I blame Mabel personally, she has really unleashed a demon here.

I doubt Mabel is responsible but the label tactics are appalling. Talking of which, Mabel has left her label very quietly - the same label as Raye and Years & Years 👀

I dunno what y'all are on about, it's a nice little album and quite a few songs jumped out at me on first listen. 'Immaculate' is... well, just that! Also liking '20 Minutes' and 'Muscle'. Sure, there's a couple of fillers but overall it's really not that bad an album!

 

(I completely agree about tacking the old hits on the end though, completely unnecessary and reeks of desperation by the label but I'm judging the music here rather than label tactics).

Edited January 21, 20223 yr by Mangø

I don't care how this post comes across or how OTT it sounds but, I wasn't really running to check the album out given nothing this era has really grabbed me. Having seen that songs from the DEBUT are tagged to the end has low-key enraged me though? When did the artform of an album become this watered down that old hits can be tacked onto the end to increase the relevance or chart performance of it. It's so depressing and I really hope the OCC do something about it. I won't be listening to the album because of the sour taste this has left in my mouth :') A complete disregard of integrity and an artistic vision for the music. Again, I know this sounds so OTT and I don't know why I am affected by it but... if the music quality was strong enough - let it do the talking rather than relying on past glories :(

 

I think it shows that the label have limited confidence in the album.

 

But I agree - whats to stop every label/artist going forward tacking their old hits on to a new album to inflate sales.

I doubt Mabel is responsible but the label tactics are appalling. Talking of which, Mabel has left her label very quietly - the same label as Raye and Years & Years 👀

 

Manifesting Raye getting a Mabel-sized platform this year. It's what she deserves

Manifesting Raye getting a Mabel-sized platform this year. It's what she deserves

I doubt it, shes currently independent. Mabel I think is now too, both will probably get a label sooner than later though.

 

I can see Years & Years, well Olly, parting ways soon too - Polydor sound awful.

I bought the album today. I like what I’ve heard so far. Some good pop songs, nothing really ground breaking though.

i see this debuting at #3, I think Meat Loaf will be top two.

I doubt it, shes currently independent. Mabel I think is now too, both will probably get a label sooner than later though.

 

I can see Years & Years, well Olly, parting ways soon too - Polydor sound awful.

 

I love Raye but can see why Polydor probably wasn’t the right label for her. Her mini album ‘Euphoric Sad Songs’ did nothing despite being available as a physical, I’m sure this approach is a test by the label before committing to an album and it’s the same approach they took with Mabel and Becky Hill.

 

Lots of rumours as to why Mabel has quit the label but ultimately her new tracks haven’t set the charts alight either and her ‘Platinum’ album probably only sold a limited amount.

 

I’m sure Y&Y will depart too - diminishing returns it seems on a big budget release and no major hit single (yet) this era despite lots of profile for Olly via Its A Sin, 2 x Kylie duets, Performance with Elton etc.,

Yeah so this isn't anywhere near Communion/Palo Santo but there's still some good stuff here - Sooner Or Later and Night Call are both bops (one of them should've been released instead of Crave tbh) and 20 Minutes is cute.

I thought it was an ok album although from the new tracks I only saved Sooner Or Later, Muscle and Strange And Unusual to my playlist. A lot of it did wash over me unfortunately.

Agree, it's a very bland album overall. And not very many single-worthy highlights.

I don’t understand all the negativity about this album. It’s a pretty good album. Takes a few listens but I like it :-)

yeah i'd say its a nice enough album...

Sweet Talker has just hit with me. What a TUNE

I don't care how this post comes across or how OTT it sounds but, I wasn't really running to check the album out given nothing this era has really grabbed me. Having seen that songs from the DEBUT are tagged to the end has low-key enraged me though? When did the artform of an album become this watered down that old hits can be tacked onto the end to increase the relevance or chart performance of it. It's so depressing and I really hope the OCC do something about it. I won't be listening to the album because of the sour taste this has left in my mouth :') A complete disregard of integrity and an artistic vision for the music. Again, I know this sounds so OTT and I don't know why I am affected by it but... if the music quality was strong enough - let it do the talking rather than relying on past glories :(

Whilst I wouldn’t say I was enraged, I do feel similarly. It’s put me off listening to it as well.

 

I remember similar types of comments when Michael Jackson released History, many viewed it as tagging on a disc if greatest hits to inflate the sales of a new album that the label didn’t have confidence in.

 

Also didn’t Olly Murs do something similar not so long ago?

I do agree it is really desperate and tacky, but in all honestly it didn't bother me that much in terms of the listening experience. I just stopped listening at track 16 knowing the rest isn't actually part of the album.

Whilst I wouldn’t say I was enraged, I do feel similarly. It’s put me off listening to it as well.

 

I remember similar types of comments when Michael Jackson released History, many viewed it as tagging on a disc if greatest hits to inflate the sales of a new album that the label didn’t have confidence in.

 

Also didn’t Olly Murs do something similar not so long ago?

 

I mean fair play to record/management companies for exploiting the chart rules (something which has happened for decades), I just hope this isn’t the start of a new trend - tacking hits on to a new album to inflate sales, could give some artists a real advantage for an album which would need to battle it out on its own merit otherwise.

Olly Murs did, but it was billed from the start as half new album/half greatest hits.

exactly, Olly Murs was a dual new album/greatest hits

he didn't release a new album and then a second version with the greatest hits added

 

Yeah I think this feels a bit different and more cynical than the Olly Murs album, if this was being marketed as a mix of old hits and new material that would be one thing but it's not as far as I'm aware, it really just comes across as a zero effort move to have it leech off the streams of the older hits to stay in the chart longer. I can't blame the label for taking advantage of the system this way but this really feels like something the OCC should have a look at (I don't have too much of a problem with double counting streams for a studio album and a greatest hits but having the same streams count towards two different studio albums by the same artist is harder to defend).

 

This is of course assuming that the streams of those songs are actually counting towards the album, which tbf I'm not sure if we know?

 

I'm not a huge fan of the Mabel / Jax Jones strategy of endlessly adding new songs either but again it doesn't feel quite as slimy as this Y&Y move, at least the added songs there are current material so part of the same 'era' even if not necessarily intended for the album per se.