#willpower
by will.i.am
Metascore
49

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 13
  3. Negative: 3 out of 13
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  1. RapReviews.com
    May 15, 2013
    30
    It's hip, it's slick, it's polished, and it's an utter waste of time.
  2. PopMatters
    May 10, 2013
    40
    Ultimately, #willpower is an overstuffed pop album that tries too hard to be trendy while not trying hard enough to be cohesive or truly meaningful.
  3. No Ripcord
    Apr 29, 2013
    20
    Conveniently, he’s premeditated every song in #willpower with a bevy of wishy-washy, quotable clichés that are meant to fit the space of 140 characters. Sadly, that's as deep as it gets.
  5. Entertainment Weekly
    Apr 26, 2013
    58
    His milk-snortingly inept lyrical flow too often hijacks #will's beat-addled moneymaker shakers. [3 May 2013, p.63]
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  6. The Guardian
    Apr 25, 2013
    40
    The songs featuring him alone may be full of undeniably funny arrogance, but they're also laden with recycled beats and Auto-Tune.
  7. The New York Times
    Apr 24, 2013
    70
    He is not ashamed to bleat out inane proclamations and this album benefits from his shamelessness. It’s frequently catchy and almost always compellingly energetic.
  8. Boston Globe
    Apr 23, 2013
    70
    As intended, there’s a little something for everyone.
  9. Slant Magazine
    Apr 23, 2013
    30
    Undoubtedly crafted to be an easy listen, the overstuffed, lumbering, and joyless #willpower is quite the opposite.
  10. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    Apr 22, 2013
    40
    Even without the unpleasant association of the Chris Brown guest slot here, #willpower (we're letting people hashtag their album titles now?) is a charmless listen.
  11. The Observer (UK)
    Apr 22, 2013
    40
    The factory default is for disposable, cheesy, trance-influenced pop with Auto-Tuned vocals.
  12. Rolling Stone
    Apr 19, 2013
    60
    #willpower siphons Chris Brown, Bieber, Britney, Miley, Skylar Grey, K-pop act N2E1 and many more through mistily whooshing, thunderously stomping dance pop that manages to be both hilariously one-dimensional and obsessively high-def.
  13. The Independent (UK)
    Apr 19, 2013
    60
    #willpower is stuffed with sounds that, while in no sense as cutting-edge as he likes to make out, crest the wave of the popular.
  14. AllMusic
    Apr 19, 2013
    40
    Lacking real excitement, verve, or even the stupid type of fun we're used to from him, will.i.am sounds remarkably like his heart isn't in it throughout the record, bored on the job even though it's his job to get the party started.

Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Most Discussed Album of 2013
94
#94 Most Shared Album of 2013

User Reviews

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User Score
2.7

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 135 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 135
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 135
  3. Negative: 91 out of 135
  1. MrDexBCritic
    Apr 23, 2013
    0
    An album that is designed to stink of lawsuits and 5 pieces of broken property (belonging to Anjunabeats and Musical Freedom) so bad, theAn album that is designed to stink of lawsuits and 5 pieces of broken property (belonging to Anjunabeats and Musical Freedom) so bad, the title doesn't need to be turned into a pun. #trancestealer… Full Review »
  2. crishrice
    Apr 26, 2013
    0
    An album that displays the pure non-creativity of will.i.am. The obvious stealing of others' music and base lines prove the selfishness of theAn album that displays the pure non-creativity of will.i.am. The obvious stealing of others' music and base lines prove the selfishness of the music industry as it currently stands. Let's take a stolen track and add two awful people over the song so that people will understand how much the music industry sucks. If will.i.am really wanted to make "good music", then making his own would be a great plan. To will.i.am i say, have some pride in your own work and pride in what you do. You are a well known artist for a reason, show people why you are so popular through examples of your work, not through leeching off of people less well known than yourself.… Full Review »
  3. StrawberryBlond
    Apr 25, 2013
    2
    will.i.am is possibly one of the biggest sell outs in history. He went from underground to making mainstream urban music (but that was decent,will.i.am is possibly one of the biggest sell outs in history. He went from underground to making mainstream urban music (but that was decent, and Black Eyed Peas breathrough albums were good) but after the explosion of dance music 5 years ago, he went in a whole new direction. Will doesn't like not being successful and making music that's out of the loop. Urban music was suddenly old news and Will changed accordingly. After an extended break, Black Eyed Peas came back with a new album composed of electronica, completely different from all their old work and their follow-up, The Beginning, was more of the same and had such negative reception that the group went on haitus. But Will's been busy in this time, turning himself into an electro singer and producer and so we have his first solo album in over 6 years. And surprise, surprise, it's full of soul-less dance music. Will might think he's revolutionary but everything here has been done before (and much better at that). Shortly before the album's release, a controvery emerged with several dance producers claiming that Will stole their work. Their claims were completely justified and makes perfect sense you can't go from being a great urban act to being a great dance act so easily. Something must have been stolen. Aside from this, Will's voice is sub par and he desperately tries to disguise it with an over-abundance of features from performers that are all desperate for career boosts. It's an all-round desperate album. But there are some moments, surprisingly, where we get a glimpse into the real Will. Good Morning is a gorgeous, spiritual introduction to the album, The World Is Crazy is a political song that is like Where Is The Love? 2.0, Far Away From Home is a carefree song about freedom with an almost rock edge, Ghetto Ghetto is a true to life track about the underprivelaged with a really cute feature and the real exellence comes from deluxe track, Smile Mona Lisa. This song is so beautiful with sad lyrics and the most heartbreaking classical solo from Nicole Scherzinger. A true revelation. This song made me want to cry because it was sad and because this is the kind of artist Will could be if he stopped caring about being commercially successful. I shake my head at how he has changed everything about himself, even his dress sense and hairstyle, to hang onto relevancy. The man has sold his soul for fame and only time will tell if he can recover it.… Full Review »
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