Album Title
Mabel
Artist Icon High Expectations (2019)
heart off icon (0 users)
Last IconTransparent icon Next icon

Transparent Block
Cover NOT yet available in 4k icon
Join Patreon for 4K upload/download access


Your Rating (Click a star below)

Star off iconStar off iconStar off iconStar off iconStar off iconStar off iconStar off iconStar off iconStar off iconStar off icon


Star IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar Icon






Star IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar IconStar Icon














1:27
3:25
2:58
3:12
3:11
3:12
1:14
2:49
3:28
3:41
2:25
3:36
2:38
2:25

4:28
3:31
3:12
3:38
3:08
3:43

Data Complete
percentage bar 60%

Total Rating

Star Icon (1 users)

Back Cover
Transparent Block

CD Art
CDart Artwork

3D Case
Album 3D Case

3D Thumb
Album 3D Thumb

3D Flat
Album 3D Flat

3D Face
Album 3D Face

3D Spine
Transparent Icon

First Released

Calendar Icon 2019

Genre

Genre Icon R&B

Mood

Mood Icon ---

Style

Style Icon ---

Theme

Theme Icon ---

Tempo

Speed Icon Medium

Release Format

Release Format Icon Album

Record Label Release

Speed Icon Polydor

World Sales Figure

Sales Icon 0 copies

Album Description
Available in:
High Expectations is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Mabel. It was released on 2 August 2019 through Polydor Records. The album was preceded by the release of the singles "Don't Call Me Up" and "Mad Love".

Singles
On 18 January 2019, "Don't Call Me Up" was released as the first single from High Expectations. The single debuted at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, with first-week sales of 23,325 units. The single later peaked at number three for three consecutive weeks in March 2019. In April 2019, "Don't Call Me Up" was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry, and was certified Platinum the following month. The single then became Mabel's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 66.

On 7 June 2019, "Mad Love" was released as the second single from High Expectations, and debuted at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. The single was accompanied with a music video on Mabel's YouTube channel. On 5 July 2019, "Mad Love" peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.

On 23 July 2019, Mabel released the promotional single from High Expectations, "Bad Behaviour", which was accompanied with a music video.
wiki icon


User Album Review
Mabel’s debut album has been a long time coming. In the past couple of years she’s been constantly tipped as “one to watch”, opened for Harry Styles on tour, performed on Jimmy Fallon in the US, had a handful of Platinum selling singles and released (and then re-issued) her brilliant ‘Ivy to Roses’ mixtape. All of which has piled on the pressure for her first record, the knowingly titled ‘High Expectations’.

Since dropping her first song on Soundcloud in 2015, she’s has steadily made a name for herself with her own brand of Afroswing-inflected R&B and pop. Collaborating with the likes of Jax Jones (‘Ring Ring’), Stefflon Don (‘Cigarette’) and Not3s (‘Fine Line’ and ‘My Lover’), she’s put out earworm after earworm, steadily climbing higher and higher in the UK charts.

But most of these aforementioned hits didn’t make it to ‘High Expectations’ (although some do appear as bonus tracks), so the bulk of Mabel’s debut album is new material.

The trio of songs that were previously released as singles continue to shine. Slinky, hook-laden ‘Don’t Call Me Up’ (which is basically the younger sister of Dua Lipa’s ‘News Rules’) takes pride of place early on. Electropop bop ‘Mad Love’ follows a similar formula of brilliantly brash lyrics and a powerhouse chorus, while the stomping, Love Island anthem ‘Bad Behaviour’, with its ‘Passionfruit’-styled beats and sing-a-long moments, is another catchy nugget of R&B.

However, many of the new tunes fail to live up to these previous releases. Despite its slick production, ‘FML’ feels lacklustre in comparison to earlier singles, and is stuffed with clichéd, yearning lyrics (“Got me wishing I was taking of clothes with you / two weeks and I felt so close to you”), while sticky ballad ‘Trouble’ lacks the sassy vivacity that usually permeates Mabel’s work.

It’s not all bad, though. ‘Selfish Love’ sounds like a chart topper waiting to happen, with it’s twinkling electronics and handclapped beats, and ‘OK (Anxiety Anthem)’ sees Mabel beautifully depict her own struggles with anxiety (“Wake up with a not in my chest / Tried everything to get out of bed / It ain’t working”) over sun-drenched tropical production from MNEK.

‘High Expectations’ is a solid album, with some extraordinarily good pop songs on it (it’s no surprise that ‘Don’t Call Me Up’ has been successful globally), yet it just feels like something’s missing. Mabel’s gorgeous silky vocals soar, the glossy production is stellar, but the exuberance and effervescent attitude that make tunes like ‘Don’t Call Me Up’ so brilliant aren’t found throughout.

SOURCE: https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/mabel-high-expectations-album-review


External Album Reviews
None...



User Comments
seperator
No comments yet...
seperator

Status
Locked icon unlocked

Rank:

External Links
MusicBrainz Large icontransparent block Amazon Large icontransparent block Metacritic Large Icon