The album is pretty much what I expected!

 

I expect it to be more of a grower than Future Nostalgia, the hooks aren't as in your face. I think it's a very slick pop album. I'm enjoying!

“Instead, it could be argued that Lipa has become ever-so-slightly risk-averse in an effort to cement her place in pop’s upper echelons."

 

After first listen I’m inclined to agree with this review. FN should have been the foundation for something more ‘radical’ and this isn’t it. :( Tbf I’m sure some songs are growers but FN had me on first listen so massively underwhelmed.

 

3/5

I like the album a lot! However, I kinda feel the promo has been a bit weird and promised us "more" - what "more" exactly, I don't know (more britpop at least :lol: )

 

I don't know if the album has taken various shapes, as she referred in the Zane Lowe interview that she came to back to several tracks to better them. Not sure if it's always the best to keep on working stuff it it's good already.

 

I cannot see any additional big hits coming from it, unless Maria takes off on TikTok (what a lovely track!) during the summer.

 

Solid 3.5/5 for me!

I give it a listen on my way to work this morning and whilst it’s perfectly fine I think we might’ve all anticipated / expected a lot more.

 

I think when she mentioned the influencers and producers and herself described it as not being like Future Nostalgia I kind of imagined it would be very different in sound as to what it is. The album is nice enough on the whole and there are some interesting production moments but it feels like there could’ve been a lot more of an impact / statement to make. I’ll give it some repeated listens to see what grows and how it evolves but I wasn’t overly wowed.

 

Falling Forever is the standout for me on first listen (that intro of how looooooong) I just know there’s gonna be a EE Vanessa Gold mashup of that).

 

I feel like if this had been her second album the reaction might’ve been different but compared to Future Nostalgia it does feel like a step down.

Edited May 3, 20241 yr by Jordanlee

I'm really enjoying the album. It for sure grew on me after a couple of listens. Feels like a mix of DL1 and FN sounds which I'm here for.

 

Hopefully she'll snatch the #1 this week!

I can't get over "if these walls could talk, they'd tell us to break up"

 

I mean, girllll...

I like End of an Era quite a lot, it feels very Summery and breezy and the production is more interesting than it initially appears. Similarly I'm liking Maria for the same reasons and that's probably the one that I could most imagine translating into a hit, it could easily incorporate a feature on a single release.

 

 

These Walls / Whatcha Doing / French Exit don't do much for me at all - the former in particular is possibly the worst song on the album for me so surprised it's being pushed.

I think the issue is she rose to a level of expectation which she didn't warrant. I think lockdown really helped the success of Future Nostalgia. I've given this another listen with headphones and her voice is just not it, there isn't any personality. She very much feels like an artist who has absolutely zero to do with the music. The music isn't bad in my ears it's just not there. Doesn't help that I saw her live and was absolutely atrocious so already have that bad taste. But I've got Houdini and thats a goldmine.

Edited May 3, 20241 yr by Rough_edges

Agreed. This is a massively disappointing album.

 

It’s okay, but becoming of one of the biggest popstars in the world? It’s just so bland sadly.

I think the issue is she rose to a level of expectation which she didn't warrant. I think lockdown really helped the success of Future Nostalgia. I've given this another listen with headphones and her voice is just not it, there isn't any personality. She very much feels like an artist who has absolutely zero to do with the music. The music isn't bad in my ears it's just not there. Doesn't help that I saw her live and was absolutely atrocious so already have that bad taste. But I've got Houdini and thats a goldmine.

 

The thing is that she DOES have a personality and interest towards art, and I feel she could do so much more. Is it the label holding her back? The need to have constant hits? Don't know.

 

There are some beautiful production choices throughout (I especially loved the flutes towards the end of the record) but I'm struggling with the lyrics and especially melodies at the moment. I'd say 'Maria' is my favourite album track on first listen but I didn't enjoy anything as much as the singles and felt they stuck out a lot. I'm really hoping this project will click with me more on subsequent listens but we'll see... hopefully my vinyl should turn up today so will need to give it a physical spin for listen #2

I can already see this being a bit of a Rated R with her Loud coming in 2025.

I can already see this being a bit of a Rated R with her Loud coming in 2025.

 

I'm just hoping her next one won't be a Witness :(

The Guardian - 3/5

"The British superstar has said her new album is influenced by Britpop, rave culture and Primal Scream, but you could go mad trying to find the evidence

 

Completelyagreed with this!! At leastThese Walls is aomething different from her. 2/5

The vocals are bad, the lyrics are bad, the production is pasturised ans blans, rhe songs are uninteresting... I predicted this the second I heard the weak Houdini, which could be an albim track on FN. 2/5, ciuld be her Witness.

I'm just hoping her next one won't be a Witness :(

 

Yeah the Teenage Dream/Prism comparison fits too atm. I’m still hoping the album is a grower since I wasn’t sold on New Rules and Physical at first but ended up loving them. Nothing wows me though, if anything it’s made me appreciate the singles more :lol:

Prism was an excellent album though ans still had no.1s! It was let down by poor singles choices.

I'll keep 'Whatcha Doin', 'Maria' and perhaps 'Falling Forever' out of what I hadn't already heard, the rest can be binned.

 

I'd say WD would be the most logical choice for a next single.

 

I can't believe how beige this album is!

I can already see this being a bit of a Rated R with her Loud coming in 2025.

 

Rated R was (to me at least) a career best masterpiece and one of the best pop albums of all time (or certainly of the 00s / 10s decade).

 

I can totally see some collaborations happening though with those being tagged onto the album with a re-release of the album to give her another long charting era.

Beige and bland are the keywords for this album, but we all saw it coming with how bland the three singles were. Hopefully this makes her come back with something actually radical. For an album with radical in the title, it sure isn't!