Woman
by Rhye
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
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  1. Uncut
    Mar 29, 2013
    80
    Even if this [air of refined sophistication] can occasionally make Women feel a little bloodless, you have to marvel at the exquisite execution. [May 2013, p.76]
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  2. Under The Radar
    Mar 22, 2013
    65
    Woman may struggle for consistency over the course of 35 minutes, but it's a bewitching enough listen to justify the buzz that follows its creators. [Mar-Apr 2013, p.94]
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  3. Slant Magazine
    Mar 19, 2013
    80
    If a woman were singing the songs on Woman, it would make for a great neo-soul album. The fact that a man is performing them elevates the album, making it one of the most confident debuts in recent memory.
  5. Magnet
    Mar 15, 2013
    85
    There's a refreshing sense of directness in the sound of the music, which, for all its abundant, unabashed prettiness and orchestral elegance, maintains a stripped-down, unaffectedly human scope. [No. 96, p.59]
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  6. Rolling Stone
    Mar 14, 2013
    70
    The result is like a drag show on the S.S. Yacht Rock, but an exceptionally refined one.
  7. Austin Chronicle
    Mar 13, 2013
    67
    Woman might make you uncomfortable, overpowered by its honesty, but it's always truthful.
  8. PopMatters
    Mar 13, 2013
    70
    The songs are light around the edges, clear but never sharp.
  9. Beats Per Minute
    Mar 8, 2013
    86
    The duo retain a stripped down approach and it helps make each production choice and songwriting turn feel pondered and noteworthy, each track carving out its own identity and mood within a larger thematically consistent body.
  10. No Ripcord
    Mar 8, 2013
    90
    A focused, yet relaxed, song-writing atmosphere has resulted in something completely sophisticated yet entirely effortless, and genuinely warm.
  11. The Guardian
    Mar 7, 2013
    80
    These are songs to lose yourself in; a paradise of loveliness that suggests Hannibal and Milosh won't be remaining anonymous much longer.
  12. Consequence
    Mar 7, 2013
    80
    I’m moved by the fragility, the vulnerability, the honesty, the disruption of masculinity. It’s inspiring to hear a way to be gentle, empathetic, brittle, and still express a deeply human impulse.
  13. AllMusic
    Mar 5, 2013
    80
    In the main, the purpose is bedroom listening, though the tone is so bright that daytime play seems most suitable. The lyrics are packed with metaphors, yet they are expressed in a heartrending and inviting manner.
  14. Filter
    Mar 5, 2013
    80
    A blush to the cheeks means the music is working.
  15. Boston Globe
    Mar 5, 2013
    80
    The debut from the once-anonymous LA duo of Rhye--Danish electro-soul producer Robin Hannibal and Canadian vocalist-producer Mike Milosh--floats with ease on this wave [of R&B experiments].
  16. Spin
    Mar 5, 2013
    80
    Mostly there are ballads--exquisitely poised, expertly arranged ones so dialed into their feminine inspirations that Milosh and Hannibal virtually merge with the objects of their affection.
  17. Pitchfork
    Mar 5, 2013
    85
    Rhye's music itself feels deeply intimate. Much of this comes from Hannibal and Milosh's deft arrangements--each of Woman's 10 songs makes its point with a bare minimum of moving parts.
  18. Exclaim
    Mar 5, 2013
    80
    A distinct effort has been made to play up the sexiness of the project and, thankfully, the music lives up to that imagery.
  19. Chicago Tribune
    Mar 5, 2013
    88
    Rhye’s debut album, Woman, is a beautifully sequenced song cycle of soul music with the flame turned low. It’s sexy, but not overheated
  20. DIY Magazine
    Mar 4, 2013
    80
    In Woman, they’ve bypassed the hurdle of dangerous, immaterial preconceptions by creating the ultimate debut album: a future classic brimming with effortless, tangible love songs.
  21. The Line of Best Fit
    Mar 1, 2013
    75
    For a debut, the album has a spacious sound, and that can also be accounted for by Milosh and Hannibal’s music history which predates Rhye by nearly a decade.
  22. musicOMH.com
    Mar 1, 2013
    80
    The album’s initial momentum is not quite there by the three quarter distance, but Woman is an album that more than merits time.
  23. NOW Magazine
    Mar 1, 2013
    80
    It’s a beautifully crafted album that heralds the arrival of what’s sure to be one of the most subtly affecting voices in pop.
  24. Pretty Much Amazing
    Mar 1, 2013
    91
    Woman works because it balances restraint and candor, presenting love in neither a chaste nor debauched light. Milosh, through his gossamer vocals, delivers a message of stunning clarity: despite the risk, love is beautiful.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 67 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 67
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 67
  3. Negative: 3 out of 67
  1. aba1258
    Mar 8, 2013
    10
    Soothing vocals, you can hardly believe it's a man singing. It's a very sensual and relaxing album, but there are also catchy choruses.Soothing vocals, you can hardly believe it's a man singing. It's a very sensual and relaxing album, but there are also catchy choruses. Without a doubt one of the best we'll hear this year!!!!… Full Review »
  2. Pamuk
    Apr 20, 2019
    7
    The textures of the album have such a faint beauty in it that I can't help but find myself swimming in its own intimate moods and chords.The textures of the album have such a faint beauty in it that I can't help but find myself swimming in its own intimate moods and chords. Each piece has such a sultry and enigmatic feel to it which is quite fitting under the sheen of Milosh's voice. However, for some reason, I found that listening to the album as a whole left me feeling slightly weary as some points of the album simply made me feel static. However, when the album does manage to pull through, it really unfurls. Fracturing even a part of yourself that speaks of love into a colossal warp of tragedy, beauty, and actual euphoria. "The Fall", for example just delivers that. Probably the most powerful piece of the album even at its most minimalist. In fact, the accompanying video of the song just heightens the feel of it. It's bareness in production delivers through and through with the rest of the songs in the album (which although bare is brilliant, sometimes delightful, but nonetheless, on point). I wish I could rate the album a 7.5, but I don't think I can do that here. Still, even if I'm leaning on a 7, I'd give the album my most solid 7.5/10.… Full Review »
  3. shinycrapyboy
    Nov 16, 2018
    8
    It´s amazing to see that reviewers are comparing Milosh´s voice (a man) to Sade´s one without being amazed about it! The perfect exampleIt´s amazing to see that reviewers are comparing Milosh´s voice (a man) to Sade´s one without being amazed about it! The perfect example which shows that the concept of genders does not really exist nowadays. But, taking apart the similarities with Sade´s earlier works and her smooth ability to sing love as nobody did it until today, this project is a sort of what she could have done ultimately with a more organic and warm instrumentation. These guys are inspired by someone who certainly impacted them when they were teenagers. I don´t think that they´ve only reproduced what flipped them out. They are definitely the owners of a special and sensual sound, sensual that nobody managed to reach until now. Rhye exists, it´s for real and their concert for the Boilery ballroom proves that they are not a counterfeit!… Full Review »
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