After a number of delays, rappers Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign finally released their collaborative album “Vultures 1.” But was it worth the wait? And is it possible to separate West’s music from his controversial behavior and antisemitism?
As of this writing “Vultures” has a MetaCritic score of 49 based on just four reviews counted so far, all of which are classified as mixed — none outright negative, but none outright positive either. Scott Glaysher (HipHopDX) gives the highest rating, an ambivalent three out of five, and he concludes, “Listeners, fans, haters and hopefuls will be in the same place they were before the album dropped: confused, disappointed, but holding onto the idea that the Kanye we all fell in love with can still deliver undeniably good music that is worth defending.”
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Paul A. Thompson (Pitchfork) admits the album “sounds almost...
As of this writing “Vultures” has a MetaCritic score of 49 based on just four reviews counted so far, all of which are classified as mixed — none outright negative, but none outright positive either. Scott Glaysher (HipHopDX) gives the highest rating, an ambivalent three out of five, and he concludes, “Listeners, fans, haters and hopefuls will be in the same place they were before the album dropped: confused, disappointed, but holding onto the idea that the Kanye we all fell in love with can still deliver undeniably good music that is worth defending.”
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Paul A. Thompson (Pitchfork) admits the album “sounds almost...
- 2/16/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Guardian music critic Alexis Petridis, film editor Catherine Shoard and TV critic Leila Latif guide you through what’s on offer
It’s supposed to be the mellow season, where we seek out the cosy and comforting. But this autumn, culture seems to have got a bit – well, steamy. The Guardian’s film editor, Catherine Shoard, explains why some surprisingly sexy films will be hitting the big screens near you. While the Guardian music critic Alexis Petridis guides us through what’s fresh and exciting. And if you are endlessly scrolling through streaming and TV options, critic Leila Latif is on hand to take control of your remote.
Nosheen Iqbal hears about the new films with old favourites – from Glenda Jackson’s final role in The Great Escaper to Ridley’s Scott’s Napoleon and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. But also a return of the erotic...
It’s supposed to be the mellow season, where we seek out the cosy and comforting. But this autumn, culture seems to have got a bit – well, steamy. The Guardian’s film editor, Catherine Shoard, explains why some surprisingly sexy films will be hitting the big screens near you. While the Guardian music critic Alexis Petridis guides us through what’s fresh and exciting. And if you are endlessly scrolling through streaming and TV options, critic Leila Latif is on hand to take control of your remote.
Nosheen Iqbal hears about the new films with old favourites – from Glenda Jackson’s final role in The Great Escaper to Ridley’s Scott’s Napoleon and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. But also a return of the erotic...
- 9/29/2023
- by Presented by Nosheen Iqbal with Catherine Shoard, Leila Latif and Alexis Petridis; produced by Rose de Larrabeiti, Hannah Moore and Solomon King; executive producer Homa Khaleeli
- The Guardian - Film News
Doja Cat released her fourth full-length studio album, “Scarlet,” on September 22 after months of anticipation. But was it worth the wait? Music critics have weighed in, and they’re somewhat divided.
As of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on 10 reviews counted thus far, which indicates “generally favorable reviews.” That’s not far off from her last album, “Planet Her,” which scored 76 based on 14 reviews. But not everyone is onboard. Five of the current reviews are classified as positive, but the other five are mixed, though none are outright negative.
SEEBillboard Hot 100: Every #1 song of 2023
Among the album’s champions is Jem Aswad (Variety), who says “Scarlet” is “hands-down her best album … The album is loaded with singles, but it’s a real album, with most of the other songs branching out her sound and showing off her killer flow.” Roisin O’Connor (Independent UK) adds,...
As of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on 10 reviews counted thus far, which indicates “generally favorable reviews.” That’s not far off from her last album, “Planet Her,” which scored 76 based on 14 reviews. But not everyone is onboard. Five of the current reviews are classified as positive, but the other five are mixed, though none are outright negative.
SEEBillboard Hot 100: Every #1 song of 2023
Among the album’s champions is Jem Aswad (Variety), who says “Scarlet” is “hands-down her best album … The album is loaded with singles, but it’s a real album, with most of the other songs branching out her sound and showing off her killer flow.” Roisin O’Connor (Independent UK) adds,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album, “Guts,” on Friday, September 8. Expectations were high after her studio debut, 2021’s “Sour,” achieved critical acclaim, won her three Grammys and has been certified quadruple platinum as of this writing. But judging from the initial reviews, “Guts” has leaped over the sky-high bar Rodrigo set for herself.
Based on the first 11 reviews, “Guts” has an astronomical MetaCritic score of 93 out of 100. Compare that to “Sour,” which based on 20 reviews received an 83 score that itself indicated reflected universal acclaim from music journalists. For the moment this album rates 10 points better than that, though that number might have changed by the time you read this.
SEEOlivia Rodrigo (‘Bad Idea Right?’): She’s obsessed with her ex in 2nd video and single from ‘Guts’ [Watch]
Rob Sheffield (Rolling Stone) says the album is “witty, pissed-off” and contains “her most ambitious, intimate and messy songs yet.” “Guts,” he proclaims,...
Based on the first 11 reviews, “Guts” has an astronomical MetaCritic score of 93 out of 100. Compare that to “Sour,” which based on 20 reviews received an 83 score that itself indicated reflected universal acclaim from music journalists. For the moment this album rates 10 points better than that, though that number might have changed by the time you read this.
SEEOlivia Rodrigo (‘Bad Idea Right?’): She’s obsessed with her ex in 2nd video and single from ‘Guts’ [Watch]
Rob Sheffield (Rolling Stone) says the album is “witty, pissed-off” and contains “her most ambitious, intimate and messy songs yet.” “Guts,” he proclaims,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Before German pop singer Kim Petras had even released a studio album she made music history. “Unholy,” her duet with Sam Smith, made her the first openly trans woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and then it made her the first trans woman to win a pop Grammy. Now she’s out with her first ever full-length studio release, “Feed the Beast,” which dropped on June 23. Does it live up to her already historic track record?
SEEGrammy rules, explained: Breaking down the changes in categories, and who can vote for what in 2024
Well, it depends on who you ask. As of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 60 based on seven reviews counted thus far: three positive and four somewhat mixed, but none outright negative. On the positive side, Megan Graye (The Independent) says, “There’s something alluring about such an unapologetic and candid album. And really,...
SEEGrammy rules, explained: Breaking down the changes in categories, and who can vote for what in 2024
Well, it depends on who you ask. As of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 60 based on seven reviews counted thus far: three positive and four somewhat mixed, but none outright negative. On the positive side, Megan Graye (The Independent) says, “There’s something alluring about such an unapologetic and candid album. And really,...
- 6/25/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
It’s been five years since Janelle Monae‘s last studio album, “Dirty Computer.” Since then she has been nurturing a successful acting career that has included a critically acclaimed role in the comedy mystery “Glass Onion.” But she’s finally back on the music scene with her collection “The Age of Pleasure.” How does it measure up to her critically hailed past work?
As of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 75 based on seven reviews counted thus far, five of which are positive and two of which are classified as mixed, but none of which are negative. Mary Siroky (Consequence) writes that the album “feels more organic and physical than previous efforts … It’s a remarkably cohesive record.” Adam White (The Independent) adds that compared to her past works, this collection “is a lot simpler in approach: this is a sex record, a frothy, horny ode...
As of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 75 based on seven reviews counted thus far, five of which are positive and two of which are classified as mixed, but none of which are negative. Mary Siroky (Consequence) writes that the album “feels more organic and physical than previous efforts … It’s a remarkably cohesive record.” Adam White (The Independent) adds that compared to her past works, this collection “is a lot simpler in approach: this is a sex record, a frothy, horny ode...
- 6/9/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Foo Fighters experienced tragic losses: in March of 2022 drummer Taylor Hawkins died suddenly at the age of 50, and then lead singer Dave Grohl‘s mother died in August. But the band continued making music, and on June 2, 2023, they released their 11th studio album — but their first without Hawkins. “But Here We Are” may just be their crowning achievement, if the reviews are any indication.
As of this writing “But Here We Are” has a MetaCritic score of 90 based on 12 reviews counted thus far. If that number holds up this will be their best reviewed album by far in the MetaCritic era. Three of those reviews rate the album a perfect 100 out of 100. Neil McCormick (The Telegraph) says, “Loss and grief lie at the core of the Foo Fighters’ most succinct and intense album.” It “pushes right through bewilderment and sadness until it comes out the other side, defiantly alive.” Ali Shutler (NME) adds,...
As of this writing “But Here We Are” has a MetaCritic score of 90 based on 12 reviews counted thus far. If that number holds up this will be their best reviewed album by far in the MetaCritic era. Three of those reviews rate the album a perfect 100 out of 100. Neil McCormick (The Telegraph) says, “Loss and grief lie at the core of the Foo Fighters’ most succinct and intense album.” It “pushes right through bewilderment and sadness until it comes out the other side, defiantly alive.” Ali Shutler (NME) adds,...
- 6/2/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
As Disney celebrates its centenary – and a decade of Frozen shows no sign of dimming Let It Go’s hold on tots – we remember the cursed cats, R&b hounds and self-actualisation anthems that defined our childhoods
According to Discogs.com, Ronco’s Greatest Hits of Walt Disney album came out in 1975: I would have been four or five when my parents bought it. It didn’t have the desired effect. Excerpted from films I hadn’t seen, complete with dialogue, every song on it was either completely bewildering or genuinely frightening: the latter category, in which Heigh Ho and, for some reason, Whistle While You Work figured heavily, reached a peak of horror with The Siamese Cat Song, which, as far as I could gather, seemed to be about drowning someone and doing something malevolent – I couldn’t figure out what – to a baby. So, it ruled my...
According to Discogs.com, Ronco’s Greatest Hits of Walt Disney album came out in 1975: I would have been four or five when my parents bought it. It didn’t have the desired effect. Excerpted from films I hadn’t seen, complete with dialogue, every song on it was either completely bewildering or genuinely frightening: the latter category, in which Heigh Ho and, for some reason, Whistle While You Work figured heavily, reached a peak of horror with The Siamese Cat Song, which, as far as I could gather, seemed to be about drowning someone and doing something malevolent – I couldn’t figure out what – to a baby. So, it ruled my...
- 5/24/2023
- by Rachel Aroesti, Peter Bradshaw, Alexi Duggins, Ammar Kalia, Rebecca Liu, Alexis Petridis, Laura Snapes, Joe Stone and Sophie Walker
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s been a tumultuous week for Ed Sheeran, but undoubtedly a good one. He won a copyright lawsuit that alleged he copied his Grammy-winning “Thinking Out Loud” from Marvin Gaye‘s classic “Let’s Get It On”; a loss there would have been ironic since “Thinking Out Loud” is the composition he won the top songwriting Grammy for. Shortly after the trial ended he dropped his coincidentally scheduled new album “Subtract.” What do critics think of his latest collection?
Well, the early assessments are somewhat mixed, but they average out to a strong MetaCritic score of 74 based on seven reviews counted as of this writing. That’s much better than his last album “Equals,” which scored 59 based on 13 reviews, and his album before that “No. 6 Collaborations Project,” which scored 57 off of 14 reviews. By the time you read this that number may have changed for better or worse; he’d...
Well, the early assessments are somewhat mixed, but they average out to a strong MetaCritic score of 74 based on seven reviews counted as of this writing. That’s much better than his last album “Equals,” which scored 59 based on 13 reviews, and his album before that “No. 6 Collaborations Project,” which scored 57 off of 14 reviews. By the time you read this that number may have changed for better or worse; he’d...
- 5/5/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
It’s been almost seven years since the pioneering metal band Metallica released their last album, “Hardwired… to Self-Destruct,” in 2016. But they’re back with a new collection, “72 Seasons,” which dropped on Friday, April 14. Are they back in fine form, or does their new collection disappoint? Critics have been weighing in.
As of this writing “72 Seasons” has a MetaCritic score of 76 based on 10 reviews counted thus far: eight of them positive, two somewhat mixed, none outright negative. That’s a little higher than “Hardwired,” but the “Hardwired” score of 73 was based on almost triple the number of reviews, so the “72 Seasons” number may fluctuate as more journalists weigh in.
SEEBoygenius ‘The Record’ reviews: New album shows they’re ‘among the greatest American supergroups’
Kory Grow (Rolling Stone) writes that “72 Seasons” is “some of the deepest, hardest-hitting music of their career,” adding that they “have always been masters of corpulent, groove-heavy riffs and labyrinthine song structures,...
As of this writing “72 Seasons” has a MetaCritic score of 76 based on 10 reviews counted thus far: eight of them positive, two somewhat mixed, none outright negative. That’s a little higher than “Hardwired,” but the “Hardwired” score of 73 was based on almost triple the number of reviews, so the “72 Seasons” number may fluctuate as more journalists weigh in.
SEEBoygenius ‘The Record’ reviews: New album shows they’re ‘among the greatest American supergroups’
Kory Grow (Rolling Stone) writes that “72 Seasons” is “some of the deepest, hardest-hitting music of their career,” adding that they “have always been masters of corpulent, groove-heavy riffs and labyrinthine song structures,...
- 4/14/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Sam Smith released their fourth studio album “Gloria” on Friday, January 27, a few months after they reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with “Unholy” featuring Kim Petras. Is the entire album just as big a hit as that song has been? Reviews have been coming in from music critics.
As of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on four reviews counted thus far: two positive and two somewhat mixed. On the positive end of the spectrum, Nick Levine (NME) calls “Gloria” “the most vital work of their career … mixing classy downbeat pop with moments of disco catharsis.” He adds that “Smith’s soulful voice is stunning throughout” and that the album is “rich musically, thematically and above all, emotionally.”
SEE2023 Grammys Premiere Ceremony: Everything to know about the jam-packed pre-show
Maura Johnston (Rolling Stone) says the album is “a compact, steadily flowing collection...
As of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on four reviews counted thus far: two positive and two somewhat mixed. On the positive end of the spectrum, Nick Levine (NME) calls “Gloria” “the most vital work of their career … mixing classy downbeat pop with moments of disco catharsis.” He adds that “Smith’s soulful voice is stunning throughout” and that the album is “rich musically, thematically and above all, emotionally.”
SEE2023 Grammys Premiere Ceremony: Everything to know about the jam-packed pre-show
Maura Johnston (Rolling Stone) says the album is “a compact, steadily flowing collection...
- 1/28/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
How are the Taylor Swift “Midnights” reviews? Her new album dropped on October 21 — at midnight, of course — and music journalists have already started chiming in.
So far the critics are raving about the collection. After 11 reviews countedi as of this writing, it has a MetaCritic score of 92. If that number holds up it will be Swift’s best score to date, besting the 91 received by her re-recorded “Red (Taylor’s Version)” last year. This continues the trajectory for Swift, who has matured from country-pop star to renowned songwriter and critics’ darling. 2020’s one-two punch of “Folklore” and “Evermore” established a new level of artstic cred and received (at the time) the highest critical scores of her career.
SEEAmerican Music Awards: Can Taylor Swift win Artist of the Year against one of the only people she’s ever lost to?
Helen Brown (The Independent) says, “Swift’s feline vocal stealth and...
So far the critics are raving about the collection. After 11 reviews countedi as of this writing, it has a MetaCritic score of 92. If that number holds up it will be Swift’s best score to date, besting the 91 received by her re-recorded “Red (Taylor’s Version)” last year. This continues the trajectory for Swift, who has matured from country-pop star to renowned songwriter and critics’ darling. 2020’s one-two punch of “Folklore” and “Evermore” established a new level of artstic cred and received (at the time) the highest critical scores of her career.
SEEAmerican Music Awards: Can Taylor Swift win Artist of the Year against one of the only people she’s ever lost to?
Helen Brown (The Independent) says, “Swift’s feline vocal stealth and...
- 10/21/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
How do music critics love Kendrick Lamar? Let me count the ways … Actually I’d better not or I’d be here all day. The reviews are already coming in for the rapper’s fifth studio album, “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers,” which was released on May 13, 2022 — Friday the 13th, a lucky day for the artist, as the early notices are damn near perfect.
As of this writing “Mr. Morale” has a flawless MetaCritic score of 100 based on the first six reviews — we’ll see if it maintains that number as more commentaries are added to the review aggregator. But they’re a good sign that Lamar’s work is as good as ever, and that’s an incredibly high bar to clear, considering the critical scores for his previous albums “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” (91), “To Pimp a Butterfly” (96), and “Damn” (95).
SEEBillboard Hot 100: Every number-one...
As of this writing “Mr. Morale” has a flawless MetaCritic score of 100 based on the first six reviews — we’ll see if it maintains that number as more commentaries are added to the review aggregator. But they’re a good sign that Lamar’s work is as good as ever, and that’s an incredibly high bar to clear, considering the critical scores for his previous albums “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” (91), “To Pimp a Butterfly” (96), and “Damn” (95).
SEEBillboard Hot 100: Every number-one...
- 5/13/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
It’s been a busy couple of years for The Weeknd, so there were high expectations leading into his fifth studio album, “Dawn FM,” which was released on January 7 with only a few days’ warning. It follows his blockbuster 2020 collection “After Hours,” which produced the biggest hit single of his (or anyone else’s) career, “Blinding Lights.” So he did what any musician would do in his position … collab with Jim Carrey?
SEEThe Weeknd songs, ranked: Counting down his 17 greatest hits that take our breath away, no matter what the Grammys think
The “Truman Show” actor and comedian appears on the set as a narrator, in addition to guest appearances by Quincy Jones, Tyler the Creator, and Lil Wayne. But as unusual as that may sound, critics so far are loving the results. As of this writing “Dawn FM” has a MetaCritic score of 89 based on 12 reviews counted thus far,...
SEEThe Weeknd songs, ranked: Counting down his 17 greatest hits that take our breath away, no matter what the Grammys think
The “Truman Show” actor and comedian appears on the set as a narrator, in addition to guest appearances by Quincy Jones, Tyler the Creator, and Lil Wayne. But as unusual as that may sound, critics so far are loving the results. As of this writing “Dawn FM” has a MetaCritic score of 89 based on 12 reviews counted thus far,...
- 1/7/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Dance pop star Lady Gaga and legendary crooner Tony Bennett seemed like an odd combo when they teamed up for their 2014 collaboration album “Cheek to Cheek.” But it proved a successful match-up, topping the Billboard 200, certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and winning them a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Album. Now comes their followup “Love for Sale,” a collection of Cole Porter covers that is likely to be their last collaboration, and likely the last album that Bennett ever records since the beloved 95-year-old has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. What do critics think of his farewell from the public stage?
SEELady Gaga songs, ranked: Her top 25 greatest hits including ‘Rain on Me,’ ‘Shallow,’ ‘Born This Way’ and more
As of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on seven reviews counted thus far: four positive and three somewhat mixed, but none outright negative.
SEELady Gaga songs, ranked: Her top 25 greatest hits including ‘Rain on Me,’ ‘Shallow,’ ‘Born This Way’ and more
As of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on seven reviews counted thus far: four positive and three somewhat mixed, but none outright negative.
- 10/4/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Lorde is back! It’s been four years since the release of her critically acclaimed sophomore album “Melodrama” in 2017, and eight years since she debuted as a 16-year-old with her debut album “Pure Heroine” in 2013. Now comes “Solar Power,” which is a marked change of pace for the New Zealand singer-songwriter. But what do critics think of this effort, which was released on August 20?
“Solar Power” is receiving mostly positive reviews, scoring 70 on MetaCritic based on 16 reviews counted as of this writing: nine positive and seven somewhat mixed, but none outright negative. Despite being a generally positive consensus, it is a step down from her previous efforts: “Pure Heroine” scored 79 and “Melodrama” was a critics’ darling with a score of 91. That might be a reflection of her change in tone.
SEETaylor Swift songs, ranked: Her top 28 greatest hits – where do ‘Cardigan’ and ‘Willow’ rank?
After two albums of darker, moodier material,...
“Solar Power” is receiving mostly positive reviews, scoring 70 on MetaCritic based on 16 reviews counted as of this writing: nine positive and seven somewhat mixed, but none outright negative. Despite being a generally positive consensus, it is a step down from her previous efforts: “Pure Heroine” scored 79 and “Melodrama” was a critics’ darling with a score of 91. That might be a reflection of her change in tone.
SEETaylor Swift songs, ranked: Her top 28 greatest hits – where do ‘Cardigan’ and ‘Willow’ rank?
After two albums of darker, moodier material,...
- 8/22/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Ariana Grande has been incredibly productive in recent years, releasing three albums in the span of 26 months, winning her first Grammy, and setting a couple of records on the Billboard charts. Her latest effort is “Positions,” whose title track already set a record shortly after the collection dropped on October 30. But what do critics think of the full release?
SEEFirst-ever Gold Derby Music Awards: Vote for the 2021 Gdma nominations now!
Actually, “full release” might be a pretty apt way to put it since critics have been pointing out its provocative subject matter. It’s a “horny, campy collection of R&b slow jams” that focuses on “positivity” and “upbeat, down-tempo romanticism” and gives a strong sense of Grande’s “brain and sense of humor.” That said, it only has a MetaCritic score of 71 based on 18 reviews counted as of this writing: 11 positive, seven somewhat mixed, none outright negative.
That’s...
SEEFirst-ever Gold Derby Music Awards: Vote for the 2021 Gdma nominations now!
Actually, “full release” might be a pretty apt way to put it since critics have been pointing out its provocative subject matter. It’s a “horny, campy collection of R&b slow jams” that focuses on “positivity” and “upbeat, down-tempo romanticism” and gives a strong sense of Grande’s “brain and sense of humor.” That said, it only has a MetaCritic score of 71 based on 18 reviews counted as of this writing: 11 positive, seven somewhat mixed, none outright negative.
That’s...
- 11/7/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Justin Bieber dropped his new album “Changes” on February 14 — Valentine’s Day. That’s fitting since the album contains odes to Hailey Baldwin, whom he married in 2018. Does it also mark a change in his musical style almost five years after the release of his last studio album, “Purpose”? And what do critics think of the creative direction he’s going in?
The reviews have been coming in, and as of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 58 based on seven reviews counted so far: three positive and four somewhat mixed, though none outright negative. That’s his lowest score yet not counting his 2011 holiday album “Under the Mistletoe.” But it’s actually not that far off of his usual critical standard. Consider that “Purpose” was his biggest commercial hit and a Grammy nominee for Album of the Year, but only scored five points higher on the review aggregator.
The reviews have been coming in, and as of this writing the album has a MetaCritic score of 58 based on seven reviews counted so far: three positive and four somewhat mixed, though none outright negative. That’s his lowest score yet not counting his 2011 holiday album “Under the Mistletoe.” But it’s actually not that far off of his usual critical standard. Consider that “Purpose” was his biggest commercial hit and a Grammy nominee for Album of the Year, but only scored five points higher on the review aggregator.
- 2/18/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Coldplay dropped their latest album “Everyday Life” on November 22. It’s their eighth studio album and their first full album since “A Head Full of Dreams” four years ago. But it’s more than full. It’s actually a double album with 16 total tracks divided into two sections: “Sunrise” and “Sunset.” And that’s not the only way this is an unorthodox record for the band. So what do critics think of it?
As of this writing “Everyday Life” has a MetaCritic score of 73 based on 10 reviews counted so far: seven positive, three somewhat mixed, none outright negative. If that number holds, it’ll be their highest score since “A Rush of Blood to the Head” back in 2002. And it’s one point better than “Viva La Vida” (2008), which earned them a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year and won them Song of the Year for its title track.
As of this writing “Everyday Life” has a MetaCritic score of 73 based on 10 reviews counted so far: seven positive, three somewhat mixed, none outright negative. If that number holds, it’ll be their highest score since “A Rush of Blood to the Head” back in 2002. And it’s one point better than “Viva La Vida” (2008), which earned them a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year and won them Song of the Year for its title track.
- 11/24/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Taylor Swift‘s highly anticipated seventh album, “Lover,” dropped August 23. It has been almost two years since she ground her axe with her angrier, more confrontational “Reputation,” and now it seems that she’s back to looking at the bright side of life. True to the album’s title, the new collection is less about settling scores than it is about romance. But do critics like her sweet better than her sour?
The album has been out for several hours as of this writing, and already it has a MetaCritic score of 80 based on seven reviews counted so far: six of them positive, one of them mixed. It’s being described as “exuberant,” “evolutionary,” “an epiphany.” The biggest criticisms fault the collection for being “too long”; at 18 tracks it’s longer than any previous Swift album. There’s a “brilliant” album in there “if only it had been pruned a little.
The album has been out for several hours as of this writing, and already it has a MetaCritic score of 80 based on seven reviews counted so far: six of them positive, one of them mixed. It’s being described as “exuberant,” “evolutionary,” “an epiphany.” The biggest criticisms fault the collection for being “too long”; at 18 tracks it’s longer than any previous Swift album. There’s a “brilliant” album in there “if only it had been pruned a little.
- 8/24/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Ed Sheeran‘s “No. 6 Collaborations Project,” which dropped on July 12, is a bit of a departure from his last album, the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning “Divide.” As its title suggests, it features genre-hopping collaborations with artists ranging from Justin Bieber to Skrillex to Travis Scott. But what do critics think of this star-studded 15-track collection?
As of this writing the reviews are, well, divided. “No. 6” has a generally positive score of 62 on MetaCritic, but five of those reviews are classified as mixed, while only four are outright positive. But this is actually on par for Sheeran relative to his previous work. “Divide” also scored 62, while “Plus” (2011) and “Multiply” (2014) both scored 67. He ended up winning Grammys for Best Pop Album and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Shape of You,” so even some less enthusiastic reviews might not slow him down any.
Critics who admire the album praise its “sweet, elegant and emotionally sincere...
As of this writing the reviews are, well, divided. “No. 6” has a generally positive score of 62 on MetaCritic, but five of those reviews are classified as mixed, while only four are outright positive. But this is actually on par for Sheeran relative to his previous work. “Divide” also scored 62, while “Plus” (2011) and “Multiply” (2014) both scored 67. He ended up winning Grammys for Best Pop Album and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Shape of You,” so even some less enthusiastic reviews might not slow him down any.
Critics who admire the album praise its “sweet, elegant and emotionally sincere...
- 7/18/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
R&B/hip-hop artist Anderson Paak was a surprising nominee for Best New Artist in 2017, and he was arguably an even more surprising winner in 2019 when he claimed Best Rap Performance for “Bubblin” in a rare tie with Kendrick Lamar and his collaborators for “King’s Dead.” Hardly any of our readers saw that coming. Now that he has gotten his first win out of the way, he could be back for more. He released his fourth studio album, “Ventura,” on April 12, and the reviews as of this writing have been excellent.
It’s early yet, but “Ventura” has a MetaCritic score of 81 based on 7 reviews, all of them positive. It comes only five months after the release of his last album, “Oxnard,” which was recorded at the same time but wasn’t quite as well received as Paak’s previous music due to its shift away from soul towards more commercial hip-hop.
It’s early yet, but “Ventura” has a MetaCritic score of 81 based on 7 reviews, all of them positive. It comes only five months after the release of his last album, “Oxnard,” which was recorded at the same time but wasn’t quite as well received as Paak’s previous music due to its shift away from soul towards more commercial hip-hop.
- 4/12/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Solange took a page from her big sister Beyonce‘s playbook by releasing her latest album, “When I Get Home,” on March 1 with little advance promotion, but that may be the only page she took. The reviews are in, and they’re just as good as the critical notices Beyonce has gotten used to, but they indicate an artist on a much different creative path.
As of this writing the raves for “When I Get Home” have earned the album a MetaCritic score of 88 based on 10 reviews — 9 of them positive, only 1 of them somewhat mixed. That’s almost as good as the 89 she scored in 2016 for her previous album, “A Seat at the Table.” Her latest is an unconventional effort, with a substantial 19 tracks but clocking in at only 39 minutes. Critics are pointing out the “creative ambition” of the collection with its “philosophical tone” and “attention to detail.” It “reveals...
As of this writing the raves for “When I Get Home” have earned the album a MetaCritic score of 88 based on 10 reviews — 9 of them positive, only 1 of them somewhat mixed. That’s almost as good as the 89 she scored in 2016 for her previous album, “A Seat at the Table.” Her latest is an unconventional effort, with a substantial 19 tracks but clocking in at only 39 minutes. Critics are pointing out the “creative ambition” of the collection with its “philosophical tone” and “attention to detail.” It “reveals...
- 3/7/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
It was panned by the critics but the Freddie Mercury biopic has proven a hit with cinemagoers. Did critics get it wrong?
• The Favourite, Black Panther, Roma and more: read the rest of our best picture Oscar hustings
It took me a while to get round to watching Bohemian Rhapsody. After all, I’d read the reviews. Our own Steve Rose said that the story “skirts dangerously close to Spinal Tap territory” – only without the laughs. Ao Scott in the New York Times wrote that “the film seems engineered to be as unmemorable as possible, with the exception of the prosthetic teeth worn by Rami Malek.” And there was the film’s moralising stance on Freddie Mercury’s sexuality. As Alexis Petridis put it: “It seems to view the fact that he was gay as little short of a tragedy.”
Then the film was unleashed on an unsuspecting public – and became a smash hit.
• The Favourite, Black Panther, Roma and more: read the rest of our best picture Oscar hustings
It took me a while to get round to watching Bohemian Rhapsody. After all, I’d read the reviews. Our own Steve Rose said that the story “skirts dangerously close to Spinal Tap territory” – only without the laughs. Ao Scott in the New York Times wrote that “the film seems engineered to be as unmemorable as possible, with the exception of the prosthetic teeth worn by Rami Malek.” And there was the film’s moralising stance on Freddie Mercury’s sexuality. As Alexis Petridis put it: “It seems to view the fact that he was gay as little short of a tragedy.”
Then the film was unleashed on an unsuspecting public – and became a smash hit.
- 2/21/2019
- by Alex Needham
- The Guardian - Film News
The reviews are in for Ariana Grande‘s fourth album, “Sweetener,” which was released on Friday, August 17, and they’re predominantly positive, earning her a score of 79 on MetaCritic based on 15 reviews as of this writing. That’s her second highest score on the review aggregator, behind only the 81 for her debut album “Yours Truly.” So will it finally win her a Grammy?
Okay, so at 25-years-old Grande isn’t exactly a grizzled veteran looking for long-awaited awards validation, but for a pop star with a powerhouse vocal range and four albums now under her belt you’d think lightning would have struck by now with the recording academy. To date she has been nominated four times, including Best Pop Album for her preceding releases “My Everything” (2015) and “Dangerous Woman” (2017). But she has yet to prevail.
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The good news for...
Okay, so at 25-years-old Grande isn’t exactly a grizzled veteran looking for long-awaited awards validation, but for a pop star with a powerhouse vocal range and four albums now under her belt you’d think lightning would have struck by now with the recording academy. To date she has been nominated four times, including Best Pop Album for her preceding releases “My Everything” (2015) and “Dangerous Woman” (2017). But she has yet to prevail.
Sign UPfor Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
The good news for...
- 8/22/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The English rock band Florence and the Machine has returned with their fourth studio album, “High as Hope,” which was released on June 29. What do the critics have to say about by the latest from the group led by the full-throated Florence Welch? And will it win them their first Grammy?
The reception has been generally positive. It has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on 7 reviews. That’s only a few ticks below their previous efforts: their 2009 debut “Lungs” scored 79, followed by “Ceremonials” (2011) with 75 and “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful” (2015) with 77.
Many reviewers are truly high on “Hope,” describing it as “the realization of a singular talent” and “the most rewarding” album yet from the band thanks to Welch’s “magnificent emoting” and “intimate lyrics.” But a few other critics are more ambivalent, saying that “transcendent moments are “few and far between” and that Welch should tone down...
The reception has been generally positive. It has a MetaCritic score of 72 based on 7 reviews. That’s only a few ticks below their previous efforts: their 2009 debut “Lungs” scored 79, followed by “Ceremonials” (2011) with 75 and “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful” (2015) with 77.
Many reviewers are truly high on “Hope,” describing it as “the realization of a singular talent” and “the most rewarding” album yet from the band thanks to Welch’s “magnificent emoting” and “intimate lyrics.” But a few other critics are more ambivalent, saying that “transcendent moments are “few and far between” and that Welch should tone down...
- 6/29/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Beyonce and Jay-z‘s surprise joint album, “Everything is Love,” debuted on Saturday, June 16, without any advance promotion. Now critics have had their say. Is it as good as the albums that preceded it in their trilogy of marital strife, Beyonce’s “Lemonade” and Jay-z’s “4:44”?
As of this writing the album has an impressive MetaCritic score of 82 based on 17 reviews so far. That’s the same score as “4:44,” but shy of the 92 received by “Lemonade.” If it’s a bit of a step down for Beyonce, though, consider how high she’s stepping down from. For the sake of comparison, “Everything is Love” has rated 12 points higher than this year’s Grammy winner for Album of the Year, “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars.
It’s true that reviews aren’t everything when it comes to the Grammys; Mars actually had the lowest MetaCritic score of any of the five nominees this year.
As of this writing the album has an impressive MetaCritic score of 82 based on 17 reviews so far. That’s the same score as “4:44,” but shy of the 92 received by “Lemonade.” If it’s a bit of a step down for Beyonce, though, consider how high she’s stepping down from. For the sake of comparison, “Everything is Love” has rated 12 points higher than this year’s Grammy winner for Album of the Year, “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars.
It’s true that reviews aren’t everything when it comes to the Grammys; Mars actually had the lowest MetaCritic score of any of the five nominees this year.
- 6/23/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Kacey Musgraves made a big impact with her major label debut album “Same Trailer Different Park,” which set her apart from her country-music contemporaries with lyrics questioning religion and small town life, embracing the Lgbt community, and occasionally extolling the pleasures of marijuana. But while she has always been lyrically progressive, she has always balanced that with a quieter, contemplative sound. Now comes her fourth major-label album — and third non-holiday album — “Golden Hour,” which was released on March 30, which marks a significant sonic departure for the singer-songwriter, blending her usual country-pop with disco and electronic influences.
As of this writing “Golden Hour” has earned raves from critics, receiving a score of 92 on MetaCritic based on six reviews. Musgrave has “never sounded as confident as this,” according to music journalists. “Her talent as a songwriter … is second to none.” “You’ll be hard pushed to find a better collection of pop...
As of this writing “Golden Hour” has earned raves from critics, receiving a score of 92 on MetaCritic based on six reviews. Musgrave has “never sounded as confident as this,” according to music journalists. “Her talent as a songwriter … is second to none.” “You’ll be hard pushed to find a better collection of pop...
- 4/2/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Marilyn Manson has always been one for controversy, but in a new interview he may have taken his famously strange behaviour to new heights. The shock-rocker was interviewed by journalist Alexis Petridis for The Guardian, who begins his article by writing, “It is while discussing the difference between his stage persona and his day-to-day life that Marilyn […]...
- 9/22/2017
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Writing’s on the Wall is backed to reach number one, beating Adele’s Skyfall. But is it any good?
11.40am BST
We’re going to wrap up this live blog now - thanks so much for all your comments. This was my favourite.
As we end live reaction here, Sam Smith’s currently number one on iTunes, beating Justin Bieber. We’ll learn on Sunday if he’s beaten Adele to be the first Bond chart topper.
11.34am BST
The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis has reviewed the song, and says he feels for those charged with following up Adele’s Skyfall, the best Bond theme in years.
Related: Sam Smith's James Bond theme review – 'It feels like an X Factor ballad'
Writing’s on the Wall doesn’t feel anywhere near as striking as Skyfall. That may be because it’s essentially offering more of the same, while...
11.40am BST
We’re going to wrap up this live blog now - thanks so much for all your comments. This was my favourite.
As we end live reaction here, Sam Smith’s currently number one on iTunes, beating Justin Bieber. We’ll learn on Sunday if he’s beaten Adele to be the first Bond chart topper.
11.34am BST
The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis has reviewed the song, and says he feels for those charged with following up Adele’s Skyfall, the best Bond theme in years.
Related: Sam Smith's James Bond theme review – 'It feels like an X Factor ballad'
Writing’s on the Wall doesn’t feel anywhere near as striking as Skyfall. That may be because it’s essentially offering more of the same, while...
- 9/25/2015
- by Jessica Elgot
- The Guardian - Film News
Alexis Petridis recommends Soused, the new collaborative album by Scott Walker and Sunn O))), which he describes as a foregone conclusion: when two such towering figures of the musical leftfield are brought together, how could it be anything other than a work of genius? Alexis says there's not going to be a funnier metaphor in rock music this year than Walker's 'they're leaping like a Riverdancer's nuts'
Read our review of Scott Walker + Sunn O)))'s Soused Continue reading...
Read our review of Scott Walker + Sunn O)))'s Soused Continue reading...
- 10/24/2014
- by Alexis Petridis and Mona Mahmood
- The Guardian - Film News
Kate Bush, most famous for her songs “Running Up That Hill” and “Don’t Give Up,” had her first live performance in 35 years on Tuesday to unanimously positive reviews.
#KateBush: Singer Returns After 35 Years
Bush put on a dramatic stage show at London’s Eventim Apollo venue—involving surrealist sets, monsters and paper airplanes. David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and the upcoming The Bone Clocks, who is known for his unreal concepts and imagery, helped Bush develop the visuals and themes apparently in the show.
Her 35-year absence has long been contributed to several factors. She wanted to tend to her then-young family, she was a known perfectionist who wanted everything just right, and early on in her (first and final) tour in 1979, her lighting director fell to his death.
In the United States, Bush was known for her single “Running Up That Hill” which received a resurgence in...
#KateBush: Singer Returns After 35 Years
Bush put on a dramatic stage show at London’s Eventim Apollo venue—involving surrealist sets, monsters and paper airplanes. David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and the upcoming The Bone Clocks, who is known for his unreal concepts and imagery, helped Bush develop the visuals and themes apparently in the show.
Her 35-year absence has long been contributed to several factors. She wanted to tend to her then-young family, she was a known perfectionist who wanted everything just right, and early on in her (first and final) tour in 1979, her lighting director fell to his death.
In the United States, Bush was known for her single “Running Up That Hill” which received a resurgence in...
- 8/27/2014
- Uinterview
Lana Del Ray is lashing out at the journalist after The Guardian published a semi-controversial story last week that shocked fans.
The article in question was written by Tim Jonze with the headline "Lana Del Rey: .I Wish I Was Dead Already.'" In the piece, Jonze quotes the singer as saying, "I wish I was dead already" and "I do! I don't want to have to keep doing this...Everything. That's just how I feel. If it wasn't that way, then I wouldn't say it. I would be scared if I knew [death] was coming, but..." Rey also claimed her music idols are Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain, who both died at age 27.
Ray took to Twitter to blast the article, Jonze and The Guardian's music critic Alexis Petridis. The tweets have been deleted later.
"i regret trusting the guardian- i didn't want to do an interview but the journalist was persistent,...
The article in question was written by Tim Jonze with the headline "Lana Del Rey: .I Wish I Was Dead Already.'" In the piece, Jonze quotes the singer as saying, "I wish I was dead already" and "I do! I don't want to have to keep doing this...Everything. That's just how I feel. If it wasn't that way, then I wouldn't say it. I would be scared if I knew [death] was coming, but..." Rey also claimed her music idols are Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain, who both died at age 27.
Ray took to Twitter to blast the article, Jonze and The Guardian's music critic Alexis Petridis. The tweets have been deleted later.
"i regret trusting the guardian- i didn't want to do an interview but the journalist was persistent,...
- 6/23/2014
- icelebz.com
Last week, when Lana Del Rey told Guardian writer Tim Jonze, "I wish I was dead already," she was referring to a slew of ill-fated performers he brought up — Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix — as inspirations. Jonze lead with that quote (as you would), and it quickly spread throughout the web (as salacious things also naturally do). In response, Lana took to Twitter to clear things up, sort of: "Alexis was masked as a fan but was hiding sinister ambitions and angles ... Maybe he’s actually the boring one looking for something interesting to write about. His leading questions about death and persona were calculated.” (Clarification: She means Jonze, not Alexis Petridis, who wrote the Guardian's Ultraviolence album review and whose name is confusingly displayed in larger font above Jonze's on the offending article.) In turn, Jonze posted the recording of their conversation.In the recording,...
- 6/20/2014
- by Lindsey Weber
- Vulture
How did we come up with our chart? By tallying the votes of our pop writers – and here's what they plumped for
Tim Jonze
Albums
John Wizards – John Wizards
Disclosure – Settle
Paramore – Paramore
Hebronix – Unreal
Kanye West – Yeezus
Christopher Owens – Lysandre
Julia Holter – Loud City Song
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time
British Sea Power – From The Sea To The Land Beyond
Tracks
Julia Holter – Hello Stranger
Miguel and Mariah Carey – #Beautiful
Drake – Hold On, We're Going Home
Sky Ferreira – You're Not the One
Justin Timberlake – Suit and Tie
Jeffrey Lewis – Wwprd
Paramore – Still Into You
Disclosure feat. AlunaGeorge – White Noise
The 1975 – Chocolate
Stylo G – Soundbwoy
Tom Hughes
Albums
15-60-75 The Numbers Band – Jimmy Bell's Still in Town
Meat Wave – Meat Wave
The Drones – I See Seaweed 4
White Fence – Live in San Francisco
Ooga Boogas – Ooga Boogas
Superchunk – I Hate Music
Bits of...
Tim Jonze
Albums
John Wizards – John Wizards
Disclosure – Settle
Paramore – Paramore
Hebronix – Unreal
Kanye West – Yeezus
Christopher Owens – Lysandre
Julia Holter – Loud City Song
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time
British Sea Power – From The Sea To The Land Beyond
Tracks
Julia Holter – Hello Stranger
Miguel and Mariah Carey – #Beautiful
Drake – Hold On, We're Going Home
Sky Ferreira – You're Not the One
Justin Timberlake – Suit and Tie
Jeffrey Lewis – Wwprd
Paramore – Still Into You
Disclosure feat. AlunaGeorge – White Noise
The 1975 – Chocolate
Stylo G – Soundbwoy
Tom Hughes
Albums
15-60-75 The Numbers Band – Jimmy Bell's Still in Town
Meat Wave – Meat Wave
The Drones – I See Seaweed 4
White Fence – Live in San Francisco
Ooga Boogas – Ooga Boogas
Superchunk – I Hate Music
Bits of...
- 12/23/2013
- by Tom Hughes, Maddy Costa, Tim Jonze, Michael Hann, Malik Meer, Rebecca Nicholson, Nosheen Iqbal, Alexis Petridis, Dom Lawson, Paul Lester, Louis Pattison, Kitty Empire, Kate Hutchinson, Betty Clarke, Paul MacInnes, Kieran Yates, Ian Gittins, Jude Rogers, Dave Simpson, Alex Needham, Dan Hancox, Daniel Martin, Sam Wolfson, Ally Carnwath, Stevie Chick, Dorian Lynskey, Sam Richards, Caroline Sullivan, Chris Salmon, Michael Cragg, Alex Macpherson, Sean Michaels, Tom Lamont, Killian Fox, Adam Boult, Harriet Gibsone
- The Guardian - Film News
From the Nutcracker to American Psycho, from Mary Poppins to Kurt Vile, our critics pick their must-sees of the festive season
If you wish it could be Christmas every day
Nutcrackers, various
You know it's Christmas in the ballet world by the number of Nutcrackers touring the world's stages. In the UK alone, there are close to a dozen doing the rounds, but the top three remain the Royal Ballet's exquisitely traditional version, the sparky family friendly production by Birmingham Royal Ballet, and English National Ballet's – with the best snow scene of them all. Royal Opera House, London (020-7304 4000), 4 December to 16 January; Birmingham Hippodrome (0844 338 5000), to 12 December; London Coliseum (020-7845 9300), 11 December to 5 January.
Father Christmas
Does Father Christmas use the loo? Does he secretly long for summer? Does he have strong views on the size of chimneys? You bet he does. Raymond Briggs's gorgeous picture book gets a heartwarming makeover for under-sixes.
If you wish it could be Christmas every day
Nutcrackers, various
You know it's Christmas in the ballet world by the number of Nutcrackers touring the world's stages. In the UK alone, there are close to a dozen doing the rounds, but the top three remain the Royal Ballet's exquisitely traditional version, the sparky family friendly production by Birmingham Royal Ballet, and English National Ballet's – with the best snow scene of them all. Royal Opera House, London (020-7304 4000), 4 December to 16 January; Birmingham Hippodrome (0844 338 5000), to 12 December; London Coliseum (020-7845 9300), 11 December to 5 January.
Father Christmas
Does Father Christmas use the loo? Does he secretly long for summer? Does he have strong views on the size of chimneys? You bet he does. Raymond Briggs's gorgeous picture book gets a heartwarming makeover for under-sixes.
- 11/25/2013
- by Lyn Gardner, Michael Billington, Andrew Clements, Alexis Petridis, Judith Mackrell, John Fordham, Brian Logan, Stuart Heritage, Mark Lawson, Jonathan Jones
- The Guardian - Film News
The music we grow up with shapes our tastes in later life, according to a study by Cornell University. We asked Guardian writers to tell us about the songs that take them back to their childhood homes
'My mother would listen to the Carpenters while ironing'
Of the handful of albums my parents owned, it was The Carpenters' Singles 1969-1973 that struck me the most. I remember being particularly fascinated by Rainy Days and Mondays. With the benefit of hindsight, I suspect it was because it was the first piece of music I had ever heard that appeared to perfectly suit the circumstances in which I heard it. My mother would listen to the Carpenters in the afternoon, while doing the ironing in the front room, and I remember thinking that was what the woman in the song was probably doing too. In my head she was singing it...
'My mother would listen to the Carpenters while ironing'
Of the handful of albums my parents owned, it was The Carpenters' Singles 1969-1973 that struck me the most. I remember being particularly fascinated by Rainy Days and Mondays. With the benefit of hindsight, I suspect it was because it was the first piece of music I had ever heard that appeared to perfectly suit the circumstances in which I heard it. My mother would listen to the Carpenters in the afternoon, while doing the ironing in the front room, and I remember thinking that was what the woman in the song was probably doing too. In my head she was singing it...
- 9/10/2013
- by Dorian Lynskey, Tim Jonze, Bim Adewunmi, Rebecca Nicholson, Alexis Petridis, Michael Hann, Paula Cocozza, John Crace, Lucy Mangan, Tim Dowling, Nosheen Iqbal
- The Guardian - Film News
I suspect a previous, wackier version of this film was ditched in favour of this slick promo video – that I admit is rather watchable
A One Direction concert movie directed by Morgan "Super Size Me" Spurlock? Does he experimentally listen to nothing but One Direction for a year? Well, there's nothing subversive about this film. We get a single, wacky shot of a neuroscientist explaining their effect on fans' brains, and the band's hidden-camera stunts and pranks in public are mostly relegated to the final credits. I suspect a previous, wackier idea for the film was ditched in favour of a slick promotional video about their jaw-dropping global tour, but I also have to admit that this is a rather watchable record of a phenomenon. Strangely, it looks like a modified version of the personal "backstory" segment on The X Factor, showing them in rehearsal, backstage, on stage or at...
A One Direction concert movie directed by Morgan "Super Size Me" Spurlock? Does he experimentally listen to nothing but One Direction for a year? Well, there's nothing subversive about this film. We get a single, wacky shot of a neuroscientist explaining their effect on fans' brains, and the band's hidden-camera stunts and pranks in public are mostly relegated to the final credits. I suspect a previous, wackier idea for the film was ditched in favour of a slick promotional video about their jaw-dropping global tour, but I also have to admit that this is a rather watchable record of a phenomenon. Strangely, it looks like a modified version of the personal "backstory" segment on The X Factor, showing them in rehearsal, backstage, on stage or at...
- 8/30/2013
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
North Norfolk Digital patter now available for people's own digital music collections, as Alpha Papa film hits cinema screens
Alan Partridge's music taste may be "surprisingly great" according to Guardian critic Alexis Petridis. Now fans of Steve Coogan's character can hear how he'd sound introducing their own music collections on North Norfolk Digital.
BBC Worldwide has launched an official Radio Alan iPhone and iPad app, which plays audio clips of Partridge's broadcasts in between songs from users' own iTunes libraries.
The app offers individual soundbites for specific artists if it recognises them on the device – "Keep your clubs away from his young, it's Seal!" for example – with a built-in Partridge Playlist directing fans to other songs with specific introductions on Apple's iTunes store.
BBC Worldwide and Coogan's production company Baby Cow worked with British developer Touch Fantastic on the app, with the clips taken from the Mid Morning Matters web series.
Alan Partridge's music taste may be "surprisingly great" according to Guardian critic Alexis Petridis. Now fans of Steve Coogan's character can hear how he'd sound introducing their own music collections on North Norfolk Digital.
BBC Worldwide has launched an official Radio Alan iPhone and iPad app, which plays audio clips of Partridge's broadcasts in between songs from users' own iTunes libraries.
The app offers individual soundbites for specific artists if it recognises them on the device – "Keep your clubs away from his young, it's Seal!" for example – with a built-in Partridge Playlist directing fans to other songs with specific introductions on Apple's iTunes store.
BBC Worldwide and Coogan's production company Baby Cow worked with British developer Touch Fantastic on the app, with the clips taken from the Mid Morning Matters web series.
- 8/6/2013
- by Stuart Dredge
- The Guardian - Film News
David Bowie's video for The Stars (Are Out Tonight), the second single from his album The Next Day, stars the singer and actor Tilda Swinton pretending they're a normal suburban couple
Read Alexis Petridis's review of the album
Bad news for the authors of the blog Tilda Stardust, a noble attempt to prove that David Bowie and British actor Tilda Swinton are one and the same person through the painstaking juxtaposition of photos of the pair. Because here she is, starring in the video to Bowie's second single from The Next Day, The Stars (Are Out Tonight), as his happily married wife.
Never mind that Dave and Tilda don't necessarily make the most convincing suburban couple. Soon their life is interrupted by new noisy neighbours, a celebrity couple played by Andrej Pejic and Saskia De Brauw.
Directed by Floria Sigismondi and shot by Jeff Cronenweth, the video is...
Read Alexis Petridis's review of the album
Bad news for the authors of the blog Tilda Stardust, a noble attempt to prove that David Bowie and British actor Tilda Swinton are one and the same person through the painstaking juxtaposition of photos of the pair. Because here she is, starring in the video to Bowie's second single from The Next Day, The Stars (Are Out Tonight), as his happily married wife.
Never mind that Dave and Tilda don't necessarily make the most convincing suburban couple. Soon their life is interrupted by new noisy neighbours, a celebrity couple played by Andrej Pejic and Saskia De Brauw.
Directed by Floria Sigismondi and shot by Jeff Cronenweth, the video is...
- 2/26/2013
- by Caspar Llewellyn Smith
- The Guardian - Film News
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
He's small. He's green. He's handy with a light sabre, but terrible at sentence structure. Now it seems that Yoda, Star Wars' diminutive Jedi master, will soon be promoted from supporting character to star of his own movie.
Following news that a new trilogy of Star Wars films are on the way, reports have emerged that Disney is planning more ways to wring the cash cow (cash Tauntaun?) with several other spin-off titles being considered. Yoda is the first established character to get his own movie – but, according to Entertainment Weekly, Han Solo and Boba Fett could be next in line.
Exciting news for Star Wars fans who remain loyal even after George Lucas prequel trilogy – but where will it end? Could Jar Jar Binks be next in line for solo stardom?
In the news...
The big story
He's small. He's green. He's handy with a light sabre, but terrible at sentence structure. Now it seems that Yoda, Star Wars' diminutive Jedi master, will soon be promoted from supporting character to star of his own movie.
Following news that a new trilogy of Star Wars films are on the way, reports have emerged that Disney is planning more ways to wring the cash cow (cash Tauntaun?) with several other spin-off titles being considered. Yoda is the first established character to get his own movie – but, according to Entertainment Weekly, Han Solo and Boba Fett could be next in line.
Exciting news for Star Wars fans who remain loyal even after George Lucas prequel trilogy – but where will it end? Could Jar Jar Binks be next in line for solo stardom?
In the news...
- 2/7/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
London -- The critics have spoken – "Viva Forever" did not spice up their lives.
British reviewers were scathing Wednesday about the big-budget stage show built around the songs of 1990s "Girl Power" pop group the Spice Girls.
"I'll tell you what I wanted, what I really, really wanted – I wanted this terrible show to stop," said Charles Spencer in the Daily Telegraph, riffing on the group's biggest hit, "Wannabe."
"This musical is tawdry, lazy and unedifying," he said, awarding the show one star.
The Independent newspaper's Paul Taylor gave the show two stars out of five, calling it "lacking in any truly original or challenging spark," while the Daily Mail's Quentin Letts dubbed it "a prize Christmas turkey."
A celebrity-studded audience that included soccer star David Beckham – there with wife Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham and sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz – gave the show an opening-night standing ovation Tuesday at London's Piccadilly Theatre.
British reviewers were scathing Wednesday about the big-budget stage show built around the songs of 1990s "Girl Power" pop group the Spice Girls.
"I'll tell you what I wanted, what I really, really wanted – I wanted this terrible show to stop," said Charles Spencer in the Daily Telegraph, riffing on the group's biggest hit, "Wannabe."
"This musical is tawdry, lazy and unedifying," he said, awarding the show one star.
The Independent newspaper's Paul Taylor gave the show two stars out of five, calling it "lacking in any truly original or challenging spark," while the Daily Mail's Quentin Letts dubbed it "a prize Christmas turkey."
A celebrity-studded audience that included soccer star David Beckham – there with wife Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham and sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz – gave the show an opening-night standing ovation Tuesday at London's Piccadilly Theatre.
- 12/12/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Open thread: Was it Skyfall, or the opening ceremony? A new building or visual artwork? Or maybe it happened outside the UK? Tell us what cultural events most thrilled you in 2012
The architecture of the Olympic Park, Chinese author Mo Yan winning the Nobel prize for literature, Ten Billion at the Royal Court – and of course, the Queen's skydive. Our critics have chosen their moments of the year. Now tell us about your cultural highlights of 2012, and we'll gather a selection of your comments in a separate article.
Your picks can be from any part of 2012's cultural calendar – dance, TV, theatre, music, art, film, literature, design – and don't feel limited to just one favourite. You can choose one event, moment or achievement from each section, if you like: just remember to tell us the name of the event and why it deserves to make it into our readers' 2012 roundup.
The architecture of the Olympic Park, Chinese author Mo Yan winning the Nobel prize for literature, Ten Billion at the Royal Court – and of course, the Queen's skydive. Our critics have chosen their moments of the year. Now tell us about your cultural highlights of 2012, and we'll gather a selection of your comments in a separate article.
Your picks can be from any part of 2012's cultural calendar – dance, TV, theatre, music, art, film, literature, design – and don't feel limited to just one favourite. You can choose one event, moment or achievement from each section, if you like: just remember to tell us the name of the event and why it deserves to make it into our readers' 2012 roundup.
- 12/5/2012
- The Guardian - Film News
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
Skyfall? What's that? We've forgotten already. On the general theory that there's only room in people's brains for one blockbuster at a time, the all-consuming hots for 007 has suddenly vanished, to be replaced by a voracious yearning for all things Twilight. You may just have noticed, but the final segment of the vampire teen fantasy – elegantly styled The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 – is shortly to be with us, and it's literally impossible to escape. Mark Kermode stoked the fires in the Observer on Sunday, by coming out as a Twilight-preferer, a world premiere in Los Angeles fanned the flames on Monday, and by Wednesday all hell broke loose when Peter Bradshaw's review finally hit the street. It was all followed up by the UK premiere; but we certainly havn't heard the last of it.
The big story
Skyfall? What's that? We've forgotten already. On the general theory that there's only room in people's brains for one blockbuster at a time, the all-consuming hots for 007 has suddenly vanished, to be replaced by a voracious yearning for all things Twilight. You may just have noticed, but the final segment of the vampire teen fantasy – elegantly styled The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 – is shortly to be with us, and it's literally impossible to escape. Mark Kermode stoked the fires in the Observer on Sunday, by coming out as a Twilight-preferer, a world premiere in Los Angeles fanned the flames on Monday, and by Wednesday all hell broke loose when Peter Bradshaw's review finally hit the street. It was all followed up by the UK premiere; but we certainly havn't heard the last of it.
- 11/15/2012
- The Guardian - Film News
The death of Davy Jones should give us pause to remember that the Monkees were one of the great groups of the 1960s
In the Purcell Room in London last night, a panel of pop sages – Jon Savage, Nicky Wire and Alexis Petridis – chose the TV moment that made them realise pop music was the key to their future, something that could open up their lives. Respectively, they picked the Rolling Stones, the Smiths, and Adam & the Ants; all three groups were inspirational but all equally seemed unattainable, otherworldly.
The Monkees were the exact opposite. Two or three generations of musicians will have grown up watching their show on Saturday mornings, or in the summer holidays, thinking: "I want to be like them." Their lifestyle was highly desirable and didn't seem impossible: form a band, move into a ramshackle flat together, meet loads of girls. At least, Davy Jones, who died yesterday,...
In the Purcell Room in London last night, a panel of pop sages – Jon Savage, Nicky Wire and Alexis Petridis – chose the TV moment that made them realise pop music was the key to their future, something that could open up their lives. Respectively, they picked the Rolling Stones, the Smiths, and Adam & the Ants; all three groups were inspirational but all equally seemed unattainable, otherworldly.
The Monkees were the exact opposite. Two or three generations of musicians will have grown up watching their show on Saturday mornings, or in the summer holidays, thinking: "I want to be like them." Their lifestyle was highly desirable and didn't seem impossible: form a band, move into a ramshackle flat together, meet loads of girls. At least, Davy Jones, who died yesterday,...
- 3/1/2012
- by Bob Stanley
- The Guardian - Film News
The Chemical Brothers' famously psychedelic live act has finally been captured in film – with flying cutlery and clowns. Alexis Petridis reports on Don't Think
Adam Smith is the first to admit that his debut feature film is not the easiest sell in the history of cinema. "There's no real narrative strand," says the director. "It's 85 minutes long, it's got paintballs exploding – and clowns. I was saying to someone the other day, 'You'd never commission it, would you?'" He laughs. "It sounds rubbish, you know?"
Seated across the table from Smith in a west London pub, Tom Rowlands, one half of the Chemical Brothers, frowns. "There is," he says heavily, "some music in it is as well." But even taking into account the film's subject matter – the Chemical Brothers headlining Fuji Rock festival in Niigata, Japan, last year – Don't Think still seems on the face of it an unlikely candidate for cinematic glory.
Adam Smith is the first to admit that his debut feature film is not the easiest sell in the history of cinema. "There's no real narrative strand," says the director. "It's 85 minutes long, it's got paintballs exploding – and clowns. I was saying to someone the other day, 'You'd never commission it, would you?'" He laughs. "It sounds rubbish, you know?"
Seated across the table from Smith in a west London pub, Tom Rowlands, one half of the Chemical Brothers, frowns. "There is," he says heavily, "some music in it is as well." But even taking into account the film's subject matter – the Chemical Brothers headlining Fuji Rock festival in Niigata, Japan, last year – Don't Think still seems on the face of it an unlikely candidate for cinematic glory.
- 1/25/2012
- by Alexis Petridis
- The Guardian - Film News
Has it really been five years since I posted a "Bowie @ 60" entry at GreenCine Daily? Heavens. Here we are again, then. In Friday's Guardian, Alexis Petridis, looking back to that "scarcely-believable ten-year creative streak that begins with 1970's The Man Who Sold the World and ends with the 1980's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)," wrote that "having achieved more in one phase of his career alone than anyone can hope to in a lifetime — so much that it's literally impossible to imagine what pop music would be like if he hadn't existed — he's entitled to take early redundancy from pop stardom. You can mourn the loss of more music if you want, but in a sense, his absence feels strangely right…. The artist who drew a decisive, iconoclastic dividing line between the 60s and the 70s in the lyrics of 'All the Young Dudes' ('my brother's at home with his Beatles and his Stones…...
- 1/8/2012
- MUBI
The best of your comments on the latest films and music
Did you get a box set for Christmas? Was it one of those pathetic, mangy little ones that just has four CDs and a booklet? Or was it one of the super deluxe editions, with enough audio and video to keep you entertained for several years, plus a vial of the singer's sweat, and a special book about how they made the box for the set? Those were the box sets Alexis Petridis wrote about in our 23 December edition. The reason I ask if you got one was because of something Robstacle said: "Surely most people who buy these are the spouses of musos who are stuck for an obviously extravagant Christmas present. They're ready-made for that kind of thing. You know they're going to like it (because the original album is on their CD rack), you know they...
Did you get a box set for Christmas? Was it one of those pathetic, mangy little ones that just has four CDs and a booklet? Or was it one of the super deluxe editions, with enough audio and video to keep you entertained for several years, plus a vial of the singer's sweat, and a special book about how they made the box for the set? Those were the box sets Alexis Petridis wrote about in our 23 December edition. The reason I ask if you got one was because of something Robstacle said: "Surely most people who buy these are the spouses of musos who are stuck for an obviously extravagant Christmas present. They're ready-made for that kind of thing. You know they're going to like it (because the original album is on their CD rack), you know they...
- 1/6/2012
- by Michael Hann
- The Guardian - Film News
Our critics have had their say about the cultural highs of the past 12 months – but what did we miss? Tell us which moments from the world of culture made your 2011 a year to remember
As we approach the end of the year, now is the time to reflect on the best performances, albums, architecture, exhibitions, films and TV of 2011. Some of our critics have already listed their favourites: Adrian Searle picked Steve McQueen's film Shame, as one of his highlights; Susannah Clapp declared Michael Sheen's staging of The Passion in Port Talbot "the year's revelation"; and for Judith Mackrell it was Lucinda Childs' luminously structured Dance. Despite Alexis Petridis's momentary fear that he had turned into his dad, he thought AlunaGeorge "suggested the same balance of sonic innovation and commercialism you found in R&B a decade ago". Philip French meanwhile, felt the year's outstanding performances were...
As we approach the end of the year, now is the time to reflect on the best performances, albums, architecture, exhibitions, films and TV of 2011. Some of our critics have already listed their favourites: Adrian Searle picked Steve McQueen's film Shame, as one of his highlights; Susannah Clapp declared Michael Sheen's staging of The Passion in Port Talbot "the year's revelation"; and for Judith Mackrell it was Lucinda Childs' luminously structured Dance. Despite Alexis Petridis's momentary fear that he had turned into his dad, he thought AlunaGeorge "suggested the same balance of sonic innovation and commercialism you found in R&B a decade ago". Philip French meanwhile, felt the year's outstanding performances were...
- 12/13/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
The best of your comments on the latest films and music
"We as a society are far too hard on teenage girls." said Fridaycat last week. "Unlike boys, girls are to be controlled, opinionated on, observed, judged. They mustn't be too slutty or prudish, smart or stupid, honest or manipulative, funny or boring for starters. Teenage boys can do whatever they please, almost without exception, because 'boys will be boys', and they are given considerable leeway to find their own voice while making any number of embarrassing mistakes along the way."
Fridaycat was responding approvingly to Anne Billson's column about the Twilight movies, in which she suggested that perhaps they got a harder time at the hands of critics than movies aimed squarely at teenage boys – and noted that they were pretty much the only mainstream movies that considered girls' sexuality from the perspective of an actual girl.
"You want...
"We as a society are far too hard on teenage girls." said Fridaycat last week. "Unlike boys, girls are to be controlled, opinionated on, observed, judged. They mustn't be too slutty or prudish, smart or stupid, honest or manipulative, funny or boring for starters. Teenage boys can do whatever they please, almost without exception, because 'boys will be boys', and they are given considerable leeway to find their own voice while making any number of embarrassing mistakes along the way."
Fridaycat was responding approvingly to Anne Billson's column about the Twilight movies, in which she suggested that perhaps they got a harder time at the hands of critics than movies aimed squarely at teenage boys – and noted that they were pretty much the only mainstream movies that considered girls' sexuality from the perspective of an actual girl.
"You want...
- 12/2/2011
- by Michael Hann
- The Guardian - Film News
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