Cupid Deluxe
by Blood Orange
  • Record Label: Domino
  • Release Date: Nov 19, 2013
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
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  1. No Ripcord
    Dec 2, 2013
    90
    Floating gracefully, and guided by a stylish demigod of his own imagining, he glides atop the current of the zeitgeist as globalized and immediately accessible as the modern urban hub he calls home.
  2. Exclaim
    Nov 14, 2013
    90
    With Cupid Deluxe, Hynes has revealed his exquisite vision, one that swells with inspiration from his various collaborators.
  3. Pitchfork
    Nov 14, 2013
    85
    Across the album, Hynes sings, writes, produces, and plays guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, synths. But this is hardly a solo act. In fact, one of the record's greatest strengths lies in its pitch-perfect deployment of guests.
  5. Sputnikmusic
    Dec 5, 2013
    80
    Cupid Deluxe is by no means an imperfect record, but it is still a powerful reminder of how grossly underrated Dev Hynes is as an artist in his own right.
  6. Mixmag
    Nov 27, 2013
    80
    Where ‘Coastal Grooves’ felt like an indie kid playing at being an r’n’b superstar, here the metamorphosis seems complete.
  7. The Quietus
    Nov 25, 2013
    80
    Despite the transience, this is the most settled and mature his work has ever sounded. To put it another way, it's a look that suits, and you hope it sticks.
  8. CMJ
    Nov 20, 2013
    80
    A little more daylight would balance out the vibe. But that’s a minor complaint. In fact, on further listens it becomes the album’s appeal.
  9. Slant Magazine
    Nov 18, 2013
    80
    Cupid Deluxe picks up where that track ["Everything Is Embarrassing"] left off: Blood Orange's sophomore effort chronicles alienation and broken romance with slow, melancholic, '90s-gazing jams.
  10. Spin
    Nov 18, 2013
    80
    Packed with these canny connections between music and lyrics, Cupid highlights Hynes' tremendous recent advancement as an arranger.
  11. The Observer (UK)
    Nov 18, 2013
    80
    After years of toying around, Hynes may have finally found the sound that suits him best.
  12. The Independent (UK)
    Nov 15, 2013
    80
    Sometimes it suffers from Prince-like micromanagement, but when it succeeds, it's blissful.
  13. The Fly (UK)
    Nov 14, 2013
    80
    Featuring cameos from David Longstreth, Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek, Kindness and more Cupid Deluxe is a rich, rewarding listen.
  14. The Line of Best Fit
    Nov 14, 2013
    80
    Hynes’ decision to collaborate broadly on Blood Orange proves a masterstroke in terms of the record’s diversity.
  15. DIY Magazine
    Nov 14, 2013
    80
    Doing it with a little help from his friends, he's easily landed on his best album yet, out of any guise taken on in the last 10 years.
  16. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Nov 14, 2013
    80
    Often misty eyed and always misty, the sophomore album from Blood Orange makes a compelling argument that a stroll on the beach can be as affecting alone as it is alongside a partner.
  17. Magnet
    Dec 18, 2013
    75
    Cupid Deluxe paints him as a producer and songwriter with massive potential that's only just begun to be realized. [No. 105, p.52]
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  18. Los Angeles Times
    Nov 22, 2013
    75
    There’s a bravery to Hynes’ vulnerability here. He finds what he’s looking for, and he doesn’t flinch.
  19. Chicago Tribune
    Nov 18, 2013
    75
    It’s an atmosphere soaked in deceptively mellow and melancholy neo-soul, another take on the worlds created by Sade’s whispered regrets and the Weeknd’s decadent obsessions.
  20. Pretty Much Amazing
    Nov 14, 2013
    75
    Blood Orange’s sound is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing and important in pop today, and this sophomore effort is a promising progression for an artist who deserves more of the spotlight, but probably won’t ever demand it.
  21. cokemachineglow
    Dec 10, 2013
    70
    Hynes expands his melancholy pop palette just slightly enough on Cupid Deluxe to create an album at once slickly cohesive and subtly textured.
  22. Uncut
    Nov 20, 2013
    70
    Cupid Deluxe is a more mature and collaborative affair that sees Hynes marinate his songs in an early-'90s soul-funk fusion that foregrounds groove over melody. [Dec 2013, p.65]
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  23. Fact Magazine (UK)
    Nov 19, 2013
    70
    Cupid Deluxe starts strongly with ‘Chamakay’, ‘You’re Not Good Enough’, and ‘Uncle ACE’, but sadly loses focus.
  24. The New York Times
    Nov 18, 2013
    70
    This record is less unified than “Coastal Grooves,” the last Blood Orange album, as well as more luxurious, and far less isolated.
  25. Under The Radar
    Nov 18, 2013
    70
    The album works on various levels.
  26. Consequence
    Nov 18, 2013
    70
    Though the second half of Cupid Deluxe occasionally meanders and loses the immediacy of the first four songs, there are bright spots throughout. Hynes’s production is top notch, providing crisp treatments for his diverse, moody, NYC-inspired pop songs.
  27. Drowned In Sound
    Nov 18, 2013
    70
    Cupid Deluxe is arguably Hynes' finest work and an improvement on his debut release but he shouldn't be afraid to place himself centre stage instead of hiding behind a host of guest appearances.
  28. AllMusic
    Nov 18, 2013
    70
    He's an artist with ideas and while they sometimes pile up and crash on Cupid Deluxe, it's always a spectacular crash, and that's something worth investigating.
  29. Rolling Stone
    Nov 14, 2013
    70
    The hooks are stealthy, and the arrangements make even the retro gestures feel fresh. All totaled, Hynes is a triple threat, a total original and a force to be reckoned with.

Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Most Shared Album of 2013

User Reviews

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User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 68 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 68
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 68
  3. Negative: 1 out of 68
  1. All_ButTrU4
    Mar 14, 2021
    8
    This has a beautiful nostalgia to it as if it was a lost gem from 80's. It's nostalgia is planted deep in romanticism and heartbreak, themesThis has a beautiful nostalgia to it as if it was a lost gem from 80's. It's nostalgia is planted deep in romanticism and heartbreak, themes that become interchangeable on this record as neither are wat they seem. This album can easily be overlooked due to it's cohesion bordering on repetition and production sharing similarities but it becomes a strength on repeated listens. It revels in the subtle changes:background vocals,instrumentations . This is a brave delicate album on loves both halves:heartbreak and romance exploring loss in it's variable forms:loss of self,love,heartbreak, loneliness. This is truly a definitive release for the 10's . Favourite:time will tell,you're not good enough,always let you down,UNCLE ace… Full Review »
  2. NormanAlee
    Nov 16, 2019
    10
    It's ridiculous how the worst song You're not good enough - became a single. This album has a lot of good yet simple songs
  3. kyle_aaronson
    Dec 9, 2013
    8
    At first, it kind of felt like all of the songs were pretty much the same. But then I started listening to the album a few more times, and notAt first, it kind of felt like all of the songs were pretty much the same. But then I started listening to the album a few more times, and not only does that become an appreciation, and a good thing, but it starts to give the album a certain feel and vibe throughout that enhances it. I don't think it's necessarily a work of genius, but incredibly pleasant in a melancholy way.… Full Review »
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