Masseduction
by St. Vincent
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 469 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 424 out of 469
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 469
  3. Negative: 21 out of 469
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  1. Christopher_G2
    Nov 21, 2021
    10
    MASSEDUCTION, from singer Annie Clark who is better known as St. Vincent, is a delightful, original alternative-rock album by a delightful and original artist, who constantly puts out critical hits and deserves broader recognition. It’s arguably her best work to date, though I slightly prefer her previous album St. Vincent (while self-titled, that was actually her fourth solo album, withMASSEDUCTION, from singer Annie Clark who is better known as St. Vincent, is a delightful, original alternative-rock album by a delightful and original artist, who constantly puts out critical hits and deserves broader recognition. It’s arguably her best work to date, though I slightly prefer her previous album St. Vincent (while self-titled, that was actually her fourth solo album, with MASSEDUCTION being her fifth). It’s a remarkable work in its scope, including the mesmerizingly humorous “Los Ageless”, the upbeat title track “Masseduction”, the poignant and clearly personal “New York” and “Happy Birthday, Johnny”, and my favorite, the intoxicating, both figuratively and literally, “Pills”, and more. Like in prior (and now also future) albums, she combines music techniques and styles to make rousing beats that are not easily described, but easy to enjoy, and even the few lesser songs here have merited a lasting place in my collection.

    With MASSEDUCTION, coming on the heels of St. Vincent, and going into her most recent album
    Daddy’s Home (which has also received high acclaim), Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, has become one of the premier alternative artists of this generation. She’s also become one of my favorite musicians performing in any genre. Inventive, thrilling, touching, and sometimes all of these at once, this is one album not to miss.    … Expand
  2. linclink
    Oct 14, 2017
    10
    First of all, let me say, after more than a half dozen listens now.... That I absolutely adore this album!!!

    With the last one ("St. Vincent" from 2014), I was just blown away by the advance tracks. I, initially, wasn't blown away by "New York" & "Los Ageless". I liked them, but was approaching the new one with trepidation. That's partly because, for me, she'd released album that were    First of all, let me say, after more than a half dozen listens now.... That I absolutely adore this album!!!

    With the last one ("St. Vincent" from 2014), I was just blown away by the advance tracks. I, initially, wasn't blown away by "New York" & "Los Ageless". I liked them, but was approaching the new one with trepidation. That's partly because, for me, she'd released album that were varying degrees of greatness & wildly eclectic as well. I was waiting for the drop off & thinking thosee two tracks that I "merely liked" might be a harbinger of the come down to come.

    Then the videos came out & then the live performances & I more than warmed up to those two lead tracks. I look back now & am a bit surprised that they didn't click with me more immediately. I warmed up fast & by the time "Pills" dropped, I was very excited, but still wondering if she could blow me away with the full album, at that same lofty level. There is no working artist whose work speaks to me more deeply, or does so more consistently. A couple are up there with her, but none more so.

    There will be some more reviews coming in, but it's currently got the 4th highest score of the year here with critics & I believe it's in first place with user ratings (9.5 from 96 ratings) & I honestly don't think I could overpraise it. "Masseduction" by St. Vincent is head & shoulders my favorite album this year.    … Expand
  3. WhySoSerious008
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    Bold, devastating, wickedly funny and yet strangely intimate, St. Vincent's MASSEDUCTION is an exhilarating album that always remains true. An artistic tour de force, the album showcases the consequential nature of power and fame.
  4. jotaeseche
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    No matter how much I love all her previous albums, this is the best Annie has released so far, by a mile. It's daring, sassy, sexy, intimate, entertaining, intelligent and it touches you (and punches you) in many different places at the same time. It takes you from joy and euphoria to introspection and reflection in a matter of seconds, and somehow everything feels totally coherent. TheNo matter how much I love all her previous albums, this is the best Annie has released so far, by a mile. It's daring, sassy, sexy, intimate, entertaining, intelligent and it touches you (and punches you) in many different places at the same time. It takes you from joy and euphoria to introspection and reflection in a matter of seconds, and somehow everything feels totally coherent. The production is stellar, the lyrics are emotional and moving but the thing that stroke me the most was the use of her vocal range (particularly at the end of Young Lover; just incredible.) Firm contestant for album of the year!… Expand
  5. hipnose1
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    Annie mais uma vez surpreende com seu talento e sua habilidade de fazer suas eras tudo muito bem pensadas, desde a estética à sonoridade. Os vocais estão mais maduros e a sonoridade é ousada, surpreende com seus conceitos que envolvem sua vida em um contexto geral. Álbum do ano.
  6. riordanpett
    Nov 29, 2017
    10
    Album of the year for me, maybe best of the past two years. It’s all subjective, but this album truly is great. Great production, I’m liking her new direction but her album, Actor, will always be her best.
    This album has high replay value, played it so many times since release. The instrumentation is insane, so many sounds, each listen brings something new, great lyrics. Beats any ****    Album of the year for me, maybe best of the past two years. It’s all subjective, but this album truly is great. Great production, I’m liking her new direction but her album, Actor, will always be her best.
    This album has high replay value, played it so many times since release. The instrumentation is insane, so many sounds, each listen brings something new, great lyrics. Beats any **** Taylor Swift album. I definitely prefer it to Melodrama by Lorde (which just lacks experimentation), Antonoff’s other recently produced album.    … Expand
  7. gustavolsb
    Oct 23, 2017
    10
    A perfectly crafted record - ferocious instrumentals, graceful lyrics, and satirical but heartbreaking moments. One of the best albums released this year, it reinforces the immense creative power of Annie Clark and the bold, sharp production of Jack Antonoff.
  8. CharlieGray
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    This is probably my favorite album of 2017 so far. It’s ambitious, bold, creative, it has Annie’s touch, it’s simply fascinating. It’s autobiographical, and a bit sad, but also really catchy.
  9. JasonViljoen97
    Oct 15, 2017
    10
    When I heard Annie was going to take a step into a more pop sound, I was worried; but I was wrong.
    This album is a masterpiece from start to finish. Her most accessible album yet, without losing that idiosyncratic St. Vincent charm. Bravo, Annie. Bravo!
  10. joethealien
    Oct 16, 2017
    10
    Annie Clark has always given the indie world delicious, complex melodies blended smoothly with stunning instrumentals. it seems with every album she gets better and better though, paving her way as one of those rare 21st century artists who has established a deep-rooted legacy already before their 40s. Masseduction, her second finest album (self-titled is my fav), feels exhilarating onAnnie Clark has always given the indie world delicious, complex melodies blended smoothly with stunning instrumentals. it seems with every album she gets better and better though, paving her way as one of those rare 21st century artists who has established a deep-rooted legacy already before their 40s. Masseduction, her second finest album (self-titled is my fav), feels exhilarating on first listen, with its ever fabulous flourishes of Clark-characteristic guitar licks and humid synths. on her last album, Clark pretty much ditched the baroque pop sensibilities of her first three solo albums, and here she ups the ante even further with soul-fueled glam rock. if there was ever any anxiety that she might have lost a spark since her self-titled album, its immediately shut down by the first two songs here.
    first we got some fuzzy and uplifting art rock with astonishing opener Hang on Me. the second track, Pills, is a progressive glam rock early standout. this absolute banger starts a verse-chorus structure with a late 60s tv jingle type chorus that is a bit unsettling with its recalling of all things pills can help with in a day-to-day context. 2 minutes and 50 seconds in is when the song really moves the listener, with a Bewlay Brothers-reminiscent guitar outro. the fun has only just started though. other highlights include: Savior, an irresistibly funky space-age sex jam; Los Ageless, a dance-rock banger with instantly memorable riffs, impressive vocals and an outro slightly redolent of Lorde's Supercut (both were co-produced by Jack Antonoff); the glitchy, manic Fear the Future; and of course the epic, emotive closer, Smoking Section, a glam waltz with haunting, atmospheric harmonies.
    this is really everything 2017 needed in music and more. a 21st century glam rock masterpiece. thank you St. Vincent, we love you so much.    … Expand
  11. Bretto66
    Oct 14, 2017
    10
    Psychotic pop taken to a level that totally............................................................................................................................................................................................ blows your mind apart!
  12. Gozi
    Oct 21, 2017
    10
    I'm hesitant to give a 10, but this album is perfect throughout. Its a banger in many ways, but heartbreaker in others. It's ironically saturated in poppy commercialism, sex, and cliched LA stereotypes. This was funny to me thinking about her style and themes in older albums and also seeing how she is in real life: a down to earth genuinely cool chick. She's not chic or stuck up or a diva.I'm hesitant to give a 10, but this album is perfect throughout. Its a banger in many ways, but heartbreaker in others. It's ironically saturated in poppy commercialism, sex, and cliched LA stereotypes. This was funny to me thinking about her style and themes in older albums and also seeing how she is in real life: a down to earth genuinely cool chick. She's not chic or stuck up or a diva. She's certainly mocking an overly sexualized society obsessed with fame and fortune. The subject is not original, but she addresses it in an original way. Its a fantastic listen, and New York is my song of the year. I can't stop listening to it and I recommend it to anyone who likes pop music!… Expand
  13. samwich21
    Nov 12, 2017
    10
    This album is a show-stopper. The album's artwork tells it all: Annie baring her assh*le to the entire world watching. This album is spectacular and totally and completely unique in it's own, amazing way.
  14. kjhkjhk
    Feb 15, 2019
    10
    I **** love this record. So sexual and just pulsating. St Vincent has learned to really push the boundaries on this one. She's successful too! One of the best pop-alternative records of 2017. Just behind Melodrama by Lorde.
  15. hxydx
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    Um dos melhores álbuns desse ano com toda certeza. Annie continuou com estética sonora St. Vincent, com sua guitarra distorcida, suas experimentações e letras muito bem trabalhadas mas invadiu um novo perimetro musical muito mais maduro. Os vocais apresentam algo inovador. Todas as músicas são fascinantes, engraçadas, intimas, criativas. EXCELENTE!
  16. andrevictor
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    Como sempre as mulheres estão trazendo os melhores álbuns do ano. St. Vincent trouxe um dos melhores trabalhos de 2017, fazendo jus ao seu disco antecessor. É incrível como Annie Clark consegue se reinventar a cada álbum lançado e o quanto se torna tão original, sem contar na produção impecável do MASSEDUCTION.
  17. Wonderland28
    Nov 9, 2017
    10
    St. Vincent finds something unique and strangely powerful on MASSEDUCTION that digs into the inner core of what it's like to live life and feel life to the very fullest.
  18. elmalzinotti
    Oct 16, 2017
    10
    Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect!
  19. PrinceJhonny
    Oct 14, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. How do you top a Grammy-winning album? Tackle it with Jack Antonoff and a curious pop sensibility -- and that's exactly what Annie Clark did with this record.

    Her signature guitar is up front, pulsing yet fractured akin to her previous record, but this time around, it doesn't feel as stark and alien. Perhaps it's because she gets intimate with her lyrics -- not the "futuristic-cult-dominatrix" she previously portrayed. All that glitter is great, and genuinely dance-able ("Sugarboy", "Masseduction"). But when you take it away, you're left with the bare bone balladry we've come to love ("New York, "Smoking Section").

    Then there's the stand out "Happy Birthday Johnny" (yes, it's the spiritual-sequel of the stunning "Prince Johnny" from her self-titled album) where she invokes the Actor-era St. Vincent to bring an utterly heart-breaking track. "Annie, how could you do this to me?" she sings over the minimal chords -- by the end it'll leave you with your heart in your mouth (well, it happened to me).

    Antonoff's involvement in the production has me drawing comparisons to his previous gig as a producer -- Lorde's "Melodrama". Just a few months ago, Lorde had me (and everyone else) convinced "Melodrama" was the Album of the Year. But now that's changed. MASSEDUCTION is The Album of the Year (with a capital T), at least for me -- and while there's no official verdict just yet, the reaction from both the critics and the fans has been overwhelmingly positive.

    "It's not the end, it's not the end" Clark chants in the closing track -- out of context, but it leaves me hopeful for more songs, in say, a deluxe edition maybe? Probably next year. Till then, we have ourselves a masterpiece.    … Expand
  20. costivaro
    Oct 14, 2017
    10
    Incrível. Como uma mistura do álbum MAYA (de M.I.A.) e do álbum Ray of Light (de Madonna) de uma forma bem original. Visual, sonoridade e letras muito bem montados. Jack Antonoff é um produtor excelente e St. Vincent só melhora sua própria perfeição.
  21. Pericowsky
    Oct 15, 2017
    10
    It definitely has to be the best record of 2017, it's fun, daring and full of criticism. It is a sincere record, and loaded with many rhythms, from the 80's to the present, that guitar and that synthesizer do majestic works. I will be honest, I did not go with high expectations since 'St. Vincent' was a very good album, but it surpassed them, excellent for always surpassing.It definitely has to be the best record of 2017, it's fun, daring and full of criticism. It is a sincere record, and loaded with many rhythms, from the 80's to the present, that guitar and that synthesizer do majestic works. I will be honest, I did not go with high expectations since 'St. Vincent' was a very good album, but it surpassed them, excellent for always surpassing.

    Distinguished songs: 'New York', 'Pills', 'Sugarboy' and 'Smoking Section'.    … Expand
  22. streamswims
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, **** on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it... she's all those things. But actually she's a **** good person.
  23. callumnicholson
    Oct 14, 2017
    10
    St. Vincent keeps on getting better; each record she brings something new to the table. MASSEDUCTION is an adventurous, colourful and creative pop album, with catchy hooks and beats, all still while managing to keep that Annie Clark flair. It maintains a sexy yet somewhat heartbreaking and unsettling atmosphere the whole way through, and in the best way possible. My favourite album of theSt. Vincent keeps on getting better; each record she brings something new to the table. MASSEDUCTION is an adventurous, colourful and creative pop album, with catchy hooks and beats, all still while managing to keep that Annie Clark flair. It maintains a sexy yet somewhat heartbreaking and unsettling atmosphere the whole way through, and in the best way possible. My favourite album of the year so far, and the best from Annie's discography thus far.… Expand
  24. PEDROSILVERO6
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think it's the best female record of this year. Excellent as always ST VINCENT. His voice, his videos, the delicacy he has in each album. She is grand...… Expand
  25. joshdkaye
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    MASSEDUCTION is by far Ms. Clark's most experimental, complex and entertaining album to date. With every album, she edges closer and closer to a masterpiece.
  26. Russkiy
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    amazing you are a Queen very cool, we need more of MASSEDUCTION that is very ART, Annie i love your New Album, Pills the next single of this piece of ART
  27. Nina1
    Oct 15, 2017
    10
    Amazing album, heartbreaking songs with absolutely quality lyrics. Not one easy song. Every song becomes better than the other with every listen. Welldone.
  28. iantennis
    Oct 20, 2017
    10
    Genuinely experienced such an emotional reaction to this beautiful album. It's my favorite of this year by leaps and bounds, and a truly unique journey. Never been a big St. Vincent fan, but this album functions as both great music to work to, and a thoughtful deep listen.
  29. Fafamedeiros
    Nov 4, 2017
    10
    Another amazing Annie album. Annie can reinvent herself without losing her essence and brand. The pop music lacks that, the courage to do something new and she does it with beauty.
  30. Malinaga
    Nov 10, 2017
    10
    Annie Clark hears and processes all the melodies of the world. And these sounds sound fresh and surprisingly good. She is a total and uncompromising artist.
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Album of 2017
27
#27 Most Discussed Album of 2017
15
#15 Most Shared Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. Magnet
    Dec 22, 2017
    95
    What we're witnessing is a woman bowing down to nothing but her own muse. [No. 149, p.61]
  2. The Wire
    Dec 11, 2017
    80
    Clark’s fifth album isn’t a retreat to an earlier style--if anything it’s even brighter, bolder and broader than St Vincent, even more given to IMAX worthy gestures-- but Clark does appear to have reconciled the streamlined automation of her new aesthetic with the orch pop crafting of her first three records, Marry Me (2007), Actor (2009) and Strange Mercy (2011). [Nov 2017, p.64]
  3. American Songwriter
    Oct 24, 2017
    80
    The album is far more interesting when Clark is more introspective, pleading “please don’t hang up yet” on the gorgeous “Hang On Me,” or simply showcasing her noisiest guitar riffs on “Young Lover.”
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