"Smile, the worst is yet to come," Louisiana singer-songwriter Mikky Ekko belts in the hook for his thready new radio-ready single. Despite its pop leanings, "Smile" revels in the defeated and disillusioned; its bridge begins, "Time will eventually knock on my door / And tell me I'm not needed around anymore." Melodic wallowing with a stadium-sized chorus. "Smile" will be featured on Ekko's debut LP Time, due this fall on RCA. The album's producers range from Benny Blanco to Clams Casino. Ekko broke out last year with the heavy "Stay," the Rihanna ballad that earned him a Grammy nom.