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Nov 14, 2018The mixtape-like sequencing of Saturn occasionally minimizes her ability to write hit after hit--there's hardly a dud here--even if she just misses the mark at producing a more involving mood piece.
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Nov 2, 2018That it reads like it came from NAO’s diary points to her greatest achievement on Saturn: every song can shine as a standalone track, but they sound even better together.
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Oct 31, 2018Between Nao’s lush voice and the album’s glossy production, it’s easy to get lost in Saturn. A worthy successor to For All We Know, it homes in on a specific, if occasionally ham-fisted, conceit while expanding on her sound in clear, vibrant ways.
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Oct 29, 2018Saturn is quite the trip, more than worthy of its stellar name.
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Oct 26, 2018Saturn is full of beautiful, intricately unique songs that could never be imitated.
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Oct 26, 2018NAO has hovered around a near-perfect brand of sultry, neo-soul-inflected R&B. Four years later, and she seems to have mastered it.
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Oct 26, 2018With the rise of R&B classicists in the form of Jorja Smith, Ella Mai and Mahalia, Nao presents a compelling alternative to the mainstream.
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Oct 25, 2018The vividity of NAO’s lyrical expression leaves the listener deeply enthralled and invested in her stories. Thankfully, downtempo closing track A Life Like This provides some reassuring confirmation that everything has come together.
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Oct 25, 2018Nao is entirely galactic on this record--there is an omnipresent sensation of otherness throughout the album. Whether it be in the trademark effluvient vocal or in the consistently atmospheric and glistening instrumental, Saturn is spacial.
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MojoOct 24, 2018The Londoner's high soul voice shines through on astral-themed second album. . [Dec 2018, p.94]
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Q MagazineOct 24, 2018Saturn isn't afraid to show her playful side. [Dec 2018, p.105]
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Oct 24, 2018Drama is softened by sincerity on the record, as NAO finds balance in the wake of chaos.
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Oct 24, 2018It’s a work that’s in a constant state of flux, the flow giving and yielding just like our emotions. A sense of healing and growth radiates from it, with the sparkling pop feel of “Yellow of the Sun” bringing the album round to a complete and circular ending.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 24 out of 29
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Mixed: 3 out of 29
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Negative: 2 out of 29
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Oct 31, 2018Mixes old school RnB with contemporary styles and flavors. All songs are well-written and very personal.
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Jul 17, 2019A breath of fresh air. The best RnB album I've heard in a really long time. Each song is a hit and could be a single. Where is her Grammy?
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Feb 27, 2019