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PONY
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PONY Image
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 62 Ratings

  • Summary: The third full-length release for the British indie pop artist who appeared on Tyler, The Creator's Flower Boy album, was co-produced with Ben Baptie.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. New Musical Express (NME)
    Oct 24, 2019
    100
    A dazzling follow up to ‘Apricot Princess’, Rex Orange County’s third studio album is a total delight.
  2. DIY Magazine
    Oct 24, 2019
    90
    A beautiful new offering, ‘Pony’ is equal parts heart wrenching and hopeful, and shows Rex back at his very finest.
  3. The Line of Best Fit
    Oct 24, 2019
    85
    Rex’s true feelings have been told marvellously within this sonic journal. Through his own unique artistry, Rex has created an album that is wonderfully creative. This third album cements his status as a nascent national treasure.
  4. Q Magazine
    Oct 24, 2019
    80
    The personal trauma behind pony was evidently tough, but hope has rarely sounded so fresh. [Dec 2019, p.110]
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  5. RapReviews.com
    Nov 4, 2019
    75
    I think there’s room for “alternative hip-hop” in the mix, not everything in rap needs to be swaggering cock grabbing male posturing, and the difference between a rapper who sings and a singer who raps has diminished greatly. That doesn’t mean “Pony” is going to take the place of all-time classics like Organized Konfusion in my rotation, but it does mean that I can see a more open-minded interpretation of rap music as not necessarily destroying hip-hop music and culture. Rex Orange County has his place too.
  6. AllMusic
    Oct 25, 2019
    70
    They work best as intimate revelations about his own experience and never achieve the level of universal pop standard that his forebears made their stock and trade. Nonetheless, there are a few memorable moments here in the cheeky, synth pop-influenced "Never Had the Balls" and the orchestral R&B groover "It Gets Better." Both songs make good on O'Connor's developing talent, and prove he has the ability to translate his quirky, wordy aesthetic into the occasional hooky anthem.
  7. Pitchfork
    Oct 25, 2019
    50
    Rex Orange County isn’t Frank Ocean; he stacks vast emotional weight on predictable, inoffensive songs until they buckle like wire shelving. Pony is simplistic, clueless, subtlety-free.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. MusicGuyMack
    Oct 27, 2019
    10
    Sporting 10 tightly-crafted pop tunes without an ounce of fat to be found, Rex Orange County's latest is just as impressive and compellingSporting 10 tightly-crafted pop tunes without an ounce of fat to be found, Rex Orange County's latest is just as impressive and compelling during its bouts of irrepressible effervescence as its more soulfully melancholic moments, never losing sight of Alexander O'Connor's signature whimsical charm that the album all but overflows with.

    Choice Cuts: "Always", "Laser Lights", "It's Not the Same Anymore"    … Expand
  2. durdenblue
    Feb 15, 2020
    10
    Definitely one of my favourite albums. Loved his voice & production. The album is very personal, honest & vulnerable, I really enjoy everyDefinitely one of my favourite albums. Loved his voice & production. The album is very personal, honest & vulnerable, I really enjoy every single song on this project. Very relatable content for sure. So happy I heard this album. My favourite song in this album is "Its Not The Same Anymore".… Expand
  4. lilnlins
    Jan 25, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. All those songs sounds like a dance, not a pop dance but something more sophisticated.… Expand
  5. ViniBRMeta
    Nov 21, 2019
    9
    With his new album, Pony, Rex Orange County proves once again why it is considered one of the major revelations of music in the last 5 years.With his new album, Pony, Rex Orange County proves once again why it is considered one of the major revelations of music in the last 5 years. I don't believe it was a job to overcome its wonderful precursor, Apricot Princess, but Alex has provided us in his most intimate form, where the influence of artists like Steve Wonder, and genres like jazz and blues is clear. One of the best of the year, do yourself a favor and listen.… Expand
  6. JoshuaToback
    Oct 25, 2019
    9
    "Pony" is an album of introspection and reflection. I found it funny that Pitchfork called Rex a Frank Ocean wannabe, because I think this is"Pony" is an album of introspection and reflection. I found it funny that Pitchfork called Rex a Frank Ocean wannabe, because I think this is Rex's "Blonde". Atmospheric and introspective, this album touches on what made the last two years rough for Rex, and I think he was able to blend pop catchiness with rich production and lyricism. While the short length and interludes do throw a bit of a speedbump into this record, it's nothing that detracts too much from the overall experience.

    BEST TRACKS: Always, Laser Lights, Never Had the Balls, It's Not the Same Anymore
    WORST TRACK: Every Way (if I had to pick one)

    Score: 9.5/10    … Expand
  7. Hendo250
    Apr 6, 2021
    8
    this album is a 8 this album is a 8 this album is a 8 this album is a 8 this album is a 8
  8. Unapendixx
    Oct 28, 2019
    7
    It's not inovattive it sounds like a typical Rex Orange county song it's not what I was expecting specially when I waited a year for a newIt's not inovattive it sounds like a typical Rex Orange county song it's not what I was expecting specially when I waited a year for a new album but it's pretty ok it's like a bunch of new house sound a like songs… Expand

See all 16 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

71
#71 Most Discussed Album of 2019

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