Midnight Memories
by One Direction
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 15
  3. Negative: 2 out of 15
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  1. Sputnikmusic
    Apr 22, 2014
    40
    Midnight Memories takes the slight progression of Take Me Home and demolishes it.
  2. Rolling Stone
    Dec 2, 2013
    50
    They joyfully plunder rock riffs and hip-hop beats, but a logjam of lousy ballads suggests Bryan Adams embodies their ideal of maturity.
  3. The Independent (UK)
    Nov 27, 2013
    40
    Midnight Memories finds One Direction fumbling the transition with clumsy attempts to adopt ill-fitting rock livery.
  5. Boston Globe
    Nov 26, 2013
    50
    The wildly popular quintet’s third studio album, is buffered to a flawless shine, but along the way they’ve bleached the music of nuance and texture.
  6. The Guardian
    Nov 25, 2013
    60
    Ultimately, the vast bulk of Midnight Memories remains emotionally charged rather than carnally inclined, with not a soupçon of R&B anywhere and love songs galore.
  7. Slant Magazine
    Nov 25, 2013
    60
    The tracks may recall "Pour Some Sugar on Me," but their lyrics are still all "I'm not scared of love/'Cause when I'm not with you I'm weaker," so essentially the album's potentially nastiest tracks come off as a glorified Halloween costume act. More believable are the moments when they lay off the hard sell.
  8. Spin
    Nov 25, 2013
    60
    As long as Midnight Memories offers chorus after chorus of Gary Glitter-style fodderstompf, it sounds like the best boy-band album since No Strings Attached.

Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Most Discussed Album of 2013
85
#85 Most Shared Album of 2013

User Reviews

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User Score
6.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 410 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 248 out of 410
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 410
  3. Negative: 123 out of 410
  1. alexwalker01
    Nov 25, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Its one of the best albums of the year its a little bit different of the other two. but with this album 1D again show us why they start to be so important in music industry… Full Review »
  2. RobHart
    Feb 18, 2014
    5
    Album is full of catchy hooks. But they try too hard to sound mature and sometimes steal from other real bands. These guys have a long way toAlbum is full of catchy hooks. But they try too hard to sound mature and sometimes steal from other real bands. These guys have a long way to go if they want respect from men musically.… Full Review »
  3. RealReynolds
    Nov 25, 2013
    8
    “Midnight Memories” sees One Direction make a surprisingly assured shift into a range of more mature sounds without losing any of the“Midnight Memories” sees One Direction make a surprisingly assured shift into a range of more mature sounds without losing any of the playfulness or balladry that distinguished the better offerings from their first two albums. It’s just as addictive, with least 10 of the 14 tracks capable of making good radio singles. While the mixture of styles is quite unexpected, after a number of listens through you realise the songs are yoked together by a common theme. The core writing was clearly in the hands of commercially reliable experts, the boys’ lyrical contributions have ensured this is an album all about them and where they find themselves today (with plenty of scope to read between the lines on a number of love songs). What’s less pleasing is that so much of it sounds derivative it’s like a tour through Billboard 2012 with ‘80’s flashbacks thrown in. The One Direction boys are growing up, but they’re yet to find their own sound. That will come in time, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where these five adorable “idiots” (as they call themselves) take us next.… Full Review »
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