Wildheart
by Miguel
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Jun 29, 2015
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
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  1. PopMatters
    Jun 30, 2015
    60
    Wildheart is the sound of Miguel fully coming into his own identity. Now, we just have to wait for him to do something with it.
  2. No Ripcord
    Jul 31, 2015
    50
    Wildheart impresses in parts, and Miguel’s vocals are a thing to behold. For the most part, however, it’s a record that struggles to fully hold your attention.

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best Album of 2015
78
#78 Most Discussed Album of 2015
89
#89 Most Shared Album of 2015

User Reviews

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User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 141 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 127 out of 141
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 141
  3. Negative: 9 out of 141
  1. rmorris110489
    Jun 29, 2015
    10
    Short Review: Wildheart is amazing and once again proves that Miguel knows how to create great music. Miguel’s confidence shines through andShort Review: Wildheart is amazing and once again proves that Miguel knows how to create great music. Miguel’s confidence shines through and Wildheart pushes Miguel's further into his own lane as a R&B maverick. My Personal Favorites: The Valley, Waves, …goingtohell, Coffee, and Destinado A Morir. Rating:10/10

    Long Review: I should start this review by saying that I believe Kaleidoscope Dream is one of the best R&B albums of the last decade. It is also important to note that Kaleidoscope Dream is one of my favorite albums of all time. This should paint how unrealistic my expectations were going into Wildheart. I was 100% expecting Miguel to float down from heaven and sing long lost chapters of the Holy Bible. In other words, I thought Miguel was about to change my life.

    My expectations were tempered after his EP and a few singles. Miguel was still giving me the music equivalent of silk sheets with Coffee and Simple Things, but both songs felt like lateral steps from Kaleidoscope Dream.

    After Wildheart dropped I knew he had done it again. *Warning Rant Coming*: R&B wasn’t always about vapid DJ Mustard style bangers (sorry Chris Brown) or one dimensional baby making music (sorry R. Kelly). On the other hand truly visionary albums like Kendrick’s “TPAB”, Lupe’s “Tetsuo & Youth”, and D’Angelo’s “Black Messiah” are marred by their abrasiveness. It seems to me like a lot of the recently critically praised albums are somewhat hard to listen to. Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” proves that socially conscience urban music does not have to be abrasive. Miguel is not Marvin Gaye just yet, but he does his best to give me sophisticated beauty on Wildheart. *Rant Over*

    The first words we hear from Miguel are: “Don't ever sell yourself short, sell your acceptance." This sets up listeners perfectly for what is to come. Miguel takes us on a tour through Cali from his and only his eyes.

    Miguel takes us through atypical R&B topics like growing up mixed race (What’s Normal Anyway) and Tinseltown delusion (Hollywood Dreams), but what sets this album apart is his take on typical topics. Fame, Sex, Drugs, and Money are all handled on this album, but are all done in Miguel’s unique style. Listen to “The Valley” for an example. On the surface this is just a slow jam about sex. While this is indeed a slow jam, and is for sure about sex, there is more at play. The lyrics are dirty. The sex is not romantic. It’s formulaic. It’s uncomfortable. It’s raw. It's San Fernando in all of its porn industry glory. This takes a raunchy song and gives it just a little something more.

    Maybe I am overthinking this album. Maybe I am not putting enough thought into it. My advice is to buy this and form your own opinion. I support Miguel because this is talent that doesn’t get support in the music industry every day. I even bought a physical CD, so you know the admiration is real. Rating:10/10    … Full Review »
  2. rubenseaton
    Jul 10, 2015
    5
    The sexy songs aren't sexy. The poppy songs aren't poppy. The vocals aren't interesting and the instrumentals are hollow. Not a veryThe sexy songs aren't sexy. The poppy songs aren't poppy. The vocals aren't interesting and the instrumentals are hollow. Not a very convincing statement for the man who said he was making better music than Frank Ocean...… Full Review »
  3. Eniall8or
    Jun 30, 2015
    9
    Miguel is pushing the genre of R&B to a new place.His 2012 record Kaleidoscope Dream was a very good record but I feel as though this recordMiguel is pushing the genre of R&B to a new place.His 2012 record Kaleidoscope Dream was a very good record but I feel as though this record represents real progression for Miguel.… Full Review »
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