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Ignorance Is Bliss
by
Ignorance Is Bliss Image
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 34 Ratings

  • Summary: The fifth Full-length studio release for the British grime artist features guest appearances from B Live, Boy Better Know, Lancey Foux, J Hus, Key, Lay-Z, Cheb Rabi, Nafe Smallz, and WizKid.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. musicOMH.com
    Jun 3, 2019
    90
    An artist at the top of his game, with the newfound artistic freedom that Konnichiwa granted him but the energy of still having something to prove. It also confirms the 2010s grime revival as being more than a passing trend, and on this basis it’s stronger than ever.
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    May 31, 2019
    80
    Although album five lacks the narrative that made ‘Konnichiwa’ so compelling (a victory lap for grime’s commercial renaissance, it also reasserted his DIY credentials), this sounds like a record from a rapper with gallons of creative juice in the tank.
  3. The Independent (UK)
    May 31, 2019
    80
    The result is a quintessentially London record, as dark and moody as it is brash and innovative.
  4. Q Magazine
    Jul 2, 2019
    80
    It's a winningly fluid mix of on-trend beats, intriguing cameos and subtle, Eastern-influenced melodies. [Aug 2019, p.113]
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  5. RapReviews.com
    Dec 2, 2019
    80
    Skepta is more than happy to satisfy his core fanbase. It’s something Dizzee Rascal struggled to find a formula for, so “Ignorance is Bliss” succeeds in that regard. Minus the terrible “Animal Instinct”, it’s easy to recommend.
  6. The 405
    Jun 19, 2019
    75
    His fifth album is the most grown and mature.
  7. The Telegraph (UK)
    Jun 3, 2019
    60
    The atmosphere is ultimately so paranoid and competitive, he makes being a rap star sound exhausting. Ignorance Is Bliss is at its most interesting when Skepta's volatile emotional state pushes to the surface of his combative persona.

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User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. 4rr4nW3th3rh111
    Aug 19, 2023
    10
    The perfect UK rap album, every song is a banger. The wavy beats to songs like "Love me not" "greaze mode" just work perfectly.
    Best song on    The perfect UK rap album, every song is a banger. The wavy beats to songs like "Love me not" "greaze mode" just work perfectly.
    Best song on the album "Bullet from a Gun".    … Expand
  2. oliverschefer
    Sep 26, 2019
    9
    A solid album where Skepta becomes more conscious than he has been on previous music. There are no weak spots but it doesn't quite reach theA solid album where Skepta becomes more conscious than he has been on previous music. There are no weak spots but it doesn't quite reach the heights that he set for himself with Konnichiwa.… Expand
  4. DM29x
    Dec 9, 2021
    9
    insanely good album. every song is good, some better than others but all good. top 3 favourite all time
  5. pummasher
    Jun 2, 2019
    7
    A really solid album, it has no real weak spots. There are tracks that I definitely can’t get into as much like Animal Instinct and Redrum,A really solid album, it has no real weak spots. There are tracks that I definitely can’t get into as much like Animal Instinct and Redrum, but even then production is still hard and Skepta’s delivery is always on point. The featured artists, however, are a bit of a mixed bag. Nafe Smallz, Lay-Z, and Key sound a bit generic and boring and slightly dead the part of the track they’re on. Not to say that they ruin their songs though, because Greaze Mode and Glow in the Dark are a couple of my favourites off the album. Nafe Smallz’s verse has even grown on me over time even if I still find it a bit boring. On the flip side, J Hus was as good as ever and B Live’s verse really took me by surprise. Of course BBK came nicely, JME and Jammer especially. I listen to Gangsta purely for Jammer’s ad-lib. Shorty sounds a bit samey but it’s ok. Skepta’s solo tracks are also good for the most part. Bullet From a Gun, Same Old Story, and You Wish are my stand-out tracks. Bullet From a Gun has some of the best verses off the album imo. Same Old Story’s seems a bit clunky to me for some reason but not even going to comment on the production because it’s amazing throughout the album. Especially like the sample on Love Me Not. Although, No Sleep is still a good track and probably one of the grimiest on the album, just not for me. Going Through It is alright too. I feel like the album will grow on me more than it already has even though I’ve played it more than 20 times already. Only other real negative is that I dunno if there’s any anthems on here on Konnichiwa’s level. When I think about it I struggle to find anything that stands up to That’s Not Me, Shutdown, or Lyrics. It’s just a different type of album to Konnichiwa, maybe Konnichiwa blended with Blacklisted. It’s good.… Expand
  6. Alatchman
    Jun 7, 2019
    5
    Talks of evolution as an artist but all of his best music is previous to this latest album. From a production stand point I'd give him a 8,Talks of evolution as an artist but all of his best music is previous to this latest album. From a production stand point I'd give him a 8, they're very very good instrumentals but this is only in comparison to the rest of the UK music industry, to the rest of the world this album would never even be considered a classic. I believe you would only rate this album if you strictly listen to rap/grime/hiphop UK and havent opened your mind to the universe of music.… Expand

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