Girl
by Maren Morris
  • Record Label: SME
  • Release Date: Mar 8, 2019
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 45
  3. Negative: 4 out of 45
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  1. backroad
    Mar 8, 2019
    5
    Maren is immensely talented, there is no question, but compared to HERO this was a disappointment. Even more disappointing is labeling this a country record. Call it like it is. It's pop. Which is fine, just own it. If you look at it as a pop record, it's probably fine, but I expected better songwriting and less **** production. For the most part it seems forgettable.
  2. MusicSpy
    Apr 2, 2019
    4
    Morris potential is FAR from what this album showed. Bad and forced lyrics, a “solid” but non-special production and incohesive lyrics made the whole album boring and even a little bit inovative. Morris tried to put modern-country and rock vibes that didn’t worked, and i can say that “The Bones” and “Girl” were the less worst tracks on the album. (4/10)
  3. AlexMcLoughlin
    Apr 20, 2020
    6
    As a follow-up record to her 2016 album, 'HERO' this album seems... bland. While Maren excels in vocals and delivery, the production and overall consistency leave room for improvement. The generic songwriting and mediocre hooks also seem half-baked. Maren's style of country-pop leans way more into the pop side of music this time around, with some R&B elements thrown around the mix, whichAs a follow-up record to her 2016 album, 'HERO' this album seems... bland. While Maren excels in vocals and delivery, the production and overall consistency leave room for improvement. The generic songwriting and mediocre hooks also seem half-baked. Maren's style of country-pop leans way more into the pop side of music this time around, with some R&B elements thrown around the mix, which although I found strange, gave it an interesting flare. The majority of the song titles seemed promising, including the fifth track, 'Common' which features fellow country singer, Brandi Carlile. However, upon listening to each track, I found myself losing interest and focus halfway.

    Of course, it isn't all doom and gloom. Some of the highlights of this record were track three, 'All My Favorite People' featuring the country duo, Brothers Osborne, and gave us a high-energy country-rock sound with heavy guitars and feel-good vibes. Track four, 'A Song for Everything' which has a nostalgic feel to it both lyrically and sonically. Track thirteen, 'Good Woman' has a 1970s Dolly Parton-Esque vibe which I found refreshing and an enjoyable listen. It would also be a shame to not mention the opening track, 'GIRL' which serves as the title track, as well as the lead single off of this record. It is an empowering song which I find myself listening to here and there.

    All in all, this record has good bones but misses the mark slightly. While it was a somewhat enjoyable listen, it quite quickly became a forgettable one. As of this, my rating of 6/10 seems fitting and I am anticipating a major step-up for Maren's third album    … Expand
  4. Violins94
    Mar 9, 2019
    4
    This record is a little bit all over the place in terms of musical styling. There's a bit of r&b, dance pop, southern rock, piano ballads.. not so much country, however. If I were critiquing this as a country record, per it's categorization, I'd give it one star because she used steel guitar in To Hell and Back. That's about all the country you'll find on this record. But let's look atThis record is a little bit all over the place in terms of musical styling. There's a bit of r&b, dance pop, southern rock, piano ballads.. not so much country, however. If I were critiquing this as a country record, per it's categorization, I'd give it one star because she used steel guitar in To Hell and Back. That's about all the country you'll find on this record. But let's look at this as a pop record:

    - GIRL - the debut single lowered my expectations for this record. It's not a bad song, but the constant switching of perspective throughout the song make it a jarring listen. The production could also be dialled down slightly to make this better. - 5/10

    - The Feels - sounds like it was written to be the background music a 12 year old's sleepover party. The bridge feels like unnecessary filler. - 3/10

    - All My Favorite People - I rate this fairly high on the list of top songs on the record. This is a southern rock jam with some amazing guitar riffs. - 6.5/10

    - A Song For Everything - This song sounds exactly like another song I've heard before, but can't put my finger on it. It's a pleasant listen regardless and I enjoy the message of the song - if music plays an important role in all aspects of your life, you'll enjoy this. - 7/10

    - Common - This is possibly the strongest song on the record. Loved it as a pre-release and I think their voices sound great together. Hope to see more collaborations between them in future - 8.5/10

    - Flavor - I couldn't make it through the whole song. I appreciate the sentiment, but it feels like a 'Hero' reject. 2.5/10

    - Make Out With Me - this seems to be a critic favorite but I couldn't get into it. The production bothers me & the voice over at the start of the track almost made it an automatic skip. 4/10

    - Gold Love - Enjoyed the verses, disliked the chorus, hated the bridge. This was a pleasant r&b/pop blend until the bridge kicked in. 4/10

    - Great Ones - One of the better tracks on the record and a decently written love song. I enjoyed the guitar riffs & production on this one too. - 6.5/10

    - RSVP - Possibly the worst song on the record. The production is what makes this painful to listen to, but the lyrics don't help. This is a skip. - 2/10

    - To Hell & Back - This starts off with steel guitar & piano and had me instantly intrigued. It's an easy listening, country-influenced pop song. I appreciate the dialled down production on this one because it lets the story drive the song - this is what makes this song the most country song on the record. - 7/10

    - The Bones - I enjoyed this as a pre-release and I can see this one growing on me. This is r&b influenced pop. Possibly one of her best vocal moments on the record. - 6.5/10

    - Good Woman - I thought this song had potential to be a strong power ballad, but it just didn't really go anywhere vocally. 5/10

    - Shade - better writing on this track, however it does become cheesy in the chorus. Again the production is distracting from the lyrics. 4.5/10

    I think some of these songs may fare well as mainstream radio crossovers, but there's not much that has a place on country radio where it is being pushed. I don't feel like the overall writing on this is very strong, but the production is awfully distracting and a little overdone across the board and takes our attention away from the lyrics. I think The Guardian critic review hit the nail on the head.

    Overall album rating = 4/10    … Expand
  5. RosalynBurgess
    Jul 26, 2019
    5
    Much like most of Nashville's exports, this album is a combination of autobiographical and biographic; showing the world that Nashville is still the best when it comes to storytelling. I am not a music expert, but while most of the tracks can stand by themselves, I do feel like the album as a whole, is a mess. While Morris' songwriting and vocals seem to have grown, I was left a littleMuch like most of Nashville's exports, this album is a combination of autobiographical and biographic; showing the world that Nashville is still the best when it comes to storytelling. I am not a music expert, but while most of the tracks can stand by themselves, I do feel like the album as a whole, is a mess. While Morris' songwriting and vocals seem to have grown, I was left a little cold by the album. I would say that this album would appeal to many various types of people, due to the strong country, rock and pop elements. I believe it tried it's best to merge the genres, but some songs fell short.

    While tunes like 'All My Favorite People' and 'A Song For Everything' seem to have linked two genres well and show off strong storytelling elements. The first is a country, rock style track with the 'Brothers Osborn,' and it is a standard song about drinking and wasting your money. The latter is similar to 'My Church.' It tells the story of how much music can mean. The song contains one of my favourite lyrics on the whole album.

    "What's your time machine

    Is it Springsteen or 'Teenage Dream'?"

    However, there are plenty of songs on this album, that I would happily skip. Songs like 'Flavor,' attempted to merge a rock element with some synth-pop. The final product of it seems to leave me disappointed. My favourite thing about music are the emotions songs can bring out, I had no connection to this song.

    While some like 'Common', which features Brandi Carlile receives much critical claim, I believe that Maren Morris is overshadowed. So while the lyrics are profound and meaningful, Morris and Carlile don't sound right together on this track.


    As second albums go, I would compare this to Kacey Musgraves; who left me deeply unsatisfied with 'Pageant Materiel'. There are about three songs I still listen to on that album. With Maren Morris' second album I can see 'Girl', 'A Song For Everything' 'RSVP' 'Make Out With Me' and 'The Bones' still being songs I play in the next few years. There are just too many forgettable songs on here, which imply that the switch to pop is not as easy as it seems. I always compare second albums to 'Fearless' By Taylor Swift. It is a successful second album and manages to unite the two genres. I believe Maren Morris has a long way to go in trying to master the two styles. Songs like 'Girl' on this album exhibition that she is capable of doing such things. I suppose she needs to be more cutthroat when choosing songs to appear on the album. The record is a little disorderly. It does follow into the pattern that tends to occur when the first album is influential. Maren shows off her rich and beautiful vocals, as well as a natural ability for songwriting. So, while this album frustrates me, her storytelling is excellent. She showcases her talent in the lyrics of ' Make Out With Me' and 'Shade' and are some of the most potent songs on the album.

    It is a tricky one because music is so personal, and this is a satisfactory album. Morris' debut album was just so much more powerful, and that left me with high expectations when it came to the follow-up.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Most Discussed Album of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. The New York Times
    Mar 12, 2019
    50
    The best songs on “Hero” were disarmingly detailed, and sometimes funny. “Girl,” however, tips away from those strengths in favor of self-help bromides broad enough to exclude no one.
    Read full review
  2. Pitchfork
    Mar 11, 2019
    63
    Taken as a whole, it’s hard to imagine the audience who enjoys every corner of this album. It’s even harder to imagine the artist Morris really wants to be.
    Read full review
  3. Variety
    Mar 8, 2019
    88
    Girl is every bit as much a country album as her 2016 debut, “Hero.”
    Read full review
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