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- Critic score
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Nov 1, 2018The subtle wave of acoustics, sparse pianism and occasional bass bump work as an apt complement to Ella’s oration. The production also displays the underappreciated diversity of Mustard’s bottomless bag of beats.
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Oct 12, 2018It’s the full-bodied and fiery tunes Dangerous and Shot Clock that shine through, with their honeyed yet passionate vocals, pointedly candid lyrics, and throwback instrumentation modernised with dark synths and percussion. These are better signs of Mai’s authentic R&B star potential than any millennial slang.
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Oct 12, 2018Confident, relevant and full of gorgeous instrumentation, Ella Mai’s debut proves that she is more than worth the hype.
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Oct 25, 2018Her album might be suffering from a case of bloat, but it doesn't detract from the talent she clearly has.
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Oct 24, 2018While she might play it safe as far as messages are concerned--generally exploring relationships--her metaphoric representation of them somehow manage to keep the oft-played theme quite fresh.
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Oct 12, 2018Nothing groundbreaking, but a good modern soul album that draws on specific touchpoints--late '90 to early '00s R&B filtered by way of trap-minded beats--curated to today's audience.
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Oct 15, 2018Mai’s album will likely bring her a couple of radio hits--“Sauce” is an undeniable heater. But a lack of focus means that, on her debut, the instant, infectious rush of Mai’s warm personality proves a little more elusive to find.
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Oct 18, 2018There's a lack of authorship throughout that leaves a sense of disjointedness. Which is more about the album's overall design, because if taken in individual pieces, there's more than a handful of skillfully-written songs that could fit into any modern pop playlist.
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Oct 15, 2018A decent debut, then, but with Mai’s rich voice you can’t help feeling that it could have been stratospheric. Instead, it fails to innovate, and all feels a little beige.
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Oct 12, 2018If the arrangements sometimes sound automated, Mai is adept enough as a singer to enliven them.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 67 out of 83
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Mixed: 7 out of 83
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Negative: 9 out of 83
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Oct 13, 2018
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Oct 12, 2018
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Oct 12, 2018It's nice to see Ella Mai doing a great R&B album, kinda nostalgic feel remembering some old R&B singers like Monica and Aaliyah.