America's Sweetheart
by Courtney Love
  • Record Label: Virgin
  • Release Date: Feb 10, 2004
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 24
  3. Negative: 4 out of 24
  1. Stylus Magazine
    93
    Hole’s original précis was to become something like Sonic Youth crossed with Fleetwood Mac, and America’s Sweetheart is the closest she’s come to creating that vision.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    Love's bristling energy and careening narcissism overcome the occasionally clubfooted arena-punk arrangements. [20 Feb 2004, p.63]
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  3. Spin
    91
    A jaw-dropping act of artistic will and a fiery, proper follow-up to 1994's Live Through This. [Mar 2004, p.89]
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  5. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    91
    An album as invigorating in its contempt for rock professionalism as Neil Young's Tonight's the Night.
  6. Drowned In Sound
    90
    'America's Sweetheart' is still more 'Celebrity Skin' than anything.
  7. Blender
    80
    While Love's voice is as scratchy and corrosive as ever, unfaraid to veer off-pitch for a good sneer, the album is big-time Hollywood rock. [Mar 2004, p.112]
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  8. Dot Music
    80
    "America's Sweetheart" is a thrilling record. Held together by that extraordinary voice, which sounds even more shredded than it did in the days of "Dick Nail" and "Pretty On The Inside", she can still deliver.
  9. Playlouder
    80
    ‘America’s Sweetheart’ throbs, chugs, thunders, blasts, romps, rants and rocks.
  10. Los Angeles Times
    75
    In contrast to the raw, subdued intimacy of Hole's "Live Though This," the sound here is all dressed up and accessorized, hard and aggressive but tuneful and hook-laden.
  11. E! Online
    75
    The result is a bumpy, self-indulgent ride, sure, but Love's fuming testimony is packed with a scraggily voice screaming to be heard and a bombastic blast of rage, raw power and sarcasm.
  12. New Musical Express (NME)
    60
    This being Courtney, there’s also an emotional rawness to ‘America’s Sweetheart’ which you’ll either love or be repelled by.
  13. Q Magazine
    60
    Even its most unlistenable moments command attention with a ferocity that most musicians get nowhere near. [Mar 2004, p.98]
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  14. The Guardian
    60
    Love is a truly notable lyricist, but she's an ideas person rather than a musician.
  15. ShakingThrough.net
    52
    Even if you slipped the album into your player without the slightest preconceived notion of who Courtney Love is or was, Sweetheart wouldn't be able to help but strike you as a document of sheer desperation, of a frantic need for approval. Worse, it's the audible sound of a talent in serious decline.
  16. AllMusic
    50
    She winds up with a processed, affected record halfway between Live Through This and Pat Benatar or possibly Billy Squier.
  17. Village Voice
    50
    America's Sweetheart is one big, juicy fuckup, and fortunately for Courtney, there will always be little girls who hate being little girls, and are looking for a fairy godmother to show them how to self-destruct. Unfortunately, Karen O, Brody Dalle, and Amy Lee all made cooler records.
  18. Pitchfork
    40
    While it's unfair to directly compare Courtney's solo work with Hole's shifty discography, America's Sweetheart demonstrates a fairly monstrous decline in both quality and conviction.
  19. Rolling Stone
    40
    For people who enjoy watching celebrities fall apart, America's Sweetheart should be more fun than an Osbournes marathon.
  20. Mojo
    40
    If anywhere, this stuff belongs in interviews, not in songs. [Mar 2004, p.94]
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  21. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    40
    The songwriting is scattershot... and the sound strains for punk-on-a-budget but is as three-chord conservative as other retro acts like Rancid and the Distillers.
  22. The A.V. Club
    30
    Love has nothing new to say and no better way to say it.
  23. Logo
    30
    Derivative and unfocused from every conceivable angle.
  24. Uncut
    20
    America's Sweetheart is petulant and self-pitying. Worse, it's self-righteous. Worse still, it's musically crass. [Mar 2004, p.98]
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  25. Tiny Mix Tapes
    0
    The music is appallingly predictable, unoriginal, uninspiring, boring, over-polished, and vain.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Most Discussed Album of 2004

User Reviews

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User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 72 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 72
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 72
  3. Negative: 17 out of 72
  1. AmericanSkins
    Jan 28, 2023
    10
    A storm of negative press surrounded Courtney’s debut solo album and the detractors came out in droves to form ill informed opinions about it,A storm of negative press surrounded Courtney’s debut solo album and the detractors came out in droves to form ill informed opinions about it, what they missed was quite possibly the greatest album of all time by a female solo artist. Courtney wasn’t pleased with the production but it has aged magnificently, her lyricism was genius and her voice in top form despite her drug problems at the time and made for an authentic and consistent rock album, the likes of which has rarely been seen in the 21st century. Opening with the solid ‘Mono’, Courtney snarls “Hey, yeah, we had everything vinyl in mono” over a fierce guitar riff and whilst she agrees that rock is probably dead, it is clear she is the one with the spark to bring it back, features the simultaneously badass and tragic lines “An 8-ball isn’t love, a hookers never gonna come, just give it back to me, blow out all of the lights tonight”. On ‘Julian’ she takes a few tongue-in-cheek swipes at Casablancas of The Strokes in brilliant punk rock fashion, again her lyrics shine “Busty co-eds, live, live, live, you’ll crash the car, man, if you drive a 1-800, 1-800, 1-800 wired!” and a personal favourite of mine “Adorable, affordable, guaranteed discretion” before accusing him of ripping off The Clash with a fantastically raunchy double entendre. The third track ‘Hold On To Me’ would not be out of place on a list of the greatest songs of all time, it is lovelorn, tragic and defiant, Courtney’s inflection on the titular hook is one of the finest moments in her discography and rock music history, I only wish her screams on the final chorus were mixed higher. ‘Sunset Strip’ is seemingly a homage to ‘The Needle and The Damage Done’ musically, it features further commentary on Hollywood, fame, love and death, it sounds like it was written whilst she was actually sat on the Hollywood sign as the lyrics state reflecting on her life, it is truly great, the lyrics are hard to decipher towards the end of the song and are not available on lyric sites but are under the song’s youtube video courtesy of me, she really goes to town on it and it may well be her magnum opus. ‘All The Drugs’ is badass and ferocious, ‘Almost Golden’ is beautiful and classic Courtney “I was stuck and you stoned in a daze”, ‘I’ll Do Anything’ is an intentional rip off of ‘Teen Spirit’, ‘Song 2’ and ‘Gimme Danger’, she certainly packs a punch on the song and it is in turn hilarious, menacing and sexy ‘Gimme dick, gimme speed, gimme white hot heat’ is one of the tamer lines. ‘Uncool’ is a brilliant downtempo rock ballad. ‘Life Despite God’ is a genius, alluring piece, Courtney channels Robert Plant and it is her most experimental song since ‘Pretty On The Inside’, it almost shouldn’t work, there are sleigh bells, but it does and it kicks ass, when she screams on the second half, damn it’s good, “run away your head’s on fire, can’t tell the difference between hate and desire”, I honestly can’t think of a better rock song, the final line “I can not find a vein” she delivers with so much authentic emotion, it’s epic. ‘Hello’ can go. ‘Zeplin Song’ is great, great punk rock riff and some of her best lyrics “He was so cute, Johnny punk rock, so cynical, you woulda jumped him to!” and the chorus “Why are the stoners always stoned?”, Courtney is seemingly frustrated with the monotony of a Led Zeppelin song and life as a rock star. ‘Never Be The Same’ is anthemic and beautiful. A thoroughly enjoyable and interesting album that reflects Courtney and her passions and relatable problems perfectly, her incredible voice, emotional honesty and dedication to guitar rock will keep you coming back for more. The perfect musical embodiment of the rise and fall and perseverance of a genius rock star, it is easily one of the greatest and most underrated albums of all time, anyone who says otherwise is a moron.… Full Review »
  2. MaxOakland
    Oct 23, 2021
    6
    It's hard to review this album. In some ways I think time has made it sound better. Free from expectations of what you *wish* Courtney hadIt's hard to review this album. In some ways I think time has made it sound better. Free from expectations of what you *wish* Courtney had done after Hole, this album appears to be a pretty decent product of its time that does a lot of critique of the star-obsessed celebrity culture. But I also think the album falls into that culture enough that the critique seems lightweight

    The production is pretty bad, but the songs are good. I like how intense "Life Despite God" gets, and there are some really nice melodies. I think it suffers because the project wasn't done in a cohesive way. There's too much slickness that doesn't complement the rawness of Courtney's vocals and delivery so it feels like it's trying to cover it up rather than celebrate it    … Full Review »
  3. perk8j
    Mar 30, 2021
    6
    America’s Sweetheart (2004) is Courtney Love’s first solo debut and is reminiscent of her previous albums with the now disbanded Hole. LoveAmerica’s Sweetheart (2004) is Courtney Love’s first solo debut and is reminiscent of her previous albums with the now disbanded Hole. Love provides some decent rock ballads in Hold on to me, which serves as the album’s Malibu from Celebrity Skin (1998). Most of the songs in America’s Sweetheart are soulless such as All the drugs where Love howls, "With all all of my money, it doesn’t feel as good as the drugs.” It’s easy to see why Love considers it ‘Le disaster’.… Full Review »
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