Super
by Pet Shop Boys
  • Record Label: X2
  • Release Date: Apr 1, 2016
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
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  1. The Telegraph (UK)
    Apr 8, 2016
    60
    At times, though, the bleepy, burbling “fun” gets too wacky and cheesy for even PSB’s long-standing irony to uphold.
  2. NOW Magazine
    Apr 6, 2016
    60
    The album is full of the group's signature dreamy arpeggios, massive drum rolls, epic builds and breaks--expertly produced with Stuart Price. But it's the push and pull between the sociopolitical reality and urge to escape into nightlife, where dressing up, social cliques and the pounding beat of pop music can feel life-saving, that fuels the drama.
  3. The Observer (UK)
    Apr 4, 2016
    60
    Super’s first half euphorically lives up to the title, tossing out gem after gem, making you nostalgic for the days where erudition in pop wasn’t so rare.... The second half loses momentum slightly.
  5. Mojo
    Mar 24, 2016
    60
    All through this listenable, though frankly inconsequential album, PSB are stuck on a sound: it's that booming release of early '90s dance, filtered through a bit of early-noughties terpsichorean quiet-loud sonic sexiness. [May 2016, p.86]
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  6. Consequence
    Mar 29, 2016
    58
    While Super is not indicative of the next big thing, and a few of the more club-oriented numbers sound more like remixes than actual songs, it’s an enjoyable way of catching up with the Pet Shop Boys while being served something fresh.
  7. Under The Radar
    Apr 8, 2016
    55
    All in all, it makes for a record whose potential to be exceptional is all-too frustrating.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 51
  3. Negative: 5 out of 51
  1. LeeBear67
    Apr 1, 2016
    9
    Petheads hoping for many heart wrenching ballads about love and loss are playing the wrong album, this is mostly all UP and BOUNCING! OnlyPetheads hoping for many heart wrenching ballads about love and loss are playing the wrong album, this is mostly all UP and BOUNCING! Only "Sad Robot World" and "The Dictater Decides" are slower tracks the rest are aimed at the dance floor. This is not a particularly lyrically dense album at all compared to many of their releases but it is completely infectious dance music. I listened to it as background music the first couple of times to get used to the tunes then played it listening more carefully to the vocals once the tunes were under my skin, perhaps a good way to get used to such a dance music based album. Favorite track right now is "Happiness".… Full Review »
  2. SubXer0X
    Apr 1, 2016
    6
    I've been a PSB fan since I was 9 years old and own all their albums. My first introduction to PSB was through West End Girls of course, butI've been a PSB fan since I was 9 years old and own all their albums. My first introduction to PSB was through West End Girls of course, but I fell in love with 'Actually' due to the melodic yet interesting song subjects. Don't get me wrong, the production on this album is slick and wonderful, but that's all it is. Gone are the songs you'd remember. There are some nice electronic, modern synths at work here but it's missing the songs that made PSB more than just 'club bangers'. Perhaps the standout tracks are 'The Dictator Decides' which might remind you a bit of "This Must Be the Place..." from Behaviour, "Inner Sanctum" which is a nice idea, but sounds like an excerpt rather than a full song, and 'The Pop Kids' which is a semi-autobiographical fictional piece that harkens back to the sounds of "It's Alright". A solid 6 for great production work, but you'd expect nothing less from PSB and their collaborators.… Full Review »
  3. antpaca
    Apr 8, 2016
    5
    Sheer energy can't inflate flat ideas. The loftier songs (The Dictator Decides, Sad Robot World, Twenty-Something) are bogged down by lyricalSheer energy can't inflate flat ideas. The loftier songs (The Dictator Decides, Sad Robot World, Twenty-Something) are bogged down by lyrical oversimplifications, which is sad to see, considering the Pet Shop Boy's track record with smart, cerebral lyrics. The best songs are the ones that toss aside nuance and go for straight pop (Say it to Me, Burn, Groovy). Those songs succeed on their own terms, but lack that wry intellect that makes PSB really special. More "electric" than Electric, maybe, but definitely not better. Electric was a triumph, this feels more like an Electric b-side and remix disc.… Full Review »
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