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Struggler
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Struggler Image
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 11 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 5 Ratings

  • Summary: The second full-length release from Ghanaian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu was inspired in part by Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett and Kafka's Metamorphosis.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. AllMusic
    Sep 8, 2023
    90
    Owusu could have gone any number of ways on his sophomore set, but it's a testament to his artistic conviction that he chose to make something so risky and complex. Even better, he pulled it off.
  2. Exclaim
    Aug 17, 2023
    80
    With Struggler, he's proven that he's a singular talent, overcoming the sophomore slump and putting the world on notice by taking everything that made Smiling with No Teeth so special and digging deeper, building a world that's uniquely his own.
  3. Glide Magazine
    Aug 17, 2023
    80
    Genesis Owusu crafted an out-of-body experience of a sophomore LP. In a fit of cascading synths and lively flows, STRUGGLER has the artist not only attempting to understand the world around him but reimagining his already innovative style
  4. DIY Magazine
    Aug 17, 2023
    80
    There’s a little less edge than on debut ​‘Smiling With No Teeth’, but a softer lens offers more variety, and Genesis Owusu sails the spectrum of human experience with ease to make something just as weighty as the literature that inspired it.
  5. musicOMH.com
    Aug 18, 2023
    80
    With Struggler Genesis Owusu has followed through on his potential, and hopefully won’t be getting the boot from listeners anytime soon.
  6. The Observer (UK)
    Aug 21, 2023
    80
    Struggler continues to convey his strife with a remarkable singularity.
  7. The Guardian
    Aug 17, 2023
    60
    What Comes Will Come, a skronking synth-pop-rap song, finds Owusu-Ansah sinking himself into production that strikes an interesting midpoint between goth-rock and shimmering synth-funk, one of the rare moments on the album that feels musically akin to the disorienting genre mashup of Smiling With No Teeth. These passages offer welcome electricity on an album that too often plays it safe and plays it vague – capitalising on an algorithm-breaking debut with more of the same.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Gnirbla
    Sep 1, 2023
    10
    In his compelling sophomore album "Struggler," Ghanaian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu, hailing from Canberra, delves into the existentialIn his compelling sophomore album "Struggler," Ghanaian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu, hailing from Canberra, delves into the existential struggle between humanity and higher powers, drawing lyrical inspiration from Franz Kafka's disquieting novel "The Metamorphosis." Building on the acclaim garnered by his 2021 debut "Smiling with No Teeth," Owusu enriches his unique musical landscape, skillfully blending punk-inflected spoken word, soulful falsetto melodies, Prince-inspired funk, and resonant post-punk guitars. The album serves as a testament to Owusu's ability to not only interpret the complexities of the world but also to continuously reimagine his already innovative musical style, showcasing the breadth of his eclectic taste. Give it a listen!… Expand

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