|
Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 8/10/2012
Posts: 7,072
|
What about Art Angels, let the critical acclaim continue
|
|
|
Member Since: 9/8/2012
Posts: 10,084
|
I'll do Delirium later, I forgot to make Confident review
|
|
|
Member Since: 4/4/2014
Posts: 17,141
|
GET WEIRD (LITTLE MIX)
Oh my gosh, I think they slayed me again.
A (93% - 9.3/10) [Std.]
A (88% - 8.8/10) [Dlx.]
STANDARD EDITION
Black Magic: I can't describe my love for this song. My absolute favorite single of the year that kept me going all Summer. I love it more every time it comes on. FLAWFREE. (5/5)
Love Me Like You: I loved this song as soon as it was released. Sure, it doesn't touch 'Black Magic' but it has some kind of ABBA throwback vibe to it which I adore. It got old quickly but the Christmas Mix made me stan again. (5/5)
Weird People: Within the first 5 seconds of hearing this, it became one of my absolute favorites. Such perfect Brit Pop, that I will send nasty messages to Simon Cowell if this doesn't become their Summer single for 2016. It just has everything. (5/5)
Secret Love Song: Combining both parts of 'Secret Love Song', Part I will most likely be the single version and features Jason Derulo. Part II is on the deluxe and has no feature and is sung against a piano. Part II hit me so hard. Probably my favorite song on the album. It's so beautiful. I need to sit in the shower and cry to it tbh. (5/5)
Hair: From the initial instagram snippet, I wasn't sure if I'd love this. I do though, I really do. It surpasses all expectations I had for it. Sure, it doesn't touch the likes of 'Black Magic' or 'Weird People' but it's another amazing Little Mix track. I love the end to the track; full of sass. Show em who is boss girls. (4/5)
Grown: YAAAAAAAAAs. Another song I was sure everyone overrated considering I didn't listen to the live version. But it's AMAZING. It serves me a modern-day 'Proud Mary' and would love for them to mash up the two on their tour. I do wish it was a bit longer so it didn't become so repetitive on many listens, but it's an absolute stunner. (5/5)
I Love You: A beautiful track to slow us down and give us a little rest. Perrie's vocals shine through like a diamond during the chorus. The song is great but could potentially get boring. This was the track I was anticipating the least so I'm glad it actually slays. (4/5)
OMG: ffff Iggy needs to have several seats, in fact the whole stadium. Little Mix gave Britney and Iggy 'Pretty Girls' and kept the Fancy rip-off which is 500 times better. If the chorus wasn't amazing enough, the verses just add such a smashful tone to this track. OMG was truly my reaction when I was listening to this. (5/5)
Lightning: I absolutely was slayed when I heard this song open a few weeks ago. The verse. The pre-chorus. The chorus... and then it comes. A breakdown. Just why? Not to mention the song is over 5 minutes long. Cut out the breakdowns and the song would be absolutely flawless. I love the Latin twist to the track too. Just a shame about the breakdown. (4/5)
A.D.I.D.A.S: All Day I Dream About Shhhhh. This just has some kind of throwback vibe during the chorus; the "unproduced" sounding vocals just add to the vintage 60s feel. and then in comes the verse which annihilates everything. Another killer smash of a track. (5/5)
Love Me Or Leave Me: There's just something in Jesy's opening verse that tugs at my heartstrings, followed by Jade and Perrie as the chorus starts. This track is so beautiful. It was my favorite title, alongside 'Secret Love Song', when the tracklist was released. It's definitely lived up to my expectations and more. A perfect end to a perfect album. (5/5)
DELUXE EDITION
I Won't: Another great track but I'd be lying to say there wasn't a reason for it not being on the standard album. It's great but it just lacks the feeling that any track on the album does. It feels like a track where you could lose interest in or just have playing in the background. It's great when you're into it, but it's nothing close to the standard edition. (4/5)
Clued Up: The other bonus track on the album and written by one of my favorite artists, heterosexual legend, Jessie J. Unfortunately the same problems with 'I Won't' occur here too. There's something missing with this track and it's probably my least favorite on the album. It's a good song and not bad by any means, but it just has nothing interesting about it when the standard edition was so wonderful. I was hoping this would be a 'Your Loss, I'm Found' type of ballad. Unfortunately not. (3/5)
I can now say that this is my favorite album of 2015 so far. I've been waiting for this album for 2 years now but never did I imagine it would be as amazing as this where every song on the standard edition just adds a whole new dimension to the overall album. It's been a long road but the album of the year is finally here. It makes me proud to remember I voted for them 15 times in the final of X Factor 2011 when they come out with something as stunning as 'Get Weird'.
NOTE: I do both standard and deluxe. Deluxe incorporates ALL tracks on the album, but mostly actual reviewers only review the standard edition, so it's up to you to pick which one is best
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,973
|
Oh I missed Carrie. Glad she got a high score
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,973
|
Ellie Goulding's newest album Delirium is her attempt at reaching the superstardom level of the likes of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. But it's just that, an attempt. "Nice try Jan.gif" To be fair, she was on her way with the 50 Shades Of Grey hit/first single Love Me Like You Do but sadly, that's the biggest song on Delirium. Biggest as it's the only song that struck me as a huge and iconic pop song like Blank Space etc... But on the bright side, it's not the only good song and definitely not the best. I can't get enough of Army and the super fun Around U. Another criticism is that with 22 tracks, this album felt too long, it has more tracks than a Lady Gaga Deluxe album. I usually want more songs from my faves but when most of the songs are tailored for radio, in the same tempo and lack diversity, it becomes unnecessary and listening to the album feels like a chore, a Pinkprint tea. Heck, even standout tracks like Something In The Way You Move and Codes start out great but seem to go on forever. And the ballads like Winner are very average.
Ellie pushed herself and offered a solid Pop album but it's clear she didn't go all the way and held back. Unlike her fellow Taylor Swift Squad member Selena Gomez, Ellie's voice is rarely overpowered by the A list productions, her voice is still the star of the songs.
Score: 6.5/10
PREVIOUS REVIEWS
|
|
|
Member Since: 9/8/2012
Posts: 10,084
|
1. Intro (Delirium): The perfect intro, her vocals are so haunting and hypnotizing, not too short, not too long for a intro. 10/10.
2. Aftertaste: The perfect song to follow that intro, reminds me a bit of Animal from Bright Lights. The chorus is a bland in my opinion, but not bad. The verses are really good. 6.5/10
3. Something In The Way You Move: At first I didn't like this song, but the song has been growing on me a lot since the then. The reason why I didn't like this was basically because I was kinda disappointed with On My Mind and then this song wasn't what I expected from her. Anyway, time has passed and this song has grown a lot as I said before, I could see this as a single at some point. 6.5
4. Keep On Dancin': I remember my facial expresion when I heard this for the first time: . I never expected this from her and I love it. Her voice during the "You can hurt me, I'll find another
/ You can love me, you'll be my lover / Happy, in rain or thunder" is everything! 7/10
5. On My Mind: I was disappointed when the first single came out, but thanks god this has been a hit in my country and I've heard this song and still hear it non-stop on radio and it has grown on me A LOT! I can't help but bop to this everytime I listen to it. 7/10
6. Around U: This song could fall in the list of songs that you need to scream at the top of your lungs. This song will be stuck in your head for a long time. The lyrics are also the best part of the song in my opinion. 7/10
7. Codes: One of the highlights (out of all of them, the album is just starting to get better!). The lyrics are everything. The meaning behind "stop talking in codes" is really smart and fun in some way. The pre-chorus is really smart (and amazing!) and plays with the chorus too, "Tell me black and white / Why I'm here tonight / I can't read the signs.". The song will be stuck in your head for days! 8.5/10
8. Holding On For Life: My personal fave song, the best. Everything about this song is perfect. The rythm, those voices in the background singing "holding on for life", giving me gospel teas. The lyrics are so good in this song, specially the bridge: Hopelessly holding on / To all those perfect nights / Let's pretend it's not gone / And say we'll never die. Just beautiful, as much as her voice which fits this kind of songs so much. As the 2 previous songs, this one won't fail and will be stuck in your head too! 10/10
9. Love Me Like You Do: I'm not going to tell much about this one since this is part of a BSO, I'm just going to say that is one of the best pop songs of the year and recent years. 10/10
10. Don't Need Nobody: I think this is like the fan favorite song and I understand this. One of the best without a doubt. The lyrics are beautiful and the beat and rhythm is dope! I can get the chorus out of my head! 9/10
11. Don't Panic: One of the best things of this song if not the best is the chorus, catchy as hell! also the lyrics are beautiful and intelligent: "Why you wanna ruin a good thing? / Can we take it back to the start? / When love's not playing out like the movies / It doesn't mean it's falling apart / Don't panic, don't panic" 7.5/10
12. We Can't Move To This: In my opinion this is the worst song in the album. Ayway, her voice is really beautiful until the first chorus kicks off. 5/10
13. Army: Such a beautiful song, finally the first ballad in this album. It could fit easily in her first album. Her voice is AMAZING. 8/10
14. Lost And Found: the same case that happened between Intro and Aftertaste, this is in my opinion the best option to follow Army, this is so close to the old Ellie of Lights. It's like a mix of the old Ellie and the new. Catchy as hell. Her folk sound will always be remembered. 8/10
15. Devotion: And again, another similar song to her first work but wait... only the intro. And then a dance break and then the chorus again witn that similar sound! This song is a rollar coaster. Her voice shines in the chorus. And the last chorus is FIRE with the folk sound mixed with the dance part. 9/10
16. Scream It Out: This song is amazing from start to end. The chorus is brilliant, her voice is flawless. This song makes you want to scream every lyric (specially the chorus). Her voice shines in this song too. The meaning behind this song makes it even more special. The perfect way to close the standard edition. 10/10
Deluxe tracks and Target Exclusive tracks: (I'm not going to dedicate many words to them, maybe to 3 of them only)
17. The Greatest: really a beautiful song. The lyrics are really good. 7.5/10
18. I Do What I Love: Such a guilty pleasure. Maybe the most catchy song of the album. It'll be stuck in your head even if you hate it! Less than 3 minutes pure of sassiness. 8.5/10
19. Paradise: I would write the same description as The Greatest. Beautiful song with beautiful lyrics, the way she plays with her voice in this song is amazing. 7.5/10
20. Winner: A grower but when it grows on you, you will love it. 7/10
21. Heal: The perfect way to close the deluxe edition, I kinda wish you didn't have to wait 20 tracks to hear this masterpiece. BRILLIANT. 10/10
(Skipping Outside)
23. Let It Die: One of her best songs without a doubt. This is the Ellie of Lights at her best. Amazing lyrics. Everything about this song is outstanding. 10/10
24. Two Years Ago: A beautiful way to close the album for those who buy the Target deluxe edition, not in the level of Let It Die for me, but beautiful anyway. 7/10
Overall: 7.7/10
|
|
|
Member Since: 4/4/2014
Posts: 17,141
|
DELIRIUM (ELLIE GOULDING)
Why I Won't Have You On My Mind
C (55% - 5.5/10) [Std.]
STANDARD EDITION
Aftertaste: Uh... well this just feels like ARTPOP. Overly loud and "beat-y". It's just an overexposed mess. Doesn't really hype me up for the remainder of the album at all. Not bad but I wouldn't listen to this ever again if I could. (2/5)
Something In The Way You Move: A MUCH better song. It feels pop and current. It allows for a background production but still have the vocals at the forefront, and surprising Ellie sounds tolerable here. One of the best upbeat tracks on the album. (4/5)
Keep On Dancin': The track starts nice. I don't know if I like the melody of "I keep on moving" before the pre-chorus, but the song spirals downwards immediately after. I don't know if I don't like the key or just don't like the song. It doesn't really warrant listening to again tbh. (2/5)
On My Mind: Underrated tbh. I'm far from an Ellie fan or listener, but this is cute. It's annoying after a while and she cannot sing it live (see: X Factor UK). But it's great. Max Martin, ha power, I guess. (4/5)
Around U: Automatically this sounds like a variation of 'Hey Mickey'. It has that cheerleader vibe. The effort is definitely there with this track. It does feel a bit overly long and repetitive at points but it's a great track. (4/5)
Codes: It's decent. Not really sure what else to say. It's a bit boring until the chorus. But when the chorus hits, it's a good song. It does suffer from the repetitive vibe that the others do, but overall it's a solid track. Nothing great but pretty standard. (3/5)
Holding On For Life: I feel like the beat of the first chorus is a bit too loud. It should be softer. It's a nice track overall though. Nothing to write home about but it's solid. (3/5)
Love Me Like You Do: By far the best song on the album. There is absolutely no competition. The first Ellie song I can say I truly adore. I don't know what Max did but he made her not sound annoying with this track. I think this is a track that would have been a hit no matter who recorded it. NGL, a bit pissed it wasn't one of my faves. One of the best songs this year. Shame I listened to it so late due to a dislike for Ellie's regular music. (5/5)
Don't Need Nobody: This sounded good until that chorus... literally what is this overproduced mess. I love the verse but the chorus just ruins the entire track. Remove the chorus and it would be a great song. (3/5)
Don't Panic: This instantly sounds too much like the last song. The "(Don't)" annoys me. The pre-chorus has a rather nice melody, but then it just all falls apart. (2/5)
We Can't Move To This: This isn't much better. Sounds similar to the last track as soon as it begins and once again has a great pre-chorus. Then the chorus hits and it's just a disaster. (2/5)
Army: Better than the last three songs combined to be frank. She doesn't really have the right voice to pull off this song, but the song itself is great. The chorus does fall a bit flat but overall I can see why it's the next single. The hook is absolutely great. (4/5)
Lost and Found: Instant smash tbh. Feels beautiful as soon as it starts. The instrumental feels a bit cheap when Ellie isn't singing in parts. This song actually couples well with her voice. (4/5)
Devotion: This started really well. The verse is solid. The chorus is pretty great. But then it happens; a breakdown. WHY? Literally stop with breakdowns. They're annoying and tacky. Your voice should be the main feature of a song not some tacky computer sounds. SMH. I need this trend to die out sooner rather than later. Besides that, it's a solid track. (3/5)
Scream It Out: I listened to this track all the way through without realising it till the last 20 seconds so I think that paints a picture in itself. Listening to it with a dedicated ear tells me it's a nice song but it's nothing more. It's pretty standard for a closing track and I wouldn't expect Ellie to end with a slow ballad. It's pretty solid but something lacks. (3/5)
Let's put this all out in the open. This is the worst review score I have this year (which now ranges from 93% to 55%). Although to be fair, I still need to review Kacey Musgraves' album and I don't really see it doing exceptionally well. Back to Ms Goulding, as someone who isn't a fan of her music or her mildly irritating voice, this album is rather decent. My first reaction was "22 ****ing tracks?" That was the moment I decided I wasn't reviewing the deluxe. My perfect album length is 11 for the standard and this is 4 tracks over it. Now, if I was to cut out the 4 worst tracks (Aftertaste, Keep On Dancin', Don't Panic, We Can't Move To This), this review would be sitting at a 66%, so it does make a difference. The filler, or just generally lackluster tracks really crippled Ellie. A lot of the songs are solid standard pop tracks, but many are ruined by overproductions, in the same way that Lady Gaga's ARTPOP was. Let yourself be the light that guides the listener, not some tacky computer beat. That's all folks.
NOTE: PS, use my 5.5/10 and not the lettering scale for my reviews please. The letter scale is my own personal one (70% = A, 60% = B, 50% = C, 40% = D, <40% = F) and not the MC equivalent, so use my actual score. I'm sure 55% being 5.5/10 was fairly obvious, but I put it there just to make it perfectly clear.
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
|
Quote:
Originally posted by thatsmydemi
I'll do Delirium later, I forgot to make Confident review
|
It's not like it needed another biased 10/10 from a stan
|
|
|
Member Since: 5/22/2011
Posts: 21,227
|
I was going to do a review for 'Delirium' but I couldn't even make it through 3 songs..
I want to be objective, but her music isn't just something I enjoy so I feel like it'd be too bias to review her.
|
|
|
ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
|
We only need one request more for 'Art Angels'!
Honestly, TRF.
|
|
|
Banned
Member Since: 8/31/2013
Posts: 20,327
|
I'd like to request Art Angels for a review please!
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 27,248
|
holyground: music in review
95
"bold, multi-dimensional pop"
highlights
California
Kill V. Maim
Venus Fly (feat. Janelle Monae)
REALiTi
Butterfly
| Art Angels
Grimes
Grimes', or Claire Boucher's, previous album, Visions, was acclaimed for being an extremely experimental and crazy album. It was basically like an out of body experience to listen to that album through. Of course, this kind of music doesn't sit well with everyone. It either compels you to go back and try to discern the mayhem, or just turns you off completely. But with Art Angels, she goes for a completely different feel, sonic-wise. Instead of trying to sound even weirder and introspective, she's going for a universal sound that is attempting to put other pop albums to shame in the pop game.
Every track is crafted with indelible hooks, making this album a much more accessible album compared to her previous work. It's easy to listen to, but is filled with interesting production that is sure to remain fresh after repeated listens. The music is somewhat less bizarre and frightening like Visions, but that doesn't mean that she lost that signature quirk about her. It's still dark and strange, but not in an overwhelming way. Does it mean that the music is less potent? I doubt so. In fact it's still pretty unnerving, after you peel away the ace production and hooks to uncover the meaning of each song. To say that this album is a masterpiece is an understatement.
Let me remind you, this entire album was written and produced solely by Claire herself. She taught herself how to play various instruments, and crafted everything you hear in this 50 minutes from scratch. I'm not sure if we should be ashamed, that someone can be so capable and hardworking, and drop us a body of work that sounds like it could've had the magic touch from the Swedish music factory.
At the end of the day, Grimes just achieves a whole lot in this album, and that includes a broader audience who would get to enjoy the magic and freakiness that is Grimes. There is no dull moment in the album, even the most "mediocre" track, SCREAM, is a thrilling pumper. You may say she sold out, but to me it just looks like Grimes has successfully mastered her craft and is at the top of her own game right now.
|
archives
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
|
We need to do Purpose and Made in the A.M.
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 27,248
|
holyground: music in review
67
"faceless, but hooky"
highlights
Aftertaste
Something In the Way You Move
Around U
Codes
Lost and Found
| Delirium
Ellie Goulding
Looks like another artist has decided to go full pop too. But it is expected though, starting with her first collaboration with Calvin Harris, then releasing the EDM-leaning Halcyon Days, led by the basic single, Burn. In Delirium, Ellie attempts to take on the entire pop music scene, armed with a chock full of songs.
To me, Ellie's strength is that she's able to create light, soaring and evocative tunes, that go really well with her soft and chirpy voice. In Delirium, it sounds like she's trying to do a kind of Latin/World sound, with choruses that may sound strange and awkward, especially coming from Ellie. Keep On Dancin' is weird, Holding On For Life feels like she's doing too much, Don't Need Nobody is perhaps too robotic, Army is trying desperately to be Love Me Like You Do, etc. There's quite a lot of things that are rather uncharacteristic and awkward about every song and that would take me forever to point out. It definitely feels like she's trying more things than she could handle. Consequently, that erodes what made her music special in her Lights/Halcyon days, and she fails to really establish her artistry amidst all these songs.
Then again, it is impossible to deny that these songs are massive tunes. They've all got some great hooks and are undeniably catchy, even if it's thanks to repetition. Some tracks really triumph. Around U and Codes are light and giddy-ishly fun while Lost and Found tries to marry Ellie's original folk sound with modern pop, but at least the song really soars.
I suppose Delirium is somewhat polarising. It's easy to tell Ellie is losing her originality to an extent but the music she is putting out is reasonably good. But if you wanna reinvent yourself as a full-fledged pop star, a lot more trimmings need to be done. The album has way too many songs. Though the album is rooted in electropop, it doesn't feel like a very cohesive listen, for some reason. These reasons make me think that she has yet to reach the height of a pop star. Maybe Delirium is meant to represent the inconsistency of the album or her career? Or perhaps it shows that she is delirious about the music she should and is capable of making.
|
archives
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/1/2013
Posts: 17,232
|
I think I want to review Art Angels since it turned me into a Grimes stan, did you guys start reviewing it? I've only seen Holyground's review
|
|
|
Member Since: 5/22/2011
Posts: 21,227
|
Can we review Mossy's new single?
|
|
|
Banned
Member Since: 8/31/2013
Posts: 20,327
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 27,248
|
Are we gonna do Purpose?
|
|
|
Member Since: 9/8/2012
Posts: 10,084
|
Quote:
Originally posted by KillingYourCareer
It's not like it needed another biased 10/10 from a stan
|
Better that than a biased 0 from a non stan just because he doesn't like her.
|
|
|
|
|