I actually found this guy off of an Instagram ad, and the overwhelming amount of... pink really caught my eye, and I read the caption saying that his new album is out now, and I knew I had to check it out. Now, I don't know too much about this guy, however, as soon as I saw this album cover, I knew I was in for a good time, so how was that good time? Well.
One of the first things that I noticed about this album is that this is the smoothest and most sincere album that I heard in a long time, until we get past the interlude... On my first listen to this album, I actually had no idea if I was listening to the same guy or not. Is this really him? The reason I say this is because the beginning of the album is a bunch of slow and moody power ballads, but as soon as we get past the interlude, we get so much, so much fun music, getting more and more poppy and full as the record goes on. At some point, it almost seems like the guy at the beginning is a completely different person than the one at the end.
My problems with the first half of the album lies within the actual variety of content. Yes, it's a bunch of slow r&b tunes, but at the same time, they all sound the same. The guitar solo in PINK CITY doesn't really stand out as much as I would've wanted. It sound exactly like the sax solo in Paradise. I have absolutely no idea how So Sweet goes, and the only songs I could recall is Chains and Heaven. In that order. Chains particularly stood out because it is the worst track on here. It's the most power of ballads on this thing and it drags on too long. His moody singing I couldn't care for, either when I heard the exact same thing 5 other times already.
Okay, hear me out, but this album actually gets better the more it goes on.
Beautiful Life is groovy and funky as hell, and it's definitely an easy listening song, especially since how happy all of the lyrics sound. PINK MONEY is a banger, but gets old a little bit too fast, but then we get to the big boy single on here. At My Worst is his best slow song. It's sweet, and it's honest, and I could tell it's one of the songs that came from the heart, and that's something that I really really appreciate about songs like these. 17 is a nice one as well, the placing of this one is a bit odd, especially when we get ones like Lows right after it. Oh yeah Lows is the exact same song as At My Worst lyrically. To me, it should've been cut entirely. In terms of the instrumental, it could've been better and a lot more interesting if this was going to pass as a different song. And then, we get to the next two songs. Oh wow, these were the most unexpected cuts here, simply due to how vibrant and different they are in terms of production, instrumentals, and especially lyrics. Not Alright is a song about being... not alright. It shocked me the first time I listened to it simply due to how it was a splash of cold water in the face. It's somewhat surprisingly danceable and somehow it managed to be one of the best songs on here... somehow. Give It To Me is actually a pretty cool song as well, even if it isn't the best. It's definitely not for me, however, we get the best song on here right after that. Icy is such an amazing tune. It's groovy, funky, upbeat, and you feel like the baddest bitch while listening to it. When listening to it, I was actually confused, because like previously stated, this sounds like a completely different guy. It's an absolute bop, however. You can tell everyone working on this was having fun, even in the music video. It's just overall a really nice song to listen to, and I think it deserves to be at the end, simply because the "sad boo hoo" endings to albums are so overdone by now. Oh yeah speaking of which. PINK FAMILY is one of the best ways to close an album like this. First of all, I know it's called "Pink Family" because he actually got his family on here. I'm sure about it. I love all the different voices in this track, it's just a really great treat at the very end. It's something that more people should do more often, however, for the record, great closer.
Now what the hell are the other two tracks at the end.
I personally chose not to listen to the two tracks at the end, because what's the point. The At My Worst remix isn't necessary on an album like this, and if he really liked Honesty, he would've put it in the standard tracklist. I mean yeah, it technically is the standard tracklist, but you know what I mean.
This album was really all over the place. I have no idea what to think. It passes on though different phases and I guess I can appreciate it for feeling like an actual movie, and in a way it is almost cinematic, however, it came across as "here are a few songs" the album because of the VAST variety of sounds and styles here, not to mention the two at the end. It's decent, cut a few songs, and you're good. It's not the best, I can definitely tell it was a very fun album to make, but it could've used more work.
6/10
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