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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 1,521
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Grimes’ Art Angels opens with an incredible opener in "Laughing and Not Being Normal". This is one of the best introductions to an album I could ever recall. From start to finish, this masterpiece is builds on an amazing musical experience. From productions to vocals to theatrics to features, Art Angels signifies a new standard for art in Pop Culture.
Lyrically, Art Angels is a living form of a paradox. As much as there is simplicity in the lyrics, it stands out as mysterious and sophisticated, making the album even more intriguing than it already is. With tracks such as “Belly of the Beat”, “REALiTi”, “Flesh Without Blood” and title track, “Artangels”, there is no doubt that Art Angels doesn’t lack an ounce of greatness.
When lyrics are inaudible/incomprehensible, Grimes is still able to lock in the interest of the listener, a feat not many is able to do (outside the K-Pop/J-Pop scene). In lack of clarity, the listeners are brought adrift, mesmerised by the unique productions of Grimes and addicted to her hooks. This is most prevalent in standout Chinese-lyric track, "Scream (feat. Aristophanes)", which shows how the right risks can certainly pay off.
However, the most enticing feature of the artist is her lack of boundaries when it comes to creativity. Without her featured vocalist, Grimes works best by providing listeners with the most theatric pop vocal in the industry. In songs like “Kill V. Maim” and the previously mentioned “Scream”, Grimes draws a bridge between electropop and screamo to bring emotions without overdoing it unlike most artists in the industry today. Through the cohesiveness of the album, it is this emotion she displays that sets each song apart from another.
Closing off with "Butterfly", Grimes tones down the album letting listeners settle down after an amazing ride around Art Angels. Though the interlude “Life in the Vivid Dream” sounds a bit detached from its pre and post tracks, we’ll let it slide and applaud this otherwise flawless album.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Quote:
It will still remain a mystery as to why the world chose her to be the biggest musician of our time to me, but I guess I can say I don't mind.
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This echoes so many of my sentiments.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 46,848
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Hello from the other side, Adele is back and she's out for blood with her latest effort. The aptly titled "25" is a step away from her previous LP "21", in that it aims for a more current sound with the use of synths and drum pads to modernize her image. Although not as cohesive as her previous albums, "25" holds it's own in the form of a plethora of diverse tracks dispersed throughout. Below is a track-by-track review of the standard edition in the order they appear on the album.
TRACK-BY-TRACK REVIEW
HELLO - A striking power ballad that was ultimately the best choice for lead on the album. The phrase "Hello it's me" is already on it's way to superstardom! The main highlight of this song is the fact that it is entirely anchored by Adele's powerful voice. The amount of emotion she can evoke from the listener is both breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
10/10
SEND MY LOVE (TO YOUR NEW LOVER) - The song is reminiscent of Ed Sheeran. While not necessarily being a bad thing, it is a step down for Adele in authenticity. The track is catchy, fun and young which is something Adele is not typically known for. Granted, the shift in sound should be commended although the track in general could have been executed better.
8.5/10
I MISS YOU - "I Miss You" lyrically is a masterpiece. It is sensual and sultry which again is a shift from Adele's typical agenda. What brings the track down is ultimately its snooziness. It almost goes nowhere for the entire duration of the song. The saving grace is the bridge which is easily the most beautiful I've ever heard. The song is also a grower, so take that into account.
7.0/10
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG - The "Someone Like You" off 25 to a lesser extent. Reminiscent of 80's powerballads, "When We Were Young" would have easily been the most beautiful song off of 25 had it not been for the final chorus. The drums are completely off beat and distracting and unpleasant to the ear. The live version was miles better unfortunately.
7.5/10
REMEDY - Another flawless piano led track! "Remedy" isn't groundbreaking structurally, but the execution is what makes it the perfection it is. The runs, the power, the lyrics all come together to create a great heartbreak song. With the emotional level at a 10, "Remedy" is obviously a 10 out 10. Here's to hoping it becomes a single in the near future!
10/10
WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE - This synth-pop, folky track breathes life and energy back into the album halfway through listening. While not necessarily being outstanding or groundbreaking in any sense of the word, "Water Under The Bridge" definitely has a certain something that makes this pop/folk record even more exciting in the general sense.
8.5/10
RIVER LEA - Reactions to this track so far have been polarizing and mixed and understandably so. While I personally do not understand what the songs purpose is for or what it is meant to mean on "25" in general, I do appreciate its preachiness. Unfortunately, it is the weakest track on the entire album, mainly because it just comes off as a "filler".
6.0/10
LOVE IN THE DARK - "Love In The Dark" is a gorgeous track. The instrumental is so pretty and telling. However, while being a brilliant and beautiful song, it is no different from anything off of Adele's previous record, "21". So far all tracks have seen a shift in some form in the typical sound Adele is known for. This track sort of back-peddles in that sense but at the same time, it's beauty is still commendable.
8.0/10
MILLION YEARS AGO - By far the most emotional song off the album. You can actually hear her voice choking up on the chorus throughout. Much like a modernized version of "My All" by the irrefutable queen of ballads, Mariah Carey the soft guitar creates a feeling of nostalgia which is ultimately what "Million Years Ago" is all about. A very resonating song.
10/10
ALL I ASK - Similarly to "Million Years Ago", "All I Ask" continues the powerballad vibe and is again, a tremendously beautiful song. Vocally this is the best Adele has ever sounded as evidenced by the final key change. And again, the song is vocally reminiscent to Mariah Carey circa 1993-1996 which isn't a bad thing at all. Personally, this is my favorite track from "25".
10/10
SWEETEST DEVOTION - "Sweetest Devotion" sounds similar to "Don't You Remember" to me personally in that it has a grittiness about it that reminds me of the south and the old west. It's a cool song to end the album on and is definitely a strong album closer in its own right, although it can lean towards the snoozy side every now and then.
7.0/10
Overall, "25" is a step in the right direction for Adele coming off of the back of the success of "21". There was ample experimentation whilst staying true to the artistic styles that made her the powerhouse she is today. So far, her albums have gotten better with each release so this only makes me more excited for 30(?)!
![](http://i.imgur.com/QsRdbLq.png)
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Member Since: 4/22/2012
Posts: 33,490
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Ellie Goulding - Delirium: 4/10
When you listen to this album, it's kind of hard to believe that it's the same artist who surprised us three years ago by delivering the wonderfully quirky, powerful and unique Halcyon. To get straight to the point, Delirium is none of these things. It's neither unique nor particularly creative, it lacks personality and artistic direction. It is a generic pop album, filled with off the shelf tracks co-written and produced by the people everyone uses these days. There's nothing typically Ellie about it, even her vocals which are unarguably unique don't stand out very often, meaning these songs might be just as good had they been recorded by someone else.
Don't get me wrong, the album is pleasant to listen to, with a smooth production and some interesting beats/melodies that will make you tap your foot or nod along. But for the most part this album is so predictable with one potential radio hit after another, all constructed in a careful way to appeal to as many listeners as possible. Every song is forgotten as soon as the next one starts, and after a few tracks they all just kind of blend together and it becomes one big blob of generic electro pop, with the redundant Love Me Like You Do in between.
Ellie's luck is that she released Halcyon Days; originally branded as just an experiment, after its commercial success it became clear quite quickly that this was going to be her direction for the future and thus helped soften the blow of her transition from a credible, original songwriter to, well... a wannabe pop girl. Because honestly, it's not like this album is able to play in the big league up there with Taylor, Katy, Beyoncé and the like. For that she lacks a brand, a personality, an image that people connect with her and her music but it's non-existent on Delirium.
Maybe Ellie just needs a bit more time to grow into the pop girl role and find her own, distinctive style, but then again she had the perfect chance to establish herself with this album. Maybe it was the pressure to successfully follow up LMLYD that caused her to get lost and want to try too much in order to please everyone, and I wish she'd had more of her braveness from Halcyon, where she just fully put herself into it without wondering about anything else. She may be commercially successful now and have the attention of the mainstream which she so desperately wants, but it came at the price of sacrificing her artistic vision and musical quality.
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Member Since: 4/22/2012
Posts: 33,490
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Grimes - Art Angels: 10/10
While her previous album was more of an acquired taste, Grimes's latest release is surprisingly accessible easy-listening material. Bursting with creativity as usual, she paints a colourful musical landscape that takes the listener through a range of emotions and feelings, seamlessly changing from hyperactively fast beats to scary screams to slow dreamy melodies.
The album is less 'weird' than anything we've previously heard from Grimes, but each song is still 100% Grimes, oozing her confidence and artistic vision which is bright as ever. This is an album to get lost in, as she takes you away into her fantasy world where only the music matters and despite some songs being longer than 5 minutes, there is never a dull moment on this record. Time just flies by when you listen to it, due to the track list being so cohesive and songs complementing each other so well. Even the most exotic track, SCREAM, which is performed entirely in Mandarin Chinese by a Taiwanese rapper, fits in perfectly and does not hurt the flow of the album.
It is worth mentioning that Grimes not only wrote but also produced this album herself, which makes the album incredibly authentic and such a great insight into her artistic mind. It feels like an unfiltered presentation of all her ideas and thoughts, and it's amazing that she managed to transform them into such a listenable album and it didn't end up being a huge mess.
It seems almost impossible, but there are no real weak moments on Art Angels - there are no fillers, and every song is an important part of this masterpiece and executed well into the smallest detail.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Ellie Goulding - Delirium
Members
Score 74
7 reviews (4 positive, 3 mixed)
Top Critics
Score 63
4 reviews (3 positive, 1 mixed)
Overall Score
69.7
11 reviews (7 positive, 4 mixed)
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Delirium's score being super close to it's actual score ![eek](http://www.atrl.net/forums/images/smilies/images/smilies/eek.gif) Still a few points too low tbh.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Little Mix - Get Weird
*Unofficial*
Members
Score 82
3 reviews (3 positive)
Top Critics
N/A
0 reviews
Overall Score
82.2
3 reviews (3 positive)
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Member Since: 4/22/2012
Posts: 33,490
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did my review of delirium count as mixed?
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by borntodie
did my review of delirium count as mixed?
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Yes, mixed is 40-60.
Quote:
Originally posted by alexanderao
0-39 = negative
40-60 = mixed
61-100 = positive
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Member Since: 4/22/2012
Posts: 33,490
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Quote:
Originally posted by alexanderao
Yes, mixed is 40-60.
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ugh damn, I'll never understand those scores
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Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 11,012
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Review: Adele - 25
Let's get one thing straight, Adele's 25 is different from 21. Of course, she still has quite a few ballads on there, but that's what she does best. She has an ability to write our very own experiences into lyric form and capture our hearts through the daunting and, sometimes, catchy melodies. Adele's 25 is different, not on just a musical level, but also a thematic level. 25 is witness to Adele's take on the passivity of time and our very own mortality. You may be thinking (and you would be forgiven in thinking so) that Adele is far too young to be concerning herself with lost time and the passage of time, but Adele does it in such a way that you believe her. You believe everyone word that comes out of her mouth.
The album starts off with a bang, with the fastest selling single of 2015 and the song that possesses the best sales week in digital history, 'Hello'. If you haven't heard this masterpiece, you are probably living under a rock. Moving on...
The next song on the album is 'Send My Love (To Your New Lover)'. Well, I certainly didn't see that coming. Adele has gone full-on pop with this song. From the calypso vibe to the whole song, it just feels like a summer hit. It's a song that pop radio will eat up and one that will certainly appeal to the younger demographic, but it's at risk of isolating her core demographic - adult contemporary. But the fact that she put this on the album demonstrates that she's certainly not adverse to taking a few risks. This is only exemplified with 'I Miss You', definitely one of the highlights on this album. This song is extremely intimate, and if you're thinking it; yes, in that way. It's definitely something Adele has never done before and the risk pays off.
The best song on this album, however, is 'All I Ask'. It's special. Co-written with Bruno Mars, you just can't help but feel that this is going to be a song that is played in the years to come. Her vocals have never sounded better, and only help to cement her as, one of, if not the best vocalist of this generation. Her range seems to have expanded and she hits notes she has never hit before. 'All I ask' is only complimented by the sweet ballads 'Remedy', 'Love in the Dark', and Adele's personal favourite, 'When We Were Young'.
The album has some low points, but not many to make you skip any of the tracks. The most disappointing facet of this album is the anticlimactic finale. 'Sweetest Devotion' just doesn't do it for me. I'm sure it will appeal to her main demographic, however, it's lacking that little something that makes Adele special. It almost feels forced and without much thought. Here, the verses are much better than the chorus.
Overall, this album is extremely strong and is a worthy predecessor to 21. Adele has done herself justice. She's found her niche, and to some extent, she has sat very comfortably within it. But why shouldn't she? She's not Rihanna, who has to change herself entirely with every era to keep people interested because they are lacking in other areas. All Adele needs is her voice, and quite frankly, it's bloody refreshing!
9.5/10.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 8,324
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![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fflNTv62INs/VZLuYPWZPWI/AAAAAAAAKqk/DaXoI51aO3U/s1024/QMR.png)
JUSTIN BIEBER
PURPOSE
![](http://i.imgur.com/ICXiwLy.png)
Intro
Purpose is less an album than a deliberate act of repositioning. As much as 2012's Believe was intended as Justin Bieber's micro-adjustment into adulthood, the advance singles for Purpose, "What Do You Mean?" and "Sorry", are his first hits without any traces of teen-pop. They're designed much in the spirit of "Where Are Ü Now", his single with Skrillex and Diplo from earlier this year, where Bieber's voice fluctuated through animated throbs. Produced, respectively, by MdL and Skrillex (who contributes six productions to the record), "What Do You Mean?" and "Sorry" are vivid tropical house tracks that sound like sunlight drifting down through palm fronds. Bieber's voice often resembles a breath contorted inexpressively through notes; here, he lets it weightlessly fall through textures. They are his best performances to date, allowing him to flex a rhythmic playfulness without communicating an iota of legible emotion.
Track By Track Review
Quick note: you will witness a lot of hair loss experiments while reading this review
Mark My Words
This Song is what is called a perfect starter. It's always an amazing way to start an album with a comforting song. This one is quite different, I experienced a lot of intro songs and none of them were really exciting but this one is actually one of my favorite songs that leads to this unexpected note that took the upper part of my hair and its roots.
10/10
I'll Show You
I don't know how to express how bald I am for this choice Justin took with the lyrics!! The way he sang the lyrics was good as this won't be a hardcore dance song with deep lyrics, that would just be wrong ![skull](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/ATRL_Smilies_All/faces/skull_zpsksni5fmm.gif) the lyrics were relatable and I feel he made a great choice putting this as a promotional single and I actually won't mind this being a single in the future.
9.5/10
What Do You Mean?
omg I still remember when I first listened to it, the song was delayed because iTunes was down and I refused to listen to it until it came out, and my feelings that day were unexplainable because of the way I reacted to it, simply because there were a lot of curses and screams and there isn't really a reason why I did it maybe because we didn't get music for a long time, but for the song it was really good and the beats were so good as this was the dance song other than where are you now and I think it is good compared to it.
10/10
Sorry
This is the best song and I'm not going to go through a lot, just saying that this is the best song on the album. The voice which is so hot and those lyrics and that beat oh gosh that hair by hair snatching beat is killing me with everything he releases that beat is the reason why the weave market has gone up since I bought 900K weaves just in case.
10/10
Love Yourself
When Justin released this and said he did this with Ed Sheeran I had an idea in mind that Justin listened to Thinking Out Loud on the radio and said that he wants to work with him on his new album. I don't know why but it seemed actually a thing that Justin would do, but the thing is that I see that his songs are boring so before I listened I said to myself that this song would probably be the one I'll skip later on and wouldn't be one of my favorites, I WAS WRONG ![JonnyϟLightning](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/ATRL_Smilies_All/atrlers/jonny_zpsc73391c5.png) it grew on me a lot and I feel like it's slowly getting better after every listen.
9/10
Company
This leaked when I was on my way to home. I thought of playing it in my Aux cord because it would probably a dance song, it was amazing and I kept dancing to it and pretending to know the lyrics when I'm hearing it for the first time, and then as usual I keep forgetting that Justin likes to bring these unexpected hurricane sized beats that destroys my roots and snatches my weave and natural hair, I had to put my head out the window just to make sure I have nothing left on my head, the struggle was on a whole new level.
10/10
No Pressure (feat. Big Sean)
I decided to stop listening to the songs until I get home so I can act normal with my baldness because I suffered too much with this experience, so when I got home I went to download this straight away and before I listen to every song I read some reactions and reviews for the song I will about to listen to, this had some bad things about it, i didn't really believe them since it's something not positive about it and I had to listen to make sure, it was good but my head was to focus if there isn't any sudden beats so I won't choke on my snacks and die without listening to the full album, nothing happened in the first verse so now I can make sure that nothing surprising will happen, his vocals were heavenly and I'm not overreacting, then the big Sean verse came and I understood what they meant, the lyrics were absolute trash and his voice wasn't really my kind of thing, I prefer the as long as you love me collaboration over this and I would've liked it if it was solo or the drake collab we all were dying for.
6/10
No Sense (feat. Travis Scott)
This song came up and I said this is a R&B song just like no pressure and will probably be the same since Justin isn't really that productive when it comes to r&b music (Journals as an example) but then those beats that make me dance that weird dance Justin does when his irrelevant r&b faves come to the radio. The lyrics were good and Travis Scott actually did a great job on this and the lyrics weren't messy.
8/10
The Feeling (feat. Halsey)
I was literally shocked since the release of this song since my ultimate two faves were in a song, like they are in a song together!!! I didn't even wanted to listen to the leak or whatever it was I waited until the song came out officially and oh my ****ing god I was screaming in every scream worthy moment which was from the beginning to the ending of this song, I cried when the chorus came and I never knew their voices could flow this good I literally thought I was dying this isn't a weave snatching kids moment this is real life I felt like my dead and fat soul evaporating out of my throat and I burped it when the song finished, second favorite song on this album or maybe in a tie with sorry.
10/10
Life Is Worth Living
I had a feeling this song would be the "Be Alright" of this album with a dance beat but I was completely wrong with the beat, it was a piano based song which leads to a cry, and yes I cried hard because I know this song will be the one I get back to every time I get sad or feel down, which is between 20-30 times a day and I won't really get bored of it, his vocals were so clear I felt his voice going from my headphone to my vagina, they were vibrating as he spoke, it felt so good.
10/10
Where Are Ü Now
Now back to this iconic dance song that forever will be known as the day my weave was first snatched because in his older albums I was in my condom safe sex era of my life, I lost that in 2015 and became bald of this beat, I knew this song had to be about Selena but he was the one ditching her and the song will be working for her too but we're talking about Justin. His voice was so good and the unexpected beat is first experienced here as I choke on my beautiful food oh gosh I love the song so much it needs to win a Grammy.
10/10
Children
This song was the most talked about when the album first leaked, I was excited for it a lot along with the feeling, a 15 second snippet came out and I was in shock, a song similar to where are you now is coming, I repeated it for 30000294838 times as I scream every time that beat comes, but when I listened to the song I actually got what he was saying and screamed harder and harder then went bald and with no vocal chords when that unexpected beat came, those little voices also were working with the concept and i agree with his vision #Bieber2020 wait he's not American but I don't care make him the president.
10/10
Purpose
I feel like songs with the same album name for Justin's view have to be inspirational and the songs I actually skip in general to be completely honest ![rip](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/ATRLSmilies/rip_zpsec10ede9.gif) but this one oh god the lyrics were so good "I put my all into ur hands here's my soul to keep, I let you in with all I can, ur not hard to reach" and when he said you give me purpose I realized the whole image he is trying to show us with his album, that he found his purpose and this album is the journey while he's finding it. Overall the song is really inspirational and the vocals were Amazing and I can't really not talk about these piano kind of songs his ballads are always so good and this one is on the list, but his We Are Never Getting Back Together kind of speech at the end where he mentions Jesus which isn't really a good way to say it because ur singing maybe that's my point of view bc I'm Muslim but why would he do it if he's not Muslim so i understand it, I'll probably hit next when that part comes.
9/10
Been You
When I first heard this I knew this isn't going to be a ballad or an r&b song. I said this is an another song on this album which has an unexpected beat and I just have to pay attention to the song so I can wear an extra weave for it just in case anything happens, but it was kind of similar to WDYM which is pop/dance which i enjoyed and that lady talking in whatever that language is so hot and her laugh is such a life goal and I don't know why is she saying defective over and over and I still didn't see my dictionary for that meaning.
10/10
Get Used To It
This song didn't really give me hype, I liked the lyrics and his voice and the beats were good but I felt like there is something missing, I noticed the beats so I thought that was missing but there is one more thing missing but I still didn't figure this out yet because I'm still bopping hard to it and the lyrics are catchy more than Been You, this won't get a 10 because I feel something is missing.
8/10
We Are (feat. Nas)
Those beats were so good and when he said Happy Birthday I screamed because I remembered the old Justin and his little cute happy birthday in the beginning of the song, this song also is the song I would pull this weird Justin r&b dance and the lyrics are even better than the previous songs, and Nas sounded legendary in the song and it's so catchy and fun.
10/10
Trust
I heard his heavenly notes and screamed hard, I wanted a song similar to Mark My Words with those gold made custom made vocals, then he said "If I believe in love, and you believe in love, then we could be in love somehow" I kept answering him like a freak saying yes I believe in love with tears in my face and saying yes we could be in love just find a way we could work it out, I got his lyrics and enjoyed them, I felt he was singing about Selena it's kind of speaking about their relationship problems. Overall I enjoyed his Grammy/Oscar/VMA/AMA and whatever award you can mention worthy voice and those amazing lyrics!!!
10/10
All In It
This song was acoustic and I was so happy and I cried once again, then the guitar was gone and said hopefully doesn't have an unexpected beat thing because this really makes me tired, the lyrics were good and that chorus omg I can't really describe it it's really good and i said really good Because I ran out of good things to say other than good because I didn't read the thesaurus today. and his vocals again like stop doing this to me.
10/10
What Do You Mean? (Remix) with Ariana Grande
I was waiting so long for this and they kept teasing and teasing until I got tired of it, the whole album leaked and this still didn't leak and I was thinking this would never come out, I heard people had it and I was so excited for it, I had the exact reaction for what do you mean to this one simply because the only thing different is Ariana's voice in it, and speaking about her the only thing or I can say things is that she BLEW ME THE **** AWAY those Mariah Carey sized vocals were giving me life when I was losing oxygen slowly, I was reviving yet dying like even scientists are yet to explain that weird theory only Justin and Ariana could cause and I enjoyed and bopped to every second of this.
10/10
Overall this album was literally worth the wait and is truly the comeback material Justin needed to prove himself wrong and change his image to the world that he found his purpose. As I'm typing this Justin is debuting on the #1 spot in the Billboard 200 Chart with 649K copies which is much higher than I expected and I'm really proud of what he became and achieved. This album is the best and truly is a work of art that needs to be put in every ancient museum out there that appreciates iconic and Grammy worthy art.
10/10
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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I want to see if I can get an Adele review up later and I'll see if I can do Purpose soon also
Is Grimes still open?
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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I'm starting to think we shouldn't count stan reviews. I mean. The 10/10s for one album in particular reviewed a few weeks ago were all blatantly and completely biased reviews from diehard stans. And obviously, I would have a hard time being objective reviewing a Katy Perry album, since she's my fave ![rip](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/ATRLSmilies/rip_zpsec10ede9.gif)
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Quote:
Originally posted by KillingYourCareer
I'm starting to think we shouldn't count stan reviews. I mean. The 10/10s for one album in particular reviewed a few weeks ago were all blatantly and completely biased reviews from diehard stans. And obviously, I would have a hard time being objective reviewing a Katy Perry album, since she's my fave ![rip](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/ATRLSmilies/rip_zpsec10ede9.gif)
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I mean there's a whole lot of biased reviews in here, which is why the Top Critic score makes more sense imo.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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Quote:
Originally posted by ClarksonSlays
I mean there's a whole lot of biased reviews in here, which is why the Top Critic score makes more sense imo.
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One more thing, who are the top critics and how did they achieve that status?
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by KillingYourCareer
One more thing, who are the top critics and how did they achieve that status?
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I came up with the concept for a top critics panel late last year with the help of a few others. The purpose of the TC panel is to provide a more unbiased score (because, as we all know, the overall score can occasionally become tainted with bias).
Basically, what I'm looking for in a TC is someone who writes frequent, objective, well-thought-out reviews. People join the panel via personal invitations from me (or they can send me a PM to submit themselves for my consideration). There are currently 8 people on the panel.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 68,548
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I'm doing 25 in a few hours!
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Member Since: 8/7/2015
Posts: 578
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Adele- 25
It was clear from the moment Adele announced her third studio album, 25, that it would be no 21. That album, in case one has been living underneath a rock since 2011, has sold approximately 30 million copies worldwide and has become the highest selling album of the century. Not too shabby, eh?
From the second the mournful, funeral-like piano chords start on opening track, first single and highlight "Hello", one notices the huge difference from the scorched guitar and drums of 21's opening track, first single and highlight "Rolling in the Deep". "Hello" is a perfect reintroduction to Adele. It is emotional, powerful and raw; in short, it is everything that we love about Adele.
Adele decides to take a huge left turn with "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)", one of the best songs of 2015. Produced and cowritten by pop masterminds Max Martin and Shellback, it is a playful, snappy and bitter older sibling to Lorde's "Royals". It is a huge risk for Adele, and it is one of the album's best.
Those two tracks perfectly demonstrate the two different kind of tracks 25 presents. There are the emotional, mostly piano-led, typical Adele ballads, and there are the unexpected and thrilling experiments. It is hard to declare one side better than the other because both have absolute standouts, but there is something ultimately more satisfying about the latter rather than the former. However, it is clear by the end of the record that the ballads win.
Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. "When We Were Young" is one of Adele's greatest songs yet. A stirring 70's type ballad, "When We Were Young" represents the album's themes of time, loss and nostalgia in belted glory. "All I Ask" and "Million Years Ago" are two fantastic examples of Adele's lyrical and vocal power.
However, it is hard not to wish for more experimentation. That type resulted in thrilling cuts like "I Miss You", a Florence-type of strut with off kilter drums and moody undertones, and "Water Under the Bridge", a poppy, booming anthem with a huge singalong chorus. Arguably the best song here is "River Lea", a hymn that is all-at-once haunting and catchy. Built on a gospel-like organ chords, "River Lea" is what all of 25 could have been. It could've been full of these thrilling, all time best cuts. However, it is clear when one reaches the end that Adele never meant for it to be a great experiment.
Adele's goal was to remind everyone of why we loved her in the first place, which it certainly does. It is huge and emotional, not unlike 21 in that regard. There is not a doubt in my mind that 25 will sell millions upon millions upon millions of records. I just wish that it could've done so while being a collection of thrilling, experimental risks than a collection of well-executed but safe ballads.
7/10
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