strength to get through the bad times, because they have already had to find this out, the hard way. And so long as they’ve got each other to rely on, the way they always have, well there’s nothing they can’t do…

…sorry, just give me a minute. My, er, contact lens has moved out of place or summink…

Download: Out now
CD Released: May 25th
www.ndubz.com
BBC Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)