Everything Is 4
by Jason Derulo
Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
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  1. Slant Magazine
    Jun 2, 2015
    80
    Occasionally, the more ambitious nature of Everything Is 4 reveals some of Derulo's weaknesses, like his insistence on indulging straight R&B (which feels basic compared to the unique mode of genre-bending he usually works in), but stretching musically also leads to arguably the most exciting moment here, the funk rave-up of album-closer "X2CU."
  2. The New York Times
    Jun 2, 2015
    80
    Everything Is 4 is his second strong album in a row.... Here, Mr. Derulo is a shameless collaborator, a gleeful regurgitator of styles, and one of the most surprisingly savvy decision makers in pop.
  3. Spin
    Jun 1, 2015
    80
    Derulo’s latest, Everything Is 4, proves he’s a workhorse, with possibly even (gulp) a vision.
  5. AllMusic
    Jun 1, 2015
    70
    No one's looking to Derulo for advanced stylistic hybrids or deep thoughts. When Everything Is 4 avoids those creative impulses, as it tends to do, it's easily Derulo's most pleasing work.
  6. Pitchfork
    Jun 10, 2015
    66
    For all its blatantly ill-conceived moments, there's something charming about the sheer audacity of Derulo's often bizarre choices. Even when it falls flat, there is character here.
  7. Billboard.com
    Jun 8, 2015
    60
    On Everything Is 4, some songs give him newfound definition, but then others distract from it.
  8. Rolling Stone
    Jun 2, 2015
    60
    Jason Derulo jumps into every track with equal enthusiasm, his reassuring voice adapting easily to each new setting and providing continuity across the LP.
  9. Boston Globe
    Jun 1, 2015
    60
    Unfortunately, at times he still comes across as Usher-lite.
  10. Clash Music
    Jun 1, 2015
    20
    Derulo has stripped away all of those oddities to focus purely on the music and, in the process, has lost much of what sets him apart from the pack.

User Reviews

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User Score
4.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 66 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 66
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 66
  3. Negative: 34 out of 66
  1. Dennonyx
    Jun 4, 2015
    2
    Lyrically foreseeable and foreseeably stupid.
    Badly produced.
    This is why his albums always sell a lot less of his singles. A method to    Lyrically foreseeable and foreseeably stupid.
    Badly produced.
    This is why his albums always sell a lot less of his singles.
    A method to avoid this? Put in it some famous artists:
    K. Michelle? She tries to make it better.
    Meghan Trainor? Hell no.
    Steve Wonder and Keith Urban? Useless.
    Jennifer Lopez? She actually sounds a bit more fresh than usual.
    Julia Michaels, who is probably the less know featured artist in "Everything is 4", gave the most appreciable contribute.

    The worst songs are 'Pull Up' and 'X2CU' (even if the end is OK). The other are slightly less despicable.

    Is it catchy? Yes, it is. Has he a nice ass? Yes, he has. Is this album worth it to listen? No, unless you are a bored dumb blonde girl.

    The thing that baffles me the most are the 16 producers. The production sounds remedied and disappointingly mediocre. Since when Danja produces so cheesy?    … Full Review »
  2. wstennyson
    Jun 15, 2015
    10
    "Everything Is 4" has everything to be one of the albums of the year. Jason left the "gum songs" that made "Talk Dirty" and "Wiggle" to take"Everything Is 4" has everything to be one of the albums of the year. Jason left the "gum songs" that made "Talk Dirty" and "Wiggle" to take us to the 80s with songs synthpop like "Want To Want Me" and "Chayenne"… Full Review »
  3. GuilhermeMeirel
    Jun 3, 2015
    10
    The 25-year-old already has already built an enviable string of hits, but usually through the sexual innuendo of "Talk Dirty" and "Wiggle" orThe 25-year-old already has already built an enviable string of hits, but usually through the sexual innuendo of "Talk Dirty" and "Wiggle" or gimmicks like the massive sample in "Whatcha Say" and trying to sing his own name as often as possible. He was a star who was trying a little too hard.

    On his fourth album "Everything Is 4" (Warner Bros.), though, Derulo has hit his stride, easing back on all the sexy talk while still piling on the pop hooks.

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    Derulo has also expanded his musical palette on "Everything Is 4," especially brushing off his Michael Jackson-inspired falsetto on the unstoppable "Love Me Down" and its "Off the Wall"-inspired funk guitar. The likable "Want to Want Me" is a breezy summertime jam that leans more pop than R&B, an earworm that embeds immediately. On "X2CU," Derulo cozies up to "Delirious"-era Prince, while he cleverly coins a new kind of date, the "I just want my ex to see you" kind.

    Derulo's artistic growth has also helped him land some impressive new collaborators. On "Broke," where he decides that Biggie was right about "Mo' money, mo' problems," Derulo lands Stevie Wonder to sing background vocals and play harmonica, while Keith Urban delivers some acoustic blues guitar riffs. On "Try Me," he teams with Jennifer Lopez for a cool mix of an old-school pop duet and of-the-moment, Latin-tinged production, while "Painkiller," his duet with Meghan Trainor, is another winner.

    But it's the slow-burning ballad "Trade Hearts," where he lets newcomer Julia Michaels shine, where Derulo truly shows off his new skills, offering restraint and a surprising depth of emotion.

    "Everything Is 4" is a grand new start to the next, even bigger phase of Derulo's career, one where he can just let his music speak for itself.    … Full Review »
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