cal-metacritic

[cal-metacritic]

Pitchfork - Lorde - Summer of Our Lives

It has not been a particularly long time since the original release of Magic Hour, but Lorde’s vast and loyal fanbase has certainly proven that they’re here for anything and everything she does, and I have no doubt that this extended version of her first self-owned album will be no exception.

It is clear that in the two years since Magic Hour’s original release that Lorde’s headspace hasn’t left that album just yet, even with her release of both an original EP and the first of her rerecorded albums in that time. The six new tracks fit quite well along with the original album, so much so that you might find it hard to believe that they hadn’t been there all along. 

It’s not necessarily seamless - certain songs may have slightly weaker songwriting and a trend towards repetitiveness in the hooks, but this was also arguably true of the least of the tracks from Magic Hour’s original release, but slightly is the operative word here: some simply do not measure up to the album’s finest, but Bottle Blonde (the first of the new tracks) is the only one that is particularly thin. Each following song may even be better than the last.

We’ll be looking out for Lorde’s next release, and perhaps to the jealousy of less well-fed fanbases, we anticipate that it won’t be a long wait.

82/100.

[cal-metacritic]

Paste Magazine - Lorde - Summer of Our Lives

Lorde

Magic Hour: Summer of Our Lives Edition

94/100

‘Magic Hour’ represented yet another titanic shift in the career of Lorde. 

Coming off of an album like ‘Scarlet’, it was a bold and almost unprecedented move to release a follow up so quickly, but also have said follow up be so drastically different than what came before it that you couldn’t really believe they came from the same artist. Gone were the synths and electronic tinged madness, and in came the more rock oriented, guitar heavy, real bad vibe that Lorde has worked hard at refining ever since. 

In some ways, one could say ‘Magic Hour’ set the stage for Lorde’s career moving forward. After all, her surprise EP release last year as well as the first of her re-recorded records are somewhat molded in its image, even if they moved into different genres and directions. The style she established on the record has been the style she’s stayed within (lyrics straight out of poetry, complex emotional storytelling, and huge thematic ambition) and she’s been all the more successful for it. So, it comes as no surprise really that she has returned to where it all began. 

‘Magic Hour: Summer of Our Lives’ is not really a deluxe edition of the original album. That already happened. 

What it actually is is an epilogue, a second wind, a proper conclusion, and a look back on the start of a journey from what that journey has currently taken you. And that is really what makes this so special. 

These songs don’t feel tacked on or superfluous. They’re right at home with the tracks that preceded them, so much so that you’d be hard pressed to say they weren’t on the original tracklist. Lorde managed to add an entire EPs worth of music onto the album and not have one single note feel out of place or redundant, and that is a testament to her skill. 

But one could really and truly say that as much as these tracks are at home, they’re even better as well. 

Lorde’s pen has gotten sharper, her ideas have gotten grander, and her commitment to pushing well beyond what’s expected has gotten more ferocious. In some ways, she seems to treat these songs like a challenge to prove her vitality, and she more than rose to meet it. These songs are simply gorgeous, written in such a way that it feels like not her lived experiences, but the listener’s. The stories they tell are universal coming of age tales, and likely experiences every listener has had some run in with. Lorde is there to narrate our stories, not her own, and it gives these tracks a sense of personal intimacy that seems almost impossible when you think about it. 

Production wise this is another pitch perfect showing for Lorde as well. Despite its winter release, this is such a bright and colorful and warm sounding record. She has mastered this genre shift and honestly it feels like sometimes she’s just flexing her mastery to anyone and everyone who may be wishing to challenge it or replicate it. 

And that’s just it, in the end. This is a reminder that nobody can replicate her. This victory lap, completing what many consider to be her greatest work, is an allowance to experience one of the greatest artists we have working at the top of her powers and firing on all cylinders. Lorde has changed things, not least of all her own career, and she seems intent on continuing to refine what she has brought to the table. These songs are exemplary and a template that no doubt many up and comers will be keen to follow. 

In Lorde we trust.

[cal-metacritic]

Variety - Shawn Mendes - everyday lives

Though not exactly known for his consistency from project to project, it would be difficult to accuse Shawn Mendes of not at least giving his considerable fanbase quantity even when quality was debated. At two years, the release of this EP marks the end of Mendes’ longest gap yet between releases – a fairly meager gap that fans of certain artists would likely envy.

It’s been made clear from this EP’s release that it was a remnant of an album that will never be, and though you may be inclined to assume that the songs that ultimately saw the light of day (or at least the glare of digital, as this EP is not scheduled to have any physical release) would feel of a lower effort or distinctly bring to mind Mendes’ inability to kill his darlings and not release somewhere between 25% to 50% of a version of his fifth studio album not to be, but somewhat surprisingly, this isn’t the case.

Vaguely evoking Mazzy Star at its most melancholic, ‘the everyday lives of ordinary people’ maintains thematic connections throughout all five of its tracks. All represent a significant change in circumstance, whether that means inevitable loss or intentional retreat. However, that far from means the album is without its optimism. Every track ends on a more positive note than it began with, and the strong storytelling in the lyrics makes me wonder if perhaps the reason this project only saw life as an EP is the emotional, potentially draining nature of the work that Mendes clearly put into it.

Fans will undoubtedly be curious to hear whatever Shawn Mendes will put out as his true fifth album, but after hearing this EP, I can’t help but wonder if abandoning his original concepts may have been a mistake.

81/100.

[cal-metacritic]

The Guardian - Selena Gomez - grace

Selena Gomez

grace

70/100

The question of where exactly Selena Gomez was going to go with her solo career was on everyone’s mind when it was announced that she was to join the ranks of one of the industry’s most populous and successful labels. With peers such as Christina Aguilera at arm’s length, there’s no doubt that she was standing among a huge pool of talent that could very well lead her down any road. 

We got a taste of this with the release of the ‘Temporary Thrills’ EP, but Selena also made it clear that we shouldn’t get too used to where she was settled in there as her sights were looking toward something bigger. That something bigger has arrived in the form of ‘grace’, the singer’s first proper solo studio album. ‘grace’ has been given one of the most detailed and elaborate roll outs of any recent studio album and has positioned the album to become something of an almost unqualified success given how far off the radar Selena had fallen in the years following the silence of Strawberry Blonde, but it isn’t hard to see why the album has resonated with the general public. 

‘grace’ is an easy, uncomplicated listen which comes as both a strength and a bit of a hidden weakness. Let’s discuss the strength of it first. 

As a strength, it’s very easy to get lost in the album and have a good time with it. The songs are easy to sing along to, the melodies are catchy, and there’s no sense of a rush to it that forces you to exert a lot of energy to get what you need to out of it. It’s the kind of album you can put on in the car, go for a drive, and not grow bored of. 

Selena has created some beautiful melodies and with the assistance of her cast of producers, slick and well polished productions sit behind them. These are songs that are tailor made to be at home on top 40 stations of playlists on Encore and get stuck in your ears well after they quit playing. Coming from an artist who was more associated with some denser material in the past, it’s impressive to see how effortlessly Selena managed to switch over into the super mainstream pop persona she’s carrying now.

Where this is a bit of a detriment though is that what gets sacrificed in the easiness is some of the artistry. 

This album is presented as something rather grandiose. The visuals are striking and artistic, and the album’s structure is divided in such a way that indicates a rich storyline woven through the album’s runtime. The problem is the actual content is not reflective of this. 

Narratively, well, there’s not much to speak about. The thematic acts don’t serve much of a purpose when the songs within seem totally disconnected from them at times. For example, the song “good news” is found in the chapter titled The Forgiveness despite the song itself being rather bitter and not at all about the idea of forgiveness or healing. Indeed, across the album certain songs feel removed from the thematic section they’re positioned in which raises the question of whether or not these sections were needed at all. 

It also has to be said that the album doesn’t really have the ambition to say anything interesting with the formula it’s using. This is a pretty standard break up tinged album and while there’s a place for that, the way the album was sold and designed made it seem as if there was more to it than there in reality is. And this gets especially confusing when the visuals themselves are so striking and complex and the music accompanying them is anything but. 

That isn’t to say all albums have to be complex, deep, or rich in thematic material, but for there to be such a disconnect between the visuals and the music within suggests a vision that was perhaps unclear even to it’s creator. At times the album does feel lived in and thought over--such as the ending of the record’s final song being a mirror image to it’s first song’s opening lyrics--but other times it feels frustratingly rushed and unconsidered as if it wasn’t finished until it was nearly time to release. 

It’s hard to really be mad with the album. After all, you’re not going to leave it saying it’s a waste of your time or really even bad, because it isn’t. There’s more than a few good songs here. But what the album can be called is disappointing. It seems to try to be something it isn’t at times and it can leave the overall experience with a feeling of disconnect that perhaps Selena intended but perhaps didn’t. 

There’s lots of room for Selena to grow moving forward here, and if she can take the elements that did work here and amplify them, her next record may turn into the bulletproof win that this one had the potential to be. As it stands, we’re left currently with an album that’s well made and nice to listen to, but perhaps isn’t quite more than the sum of its best individual parts.

[cal-metacritic]

Variety - Selena Gomez - Grace

Selena chose to divide this album into five distinct segments, along with a two-song epilogue. Unsurprisingly, this results in an uneven feeling – even within the segments themselves.

It starts off feeling lowkey and surprisingly bleak, though not inappropriately so, but as with the perspective Selena has embraced, things start to kick up more at the third and final song of the beginning segment. However, as The Love transitions into upbeatedness, it almost does so with a feeling of whiplash, but yet again, it doesn’t necessarily feel wrong -  clever lyrics on the segment’s beginning track of denial keep it smart, and the next’s keep it steering in the right direction. 

The Heartbreak starts with the tone one would expect from the segment title, but the latter two tracks change track entirely, enough that I regard this segment as the easy highlight and the most consistent piece of the album, even with the wildly different productions from 1 and 2 & 3’s far more energetic vibe, which continues in good news – likely my favorite singular track of the album, and arguably a better fit with the previous two songs rather than the following two in its segment The Forgiveness, leaving one to wonder if not categorizing the album into bits might’ve served Selena better than her chosen approach.

The Rise gladly does not fall, though at certain times, and not solely in this segment, it feels like Selena would prefer to have written the great American novel rather than make a pop album. Concept albums are not new by any means, yet her ambitions to weave in backsliding character development from the singer’s perspective can feel a bit lofty compared to the final result. This is most evident in the unnecessary feeling epilogue – though this finale is not without certain highlights largely thanking to the production.

One is curious if the other half of Strawberry’s Blonde duo will now attempt to begin a solo career. Emma Roberts, who is thanked in the album’s lining – if one thinks pessimistically, perhaps to quell any rumors of a falling out between the two – has been entirely quiet since the duo’s split. If Emma does, she will start with competition, though a friendly variety as Selena would have fans believe.

79/100.

[cal-metacritic]

The Guardian - #fRIHdays (Rihanna)

Rihanna

#fRIHdays

70/100

Rihanna’s career has seen many highs and many lows, but currently it’s sort of in a state of flux. 

Under (relatively) new management, Rihanna has mostly escaped from the confines of her own legacy for better or for worse. While Neo will always be a watershed moment for music culture of the 2010s, consistently Rihanna has fallen short of reaching those same heights. Her follow up EP, ‘Mariposa Negra’, almost derailed her train completely, and it was a long while before we heard a peep from her again. Her return came in the form of a weekly release project that for an as yet still unexplained reason stopped midway through. 

To some, it looked like the end. 

For Rihanna, it was simply a slight pause. 

It seems as if she has no real interest in finishing the roll out of singles as originally intended. Now, she’s instead decided to release what was left of the #fRIHdays experiment on it’s own standalone EP of the same name. Released with little in the way of warning, the four track project sort of completes the journey that she began, at least to the point where she’s free to look forward to her proper comeback album. 

The EP is a fascinating look into the process of making an album. Per her own words, these songs for one reason or another didn’t survive the sessions, so this essentially functions as a preview of what an album could’ve looked like at one time or another. The thing about it is though, it seems as if they were pulled from very different interactions of the project. Across these four tracks we’re presented with four different tones and some surprisingly varied production work. You get some of your R&B, you get some of your synthy pop, and a lot in between. 

But by the sheer nature of that--and by the circumstances of existence--you do leave this EP feeling as if you’ve not really gained much ground. There’s nothing in the way of forward momentum, nothing in the way of structure. It is for all intents and purposes just kind of four songs, and as such this isn’t an overly satisfying listening experience. That isn’t to say a package--be it EP or album--must have some sort of consistent storyline or theme, that isn’t what we wish to imply. It is instead that part of the experience of a project is enjoying a vision. By the nature of where these songs come from, there really isn’t one. 

That isn’t due to laziness or lack of ability on Rihanna’s part, it’s simply the unavoidable byproduct of how this project came together. 

Taking the songs on an individual basis however, one can be more complimentary. 

The songs themselves range from good to really great, even with the weight of having to occupy the same space as each other. ‘Dark Red’ is the easy standout of the whole thing, both production wise and lyrically, and screams to get a music video treatment at some point before Rihanna moves on. The proper single, ‘Like That (Uhh)’ is a great track as well and while lesser than ‘Dark Red’, easy to see why it was selected as the candidate to represent the project. 

The production work on the project, courtesy of a fairly wide spread of names, is all in all quite solid. Only the opening track leaves something to be desired, perhaps being a little too devoid of elements for it’s own good. 

Lyrically, Rihanna demonstrates her mindset of sorts here. She isn’t reaching to be the next great poet of our time with these songs, but you can see in each her attempt at a different sort of songwriting style. This is perhaps the most fascinating element of the whole thing. It’s as if each track is an exercise of sorts, allowing her to dabble in different tones and structures. It hints toward sessions awash with creative energy, and points to good things to come. 

All in all, this release is a bit complex to really judge on it’s own. Four solid tracks are present here, all four sort of pushed forward by their own individual merits, but held back by their proximity to each other. The unavoidable pratfall of this EP’s origin keeps it from ascending to the heights Rihanna maybe will be able to get to on her album. It may leave something to be desired as a meal, but the ingredients themselves are of good quality. 

If nothing else, it sets the stage for something grander to come, and that in and of itself makes this a worthy stepping stone to that moment.

[cal-metacritic]

NME - #fRIHdays (Rihana)

71/100

Though her legacy was cemented long ago, some had wondered if Rihanna had decided to close the book on her own story. In doing so, she arguably wouldn’t have ended things with the bang that everyone expected, but recently, she proved that this would not be the case – at least not yet.

Time will tell if Rihanna has truly made a comeback or merely a return, but as of the moment, things seem promising. Her decision to stop the roll-out of singles and instead drop them as this EP is questionable – in many ways, they don’t seem particularly related and the original plan to release them as standalone pieces likely would’ve served her better, and though this intention remains obvious, they manage not to seem entirely ill-fitting presented together. 

Some of this is owed to the EP’s title, a remnant of the initial plan to release the songs on Friday each week, allowing a loose concept to somewhat unify them. The production on the beginning track may be a bit simplistic, but to a certain extent the lyrics made it work, creating an unbothered, breezy feeling. The opposite is true of JEALOUSY – while the backing vocals allow for an earworm, the main lyrics seem too much like a first draft and overly reliant on rhyming the same words together.

Things kick up in the latter half of the EP, with both tracks showcasing a more complete feeling. Dark Red harkens back the most to Rihanna’s golden age, showing the most potential for a return to form, although exactly how much of that lightning in a bottle it recaptures is debatable – it’s more than a glimpse, yet not quite the triumphant comeback you get the flashes it could’ve been. This may have been why Rihanna chose to hasten its release, though settling for less than perfection may not exactly be uncharacteristic of her at this point in time.

Like That (Uhh) also seems like an attempt to recapture Rihanna’s glory days – and that nostalgic bait is also to be found in its early 2000s-esque parenthesized title. The lyrics seem more than a bit inconsistent, enough that I find myself wondering which of the credited writers are responsible, but the production is smooth, and its lyrical highs are enough to mostly bring things home. 

It’s enough to keep your attention for the moment, depending on how much inherit excitement there is for more Rihanna no matter what, but one wonders if her release schedules will see the same vicissitudes as this last-minute EP did.

[cal-metacritic]

Pitchfork - the moment everything changed

Sabrina Carpenter

the moment everything changed

80/100

From humble beginnings, Sabrina Carpenter has risen to become one of the biggest stars in the world today. The third most followed and listened to artist in the industry, her power has grown to exceed what any and all could’ve predicted for her, but that rise has all the same been beautiful to watch. In an era where these sorts of mega stars didn’t seem to be coming along to stand with the old-ish guard, she rose head and shoulders above so many new artists to become an icon. 

There was however much riding on this, her third album.

Her debut album was released to critical acclaim and commercial success, but the follow up--while seeing a substantial increase in commercial reception--was notably more muted in it’s critical response. ‘Repressed Memories’ was generally well received, but few could walk away without noting that it perhaps needed more time to gestate and grow as it could’ve and maybe should’ve been a little better. Enter a period of downtime for Sabrina, the first of her career really, where this new and expansive record came from. 

‘the moment everything changed’ really represents the first true evolution for Sabrina. Following the release of two stand alone EPs that were comprised of songs that originated in these sessions but didn’t find their way to the album, it became evident that Sabrina wasn’t looking to do a slightly more polished remake of her debut album like she had the second time around. No, this time she was aiming to display what all of her growth had done to her as an artist. 

This is unmistakably the album of a much more mature individual both in a professional and personal sense. Stepping away from the more radio friendly, almost teen-pop in vibe style that populated the first two albums, this album sees Sabrina digging into a more indie influenced soundscape and writing from the point of view of someone who’s done a lot of growing up. 

Sonically the album was guided by a list of hot commodity producers, but it manages to remain quite consistent. This is an album that is drenched in the feeling of sunset and the first tastes of night. It’s light and breezy, coming with a little bit of chill that bites at the tendrils of warmth that radiate from it. It’s a fairly pure indie-pop record, not unlike what some of Sabrina’s close friends such as Shawn Mendes looked to do (to much more mixed results) on his previous record. Despite the popularity of this sound though, the album never feels like a pastiche. 

And that really comes down to Sabrina’s songwriting. 

The lyricism of this record is by far the greatest thing about it. Not every bit of production is a winner, and not every melody is an ear-worm, but there isn’t a single song on this album that isn’t beautifully written. Carpenter doesn’t just wear indie like a costume, she uses the genre’s conventions--namely intimate and story based writing--to her advantage. This is an album that’s so full of specific personal references that it almost feels like a conversation with a friend. It’s very lived in, representative of a real life and real experiences rather than made up scenarios. Every word she sings here she means, and it’s not difficult to see why. These tracks are clearly culled from specific memories, specific feelings, bits of life lived that we weren’t privy to but were made to understand. 

That lyricism is by far what keeps the album from losing some of it’s value in it’s weaker moments. 

This isn’t a perfect collection of songs, especially as we near the end where songs start to become just good instead of great. Nothing dips into territory of a song not worth listening to, but the first half of the album is decidedly stronger than the second. The back half doesn’t derail anything and indeed those songs are perfectly fun to listen to, but they don’t leave the same lasting impression that some of the ones up front do with some notable exceptions.

(Though this review doesn’t take into account the barrage of bonus tracks made available on other additions, it should be noted that those additional songs also fit that bill. The standard fifteen track album gets the job done just fine, retaining the best the album has to offer and as such being the definitive version despite being the shortest one.)

All that to say though that this is her best work. It’s hard to even really compare it to her first two albums because while those feel like two sides of the same coin, this album stands strong alone. It’s new territory for her, and it trod quite well at that. She feels at home in this space and it led to an album that leaves a surprising emotional impact. You really feel this album and are allowed to exist within it as if the life lived in the lyrics is your own. 

Imperfect as it is, it’s a wonderful leap forward for Sabrina and is perhaps the first time we’ve gotten to see really and truly where all of her success has come from. While most of us have appreciated her so far, this album is the perfect way to view her through the same eyes her massive fanbase does. It’s not hard to see why they’re so devoted to her when she has given us an album that’s as endearing as this one. 

Top Tracks: the last night, queen street, berry, midnight memories isolate, in my heart (for worse or for better)

[cal-metacritic]

Sputnikmusic - Can't Stand the Sight of Myself

Poppy

Can’t Stand the Sight of Myself

92/100

Poppy has quietly been one of the most interesting artists working in music for a little while now. Despite a lack of prominence in the news cycle and a rather low profile within the cultural zeitgeist, she has managed to create bodies of work that’ve found themselves shoulder to shoulder with some of the most ground shifting albums released in the last few years. Her recent but notable nomination for Album of the Year with the acclaimed predecessor to her new album set a new precedent for Poppy, and the question was raised within the underground music scene whether or not she’d rise to the challenge of seeing that precedent met. 

Truthfully, it’s hard to argue that she didn’t achieve exactly that and then some. 

Her new album ‘Can’t Stand the Sight of Myself’ is another huge step forward for the versatile and talented young artist. While her previous record was a more blatantly metal influenced piece, this album is a patchwork of different rock and metal subgenres. It touches upon shoegaze, acoustic indie rock, dark rock, and everything in between. While on paper such a mish-mash of styles could spell disaster, in practice this instead propels this album to insane heights. 

Make no mistake, this is a dark and at times twisted album that speaks so candidly about horrific things. Thematically, it’s tinged with death, but spiritually it’s vital and fresh and alive. 

Alongside noted producer Terry Date, this album dives deep into dark places. Addiction, abuse, death, depression, self-hatred, and violence are all on the table here and not a single one of those topics is handled with delicacy. This is a blunt album that is intent upon smashing itself right into you, not giving you a moment to breathe or step away from the strings it unravels. It’s visceral, and it’s so incredibly real. At no point does this album feel like edgelord content. This is something meaningful to Poppy, be it an expression of her rage or her sorrow or anything else within that spectrum. 

The songwriting on the album is simply sublime. Poppy’s lyrics have always occupied a different space than many artists, but this album really shines a light on her poetry. She paints such stark and vivid pictures within this record, and it allows you to feel so much of the same things that you imagine she felt as she was making these songs come to life. 

Her poetry is backed by wonderful production. At times it’s bombastic and loud and at other times its simplistic and soft. The decisions she made along with Date for how to track this album all pay off. Each song is like a little miniature cinematic experience with immersive sonic textures and a perfect marriage between aural and lyrical tonality. While it remains to be seen if this collaboration will continue beyond this record, it’s safe to say this is a match made in heaven. 

This album, unlike Poppy’s last, did land with some expectations set. Meeting them would’ve been a job well done, but exceeding them in this way just adds another jewel to Poppy’s crown. There are few voices within any genre today that are bringing listeners to the places that Poppy is with the approach that she takes. No other album released this year even comes close to occupying this realm, and as such it’s a deeply unique experience. It’s also a scary one, a horrific one, a brutal one, and a beautiful one. Such wonderful contradictions locked within such a wonderful record. 

One can only hope that Poppy will once again earn the recognition of the academy because this is without question one of the best albums released this year. 

Top Tracks: Warped, Parasite, Crash, Lullaby for My Baby, Girl Trying to Cut a Sunbeam

[cal-metacritic]

The Guardian - Barbie: The Album

Various Artists

Barbie: The Album

60/100

Soundtracks are a notoriously difficult thing to get exactly right. For every Black Panther there’s a dozen complete messes that do disservice to a great film or sit as a shining example of how bad a bad film can truly be. So, when it was announced that Lady Gaga was curating a soundtrack for the highly anticipated Barbie film, the internet was set alight with questions about which of those things it would turn out to be. 

The truth of the matter is that it was really none of them. 

This soundtrack features fourteen tracks and fourteen unique artists, representing some of the biggest and best names that the music world has to offer today. Covering a variety of sounds, themes, and genres, the soundtrack sees a healthy mix of some artists playing to their strengths while others took a swing at something completely new for them. The results of this are mixed, but with every mix there comes good and not so good. 

Starting with the good, there is a remarkable bit of consistency within the soundtrack. While there’s most definitely different approaches to the film’s theme present, there isn’t any song except for maybe one or two that feels out of place with the rest. Whether or not this was incidental or an intentional directive from the album’s curator Lady Gaga isn’t clear, but it lends this soundtrack a feeling of almost being like a studio album. These tracks often feel as if they belong together and were made with the same intentions in mind. The production is consistently candy coated and the hooks are frequently big and plentiful. 

In terms of individual songs, the notable standouts of the soundtrack are Dreamland by Sabrina Carpenter, I’m Just Ken by Ryan Gosling, Reality by Father John Misty, and If I Could Change My Life by Lorde. All four songs carry very different approaches to the themes at hand, but all four managed to create something that was lasting and memorable. Misty and Lorde’s songs are delicate and affecting while Sabrina’s is daydreamy, and Gosling’s is theatrical camp of the highest order. 

Elsewhere we have songs from Dua Lipa (Girls Night), Harry Styles (Never Be Yours Again), and Lady Gaga (Smile) that are very sturdy and interesting songs, though no quite hitting the high marks of the others mentioned above. These tracks are some of the most stylistically reminiscent of their creators, leaving a strong sense of these artist’s strengths but also perhaps a bit of a want to see them taking some of the swings their peers did (even if not all were successful). Smile from Gaga it has to be noted may suffer a tad from it’s placement within the tracklist. As the final song, it’s a little melancholy and unlike the film this soundtrack is for, ends on a note that is a little subdued. Had it swapped places with Lorde’s song (a better finale track for this), it may have landed with a bit more punch. 

Of course, there are also some things that are not so fantastic about the project. 

One consistent aspect about this is that the production, while cohesive, is often a little vapid and shallow. There’s not much happening in many of these songs musically and while that’s not a requirement, it does leave many tracks feeling like they’re missing something. Many artists swung for disco adjacent tracks which works for the aesthetic the film carries, but none of them went really creative places with it. 

In terms of songs, there’s a few that represent the higher end of low. They’re sort of middle of the road in that they’re not travesties but also not marks of greatness either. Fantasy by Troye Sivan and Zendaya is a perfectly serviceable song that doesn’t manage to quick stick into your memory once it passes. The production is fitting for the scene it plays in, but it’s lyrics are rough around the edges though it at times seems to be intentionally musical theatre coded (albeit maybe not executed to the best of the respective artist’s abilities). Woman by Normani is a fine track, but similar to Fantasy is not a super memorable one. It plays a bit like a Normani album track which isn’t inherently a bad thing, but can’t help but feel a little unexciting in context of this project. Under the Stars by Ariana Grande is similarly a fine song, but an unremarkable one. It slides into that camp of disco adjacent tracks that plays that field safely. 

Unfortunately, there’s a small trio of tracks that rank among the bottom here. 

The opening song, Perfect by Lady Gaga, acts as an introduction to the project and to the film and to both it falls a bit flat. The lyrics are very unrefined for an artist of Gaga’s caliber and while it’s very clear she isn’t trying to dip into her deepest writing sensibilities and offer something befitting of the childlike nature of Barbieland, it doesn’t stop the song from playing a bit awkwardly. It’s not an offensively bad song by any means, but it doesn’t get things going on a great foot. Gaga thankfully gets a redemption arc with a very solid song later. 

Daydream by Rita Ora is a song that feels very at odds with everything else. More than any other song, this feels disconnected from the film. Sonically consistent with it’s cousins on the album, lyrically this is just a basic love song that could be found on either of the star’s albums. It’s not very Barbie and especially feels out of line with the film’s tone and attitude. It’s as if this was a song Rita had left over that got repurposed. 

And finally there is Jessie J’s Pink Dreams which attempts to sample Aqua’s classic Barbie Girl to heavily, heavily debatable results. Production wise the song is capital r Rough. The vocal samples are awkwardly mixed in to the point that the song’s original beat is heard within this song and it isn’t on purpose. The vocals of said sample are also too fast for the beat they ride making the transition feel rushed and disjointed. The melodic sample feels weird and shoehorned in as well, leaving the song’s melody a little bit monotonous in its repetition. The vocals themselves frequently come off from the track, going out of time with the beat. Lyrically, the song feels like it belongs to something else entirely, as if the songwriters had not actually seen the film itself or read up much on it’s plot or themes. 

This is not a perfect soundtrack. It doesn’t sit alongside the film’s quality and doesn’t always fairly represent the material that inspired it. But it also does have hits of brilliance that fundamentally understand the intention of this and those tracks work brilliantly. It is neither a jewel in Barbie’s crown nor a knife to her plastic chest, but rather an intriguing, sometimes beguiling companion piece to the year’s biggest blockbuster. There’s plenty to love here, and some to skip, but it can’t once be called boring. 

And maybe that in and of itself is the best thing that a soundtrack could really ask to be. 

[cal-metacritic]

Rolling Stone - M&Ms

Lorde

M&Ms (Ella’s Version)

90/100

When it was announced that Lorde was going to be re-recording her previous works, it raised a great deal of questions. Would she be able to pull it off? Would it mostly be for nothing? Would the preference still be the originals if she didn’t manage to restrike the iron perfectly? These questions were only further compounded by the announcement that the first of these was to be M&Ms. 

M&Ms was released several years ago now and despite critical acclaim and great commercial success, it is often been cited as a sort of black sheep in her discography. While she’s never been shy to acknowledge it (what with already re-recording one of it’s tracks before), it isn’t a project that has often appeared in the conversation alongside things such as Scarlet, Magic Hour, or even Eclipse. It arrived and pleased everyone, but sort of faded into a strange bit of obscurity relative to it’s quality. 

It seems that this was the primary motivation in making this first re-recording as exemplary as possible. And truly, that’s exactly what Lorde did. 

Right off the bat, she managed to achieve the crucial aspect of this whole process that needed nailing the most: she managed to make the original inessential. With this new version, there truly is no need to return to the original incarnation of the project. 

The Ella’s Version represents an improvement both vocally and sonically. Her voice is fuller, more pleasing to the ear, and far more emotive than it was on the original. This is complimented by production that sounds cleaner and deeper than the original’s as well. Moving through the redone versions of the original tracks, it’s hard to call yourself nostalgic because they’re so good that they hit your ear as if it’s the very first time. She breathed new life into these songs in a way many didn’t think possible. 

Another allure of these re-records is going to be the vault songs. This project features a strong crop of them, including perhaps the single most bizarre and out of left field thing Lorde has ever done. The final track, American Beauty, is musically lifted from Cabaret but thematically lifted from the purest of theatre kid hearts. It’s a completely unhinged work, but it’s so insane that it becomes genuinely one of the most brilliant things any mainstream artist has recently pulled off. 

Other highlights include A Short Love Story with Lady Gaga and What If She Knows with Halsey, continuing Lorde’s exemplary run of collaborations. Of the redone tracks, the one that gains the most here is MacArthur Park, one of the most underrated tracks in Lorde’s catalogue. The original is stunning, but this new version breathes such vitality back into it that’s hard to not feel as if it will now be recognized as the classic it always was. 

If there are weaknesses to be found in the project, its that not every vault track is a homerun, but that is by the nature of their very existence. New York, with Love and The Boy Who Leaves the Woman Who Stays are the two weaker vault tacks with both being good songs but missing the high watermarks set by the tracks that surround them. Still, they’re incredibly solid, wonderful to listen to, and always a cut above her peers. It’s nice to simply have them see the light of day. 

All in all, this is a mostly unprecedented triumph. So many things could have and should have gone wrong here, but under Lorde’s steady hand it’s nothing but a show of power. She has gotten the re-recording process started off on an impossibly high note, and the world is eagerly awaiting a continuation of this journey that is already proving to be more exciting than anyone could’ve imagined.

[cal-metacritic]

Entertainment Weekly - M&Ms

Rarely do people reflect on a period in their lives and genuinely feel proud of what took place, what they did, all the heartbreaks and difficulties, insecurities, the ugly truth, and the lessons they learned. We'd all want to get past that period in our lives and focus on the future, but Lorde managed to do just that with the re-release of M&MS. She went back to the time when she was a young, inexperienced woman and lived her past as if it were the present. When Lorde first released M&MS as an EP in 2018, she was best known for her massive hits like Good Girls, Dangerous, Inescapable, True Religion, and other songs. It was a very strange release for Lorde at the time. For the first time, we got to see a different side of Lorde—a singer who is still as powerful in her tenderness rather than this enormous pop music powerhouse. Of course, that was just a taste of the radical artistic shift she would go through in the next two years when she would demonstrate her full range of abilities and brilliant songwriting in genres like pop, alternative, folk, and more. However, that time period can be thought of as an introduction to the massive transformation that was upon us. It just so happens that she is unintentionally reclaiming her story and past with this re-recording, which was done also to reclaim her control over her music in the shark-filled music business world. Vocally, she has only gotten better and better, and these re-recordings seem more vibrant than ever. But the album has more than only the original songs; among them are the Vaults, which I believe to be the album's highlight.

She ultimately demonstrated that you could not only revisit a long-forgotten aspect of yourself, but also always carry on that road toward a more precise and true representation of who you were. Songs like "Dress," which speaks about the memories of love and heartbreak that remain in an almost mystical, unexplained way in their physical form, and "What If She Knows," which speaks about constantly coming in second place but on a deeper level, being about the insecurities that come with feeling that you're not worthy of love. Being so superbly written, both are immediately distinguishable both sonically and thematically. The album's brightest moment is the sincere, cheerful collaboration with Lady Gaga, "A Short Love Story." The songs "New York, With Love" and "The Boy Who Leaves" do an incredible job of capturing the wrath and anguish of loneliness and heartbreak, and how could we possibly forget the pure perfection of "American Beauty"? Fair warning now. Not your immediate typical Lorde song, this one. Even though it goes against everything you'd expect Lorde to do, if you know her well enough, it would make perfect sense to you. Even if you consider her 2017 Grammy performance, she has always been a theatrical fan. The delivery on this one is just spectacular and mesmerizing. An unsettling, cryptic, and weird song that prominently references Cabaret and alludes to abuse. I believe that Lorde's decision to end the album with this particular tune truly amplified this record and made it more than just a re-recording. Furthermore, it is not a coincidence since Lorde was fully aware that it would become the foundation and main point of this album. That is seen also in her deliberate decision to showcase this re-recording with a brand-new cover with a chaotic image of herself dressed in a 50s style with smudged makeup and an uncomfortable smile.

What did Lorde imply when she selected "American Beauty" to wrap out the album? We don't really know, but based on our interpretation, it may be a depiction of the consequences of heartbreak & when someone is deeply in love while yet feeling unable to stop it. A bold look at denial in a toxic relationship? Or perhaps there's more to it than we realize now that we might discover in the future. It may be too soon to declare this to be her best album, but we're going to do it regardless. A truly fantastic piece of work where Lorde showed even more sides of herself and allowed us to go back on the journey yet this time know its ending.

Score: 92

[cal-metacritic]

Sputnikmusic - Lux2

Lux2 delivers an astonishing continuation of its predecessor, Lux1, released four years ago. This sophomore effort remains faithful to the original sound while boldly venturing into uncharted territory. Opening with the mesmerizing "Voices," the album immediately captivates listeners with its compelling blend of pulsating bass, refreshing synths, and an irresistible UK garage beat. The track's emotive belting towards the outro reminds us why we've missed hearing Frank's music again, after he took a short break after the release of his 2020 record. The album's standout moments come in the form of absolute bangers like "The Game," a collaborative masterpiece featuring the incomparable Lorde. From the very first second, this track commands attention, its infectious chorus drop and the catchy melody as well as the fact that we were kind of in a desperate need for Lorde in a dance banger again, all left an indelible mark. Equally astonishing is the unexpected partnership with Kelly Clarkson on "Far Away," where her exploration of the 80s soundscapes on her own 2020 record surely helped her improve even more on this one. Both songs exude an irresistible magnetism, instantly embedding themselves into the listener's consciousness. Lux2 concludes with the poignant track "Return To The Light." Here, Frank deftly taps into his natural ability to craft hope-infused endings, leaving us with a lingering sense of optimism.

As he sings, "The light may fade but it's not gone," we are enveloped in a sublime outro that skillfully incorporates a poignant sample of the single "Lux" from the debut EP. This effortless integration flawlessly concludes the project, serving as a testament to Frank's impeccable attention to detail. Lux2 stands as a testament to the artist's evolution and unwavering dedication to his craft. It not only honors the roots of Lux1 but fearlessly pushes boundaries, carving its own distinct sonic landscape. With its captivating production, infectious hooks, and a closing that leaves a lasting impression, Lux2 solidifies its place as yet another truly remarkable addition to Frank's discography.

Score: 92

[cal-metacritic]

Variety - Lux2

Score: 91 Frank Ocean has always been a master of redefining genres, extracting the marrow of soulful confessions from the bones of traditional pop structure. With "LUX2", Ocean re-emerges as a lustrous synth-pop phoenix, following the great success of 2020's "...Life Is Beautiful". The EP follows 2019's award-winning "LUX" and is a sparkling testament to the artist's transformative journey since his last full-length album. The opening track "Voices" sets the EP's tonal landscape, a seismic exploration of emotional depths. He interlaces his plaintive vocals with thick layers of synths, creating a dizzying mix of internal conflicts. The lyrics analyze the constant echo of internalized angst and struggle, using Ocean's distinctive blend of the existential and the intimate. "The Game" features a soul-stirring collaboration with Lorde. It's a vulnerable moment that speaks of the raw uncertainty that accompanies the fragility of love. Their voices ebb and flow in sync, dancing gracefully around each other while travelling through the shifting contours of an emotional landscape. The symbiosis is magnetic, the lyricism achingly raw, with Lorde's pop sensibilities meshing seamlessly with Ocean's dynamic ethos. "Far Away", the absolute highlight of the project, pairs Ocean with Kelly Clarkson. The unlikely duo delivers a potent portrayal of longing, juxtaposed against a backdrop of shimmering synth lines and icy beats. Ocean's ethereal croon entwines with Clarkson's powerful register, creating a sonic tapestry that conveys the universal feeling of yearning. Its brilliance lies in the dual portrayal of physical distance and emotional disconnection, embodied in every synth-soaked note. "Return To The Light" serves as the EP's cathartic climax. The song is an aurora in the dense, emotional fog of the album, promising salvation in the face of hardship. The lyrics, like a beacon, guide listeners through turbulent waves towards a shore of tranquility. It's an echo of hope in the huge and emotional world Ocean constructs throughout the EP, and a testament to his unique ability to express complex emotions through his soundscapes. "LUX2" diverges from the path forged by its predecessor while retaining the same thematic heart and soul. This sequel solidifies Frank Ocean's status as an audacious explorer of genres, an artist unafraid to redefine himself while retaining his unique emotional resonance. The EP invites listeners to immerse themselves in a current of synthesized sound and emotions, marking a triumphant step forward for Ocean and an exhilarating addition to his discography. Despite the glittering accolades and commercial success that graced "LUX", Ocean's return to synth-pop territory feels like a welcome home run in a league where Ocean has already won. His own take on a saturated sound is unique, standing out through challenging the norms of the sound and by expressing turmoil in a poetic yet heart-wrenching fashion.

[cal-metacritic]

Clash Music - Lux 2

Frank Ocean

Lux2 

85/100

Frank Ocean is undoubtedly one of the greatest artists of our time, and it seems he is intent to prove this with every new project that he undertakes. A few years ago, he released what was then considered to be his crowning achievement, Lux. The impact of the EP was far and wide, kicking off a wave of 80s inspired sound and aesthetics that has only recently begun to truly settle. As if coming to the call of an era that needed a proper closing, Frank has unveiled the sequel, aptly titled Lux2. 

Released with no prior announcement, the project is a brisk listen at simply four songs, but it manages to succeed in delivering something with a true punch across that brief runtime. Picking up right where Lux left off, the EP sees Frank joined by the likes of Lorde and Kelly Clarkson to continue exploring the soundscape and thematic universe the original EP introduced us to. 

Perhaps one of the most remarkable things about the EP is that it manages to show a maturation without sounding disconnected from the work that preceded it. It is unquestionably a successor to the original, sitting nicely alongside it, but it seems to come with the refined sensibilities that his recently acclaimed album …Life is Beautiful instilled within him. This is a complex work that features a great deal of depth in it’s sound and a fair bit of weight to its themes as well. In insisting on this growth, Frank essentializes the project and saves it from becoming a pale imitation cash in sequel to a previous, well regarded work. 

Bringing features into the fold this time around also worked wonders in the project’s favor. Lorde and Kelly are very different artists to Frank, and that thankfully shines through in the final product. It’s clear Frank didn’t force either artist to try and mold themselves to his style, but rather allowed them to bring theirs with them. Hearing Frank’s style intertwine with theirs is an incredibly exciting venture that adds a lot of excitement to the project, and leaves us craving Frank to explore more collaborative efforts in the future. 

If there is one weakness (and that is used very, very lightly), it is solely within the EP’s first track. Voices is still a great song, but it is lesser than the three that follow it. That said, being a lesser Frank Ocean track is still more than most could ask for. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is the closing track, Return to the Light. Not only is it the EP’s standout moment, it may be one of the greatest achievements of Frank’s career from it’s eye wateringly gorgeous production, it’s meaningful lyrics, and masterful interpolation of the original Lux title track to tie everything together. 

Lux2 is a fantastic offering from Frank and is the perfect thing to keep fans settled while we wait on his highly anticipated third full length effort. While not a completely perfect tracklist all the way through, there is so much brilliance here that it’s hard for that to even be noticeable. With a matured vision that combined with a faithfulness to the original work’s vibe, Frank managed to pull off an amazing feat: creating a sequel that manages to truly satisfy.

[cal-metacritic]

NME - Momentum (Lindsay Lohan)

No one expected 2023 to see a return from former Pop Titan, Lindsay Lohan. But, looks like we can expect the unexpected moving forward. Momentum is the singer’s first release since Truce many years back (which was removed from all streaming and digital music services). Does it live up to the hype of a surprise comeback, or did the Red Room lyricist fall flat on her face? Well, not quite either; we will get into that. To set things straight, we do not think Lindsay wanted anybody to take this as seriously as her prior releases, and wanted to let loose on these tracks. Zendaya, for example, follows a similar strategy to cement herself as a radio mainstay. I Just Wanna… is a raunchy club song, and probably going to be DJ’d at gay bars for years to come. However, the writing here is not strong at all even for the type of song it wants to be. “Until I bleed, until I weep” is a line that turns us off, rather than getting our rocks off. The production is the strong point here. Momentum is the title track and is probably the most expertly crafted pop song here, even if it’s nothing we haven’t heard before even from Lohan. The lyrics are simple but make sense, and entice us to have fun the same way she is. It’s like BOHO, if Zendaya was more of a drinker than an acid tripper. Again, nothing spectacular, but we enjoyed it enough. Momentum is a fine EP at the end of the day, with lows that aren’t offensive, and highs that are decent enough to hit play on when the weekend comes around. It’s not what we would have came back with after such a lengthy hiatus, but perhaps Lohan has something else up her sleeve after this clearly tongue in cheek release. 69/100

[cal-metacritic]

The Guardian - Momentum (Lindsay Lohan)

Lindsay Lohan

Momentum

50/100

Lindsay Lohan is by far one of the most controversial figures that the industry has seen across the last several years, and that has made her absence all the more noticeable. Mostly retreating after a series of very public embarrassments, no one really expected a comeback, even when her signing to a new label was announced. It seemed impossible for an artist like her to rise up from the ashes and reclaim former glories, but there was an odd bit of curiosity that seems to’ve surrounded the release of her return EP. Whether it be down to simply who she is or her recent controversial relationship with Brendon Urie remains unclear. 

What is clear is that this curiosity will continue throughout the duration of the project as it leaves you with a lot of questions and not a single hint of an answer. 

Proving from the gate that she still intends to be a provocateur, the production credits of the EP feature work from Dr. Luke alongside Aaron Joseph and Vaughn Oliver. Whether the presence of the first is there just to be a conversation starter remains to be seen, but what is quite evident is that he and none of the producers bring anything notable to the table. 

The production work is quite bland and sterile throughout. Despite the lyricism on several tracks, the production work is radio ready and as such is quite anonymous. Even the final track, the only one with any sort of identifiable personality within it, doesn’t land in the territory of being genuinely interesting to listen to. There’s nothing out and out offensive or legendarily bad within the sound, but there’s also not really a single memorable thing within that sound either. 

From a songwriting standpoint, there is a little bit more personality in the mix, but that isn’t always a compliment. 

Lindsay has never been a particularly identifiable songwriter, bearing no real trademark that many of her peers have managed to develop. As such, her style can be adaptable to context, but it seems that here she went back and forth between actively trying to be something she isn’t and actually succeeding in doing something notable. The songs that dare to be just a little bit more grounded in their writing are the best ones. There’s nothing exactly personal within the work, and that is no requirement, but there are moments that feel more realistic and human than songs like the opening track. 

The worst moments the project has to offer are when it feels it’s most pointless. Whether that be crass songs about sex (not inherently an issue in isolation, but somewhat irritating when it feels purposeless) or a song about partying (again, not inherently problematic just disappointing in it’s lack of something to say), there are many examples of things on the project that seem to be there just to be there. 

Whether we want to count this as a comeback or not is up to others, but as far as I’m concerned this is more transitional than anything. After all Lindsay’s experienced, it’s only natural she’d struggle finding a voice upon starting over. But that doesn’t make that transition any easier to push through either. This isn’t the worst thing to ever happen to music, but it is so far the most inessential thing that exists within Lindsay’s canon and for that it’s a bit of a letdown. Sure, there’s controversial aspects to pick apart, but that doesn’t provide the project with much in the way of identity. It’s a bit faceless, which for Lindsay is quite bizarre. 

Perhaps in the context of a complete studio album, she’ll have more room to move about toward something more intriguing.