The Tipping Point
by Tears for Fears
  • Record Label: Concord
  • Release Date: Feb 25, 2022
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. The Independent (UK)
    Feb 24, 2022
    100
    Across the next nine tracks they deliver pounding pop thrills and arena-sized catharsis, in a style that refines their distinctive sound instead of pimping it up, Noughties style.
  2. Record Collector
    Feb 16, 2022
    100
    It’s an album blazing with a refulgent light that illuminates the darkness. Ultimately, it’s a cathartic celebration of life co-created by someone who’s survived a traumatic experience. More importantly, it shows how heartbreak, suffering and tragedy can be refashioned into transcendent art.
  3. Classic Rock Magazine
    Feb 16, 2022
    90
    The Tipping Point album is tip-top art-pop. [Mar 2022, p.80]
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  5. AllMusic
    Feb 25, 2022
    80
    This set is a classic-sounding Tears for Fears record, one that makes the listener take emotional, spiritual, and mental inventory of their inner world even as the one outside roils with trouble, violence, and madness. Welcome back gents, we've missed you.
  6. Clash Music
    Feb 25, 2022
    80
    A project driven by a focussed, finessed sense of purpose, ‘The Tipping Point’ is an excellent song cycle, one that touches on their innermost feelings.
  7. PopMatters
    Feb 21, 2022
    80
    The Tipping Point is a joyous reminder of their one-of-a-kind partnership, and it should be celebrated by old and new fans alike.
  8. Mojo
    Feb 16, 2022
    80
    The more chances Tears For Fears take, the more they thrive, and they take chances here: seems like a new album was a good idea after all. [Apr 2022, p.88]
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  9. Uncut
    Feb 16, 2022
    80
    Fans of Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal will find more than enough reminders of their glory days. [Mar 2022, p.36]
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  10. Under The Radar
    Feb 16, 2022
    80
    The Tipping Point is clean, respectfully confident, and actually has a purpose that justifies its subtle grandiosity. [Dec 2021 - Feb 2022, p.154]
  11. Pitchfork
    Mar 2, 2022
    75
    An album that feels like the most fully realized record Tears for Fears have ever made, a culmination of the musical and emotional themes they’ve held dear since their inception.
  12. Entertainment Weekly
    Feb 28, 2022
    75
    Not everything lands, and not everything that lands sticks. Even so, there aren't many 17-year hiatuses that end by presenting a group with plenty of gas left in the tank. "When I'm 40 years older/When I'm wrinkled and wise," sings Orzabal — and The Tipping Point makes a compelling argument that it will be worth the wait.
  13. Beats Per Minute
    Mar 2, 2022
    73
    Anthemic, emotional, powerful – The Tipping Point is a very good record.
  14. American Songwriter
    Feb 23, 2022
    70
    While there are few moments that challenge the band’s finest work, let alone justify the extended wait for new music, The Tipping Point reaffirms TFF’s collaborative talents. They remain idiosyncratic and distinctive in a pop music landscape now enhanced by having this veteran duo back in action again.
  15. musicOMH.com
    Feb 22, 2022
    70
    The Tipping Point manages to straddle the band’s past (the very early days aside) and stride on into present times, and that in itself should be enough to please more than one generation of Tears For Fears fans.
  16. The Observer (UK)
    Feb 28, 2022
    60
    The end result finds elegance trumping excitement.

Awards & Rankings

79
#79 Best Album of 2022
60
#60 Most Discussed Album of 2022

User Reviews

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User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 45
  3. Negative: 2 out of 45
  1. Davidwv97
    Feb 25, 2022
    9
    Great production, good songwriting, nice atmosphere, the album doesn't bore for a second. It sounds familiar, but also very modern. A greatGreat production, good songwriting, nice atmosphere, the album doesn't bore for a second. It sounds familiar, but also very modern. A great comeback from two of pop's greatest artists.… Full Review »
  2. mabernethy
    Feb 28, 2022
    9
    Brilliant. Time will tell if this is their best album, but -- at the very least -- it ranks with their best. It has more emotional and musicalBrilliant. Time will tell if this is their best album, but -- at the very least -- it ranks with their best. It has more emotional and musical range than anything previous, and doesn't waste a second. The songs progress in interesting, unexpected directions while containing some of Curt and Roland's most personal songwriting. They take significant risks here, using a bold and varied sonic palette, making The Tipping Point both a consolidation of their strengths and a step toward new directions should they choose to pursue them.… Full Review »
  3. ibu_jac
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    Sounds from the future. And lyrics to get us there. Joyous yet truthful. Just when we needed it most. Listen. Love.
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