Critic reviews of The Origin Of Love

Review from the Daily Mirror 5/10/12

MIKA The Origin of Love (3 stars)

He's had a slight downturn since the giddying success of his Brit-awarded 2007 debut, Life In Cartoon Motion. Here, Mika's glistening, pulsating melodies and vocal pole-vaulting creates sweetness overload, but the closing Pharrell hook-up Celebrate is an undeniable cherry on the top

Here is a review from a big music website in France, I don't think it's been posted before?

http://www.chartsinfrance.net/MIKA/news-81836.html

Translation

Mika surprises and convinces with The Origin of Love

Mika is back with The Origin of Love, a surprising new album at first listening, but which is nevertheless in line with the previous ones. This third piece of work is much calmer but not less intense in the strength of musical expression and lyrics. Mika tries out new ideas, still remaining the same.

3 years after TBWKTM, Mika has decided to talk about love. 'Love is a drug and you are my cigarette. You're the origin of love' he sings in the opening track, title of the album, with brilliant arrangements and a musical bridge sung in a majestic Latin. The British Lebanese singer, incredibly French at heart, is the writer of his 14 new songs (17 for the 2 CD Deluxe edition) and found some help from Doriand to write in our language 4 of his songs. We already knew Elle Me Dit, hit from the Summer of 2011, which by the way stands alongside her little English sister Emily, part of the first CD. Mika also cleared the language obstacle on 'Karen', 'L'Amour dans le Mauvais Temps' and 'Un Soleil Mal Luné'. 'Je ne demande pas la lune, pas la gloire ni la fortune. Juste du soleil dans ma vie' Mika sings in Un Soleil Mal Luné, piano and voice only with a lot of melancholy.

This feeling of melancholy can be found again on some other songs like Underwater with which the artist states his need for love, and Heroes, in which he evokes death and beyond. Mika has nevertheless written a positive and energetic album, although not a dancing one. Because he is not here proposing a bis repetita placent of his first two albums. The Origin of Love is an album that needs more time to listen to in order to get all its subtleties. Of course, Mika continues evolving in a pop electro style with very produced songs like Overrated, mind blowing, and Love You When I'm Drunk, on which his high pitched voice is reaching the extreme on an insistent melody.

Mika has found the right balance between pop, electro and dance music

Generally, the tempo is quite slow. The album contains a bunch of midtempo songs. It wasn't cut up for dancefloors but allows Mika to tell nice little stories, his own stories, apart from the single Celebrate, unquestionably the most suitable song for radio. Stardust, produced by the Benassi cousins, also totally sounds like a hit! However, we cannot say that Mika absolutely tried to fit into a mould. Without talking about experimental music either, the artist mixes keyboards and chords, accompanied by very surprising electro sounds, and sparingly sprinkles bass parts. In fact, we are not so far from what the artist offered in the past. Influences are varied and referenced, they follow each other or pass each other on each track. If the 80s influences are well chosen, we are more surprised with Step With Me and Popular Song, in which Mika has a go at RnB. Very slightly though!

Our opinion : 4/5

Mika has found the right balance between pop, electro and dance music on his 3rd album. Fantasy is still present but the artist leaves a big space to this love that he lives with and is completely comfortable with. A success!

Yes, I just saw this. Is this really a *review* of the album?

 

Seems like he left something out... like the REVIEW of the album.

Review from the Daily Mirror 5/10/12

 

MIKA The Origin of Love (3 stars)

 

He's had a slight downturn since the giddying success of his Brit-awarded 2007 debut, Life In Cartoon Motion. Here, Mika's glistening, pulsating melodies and vocal pole-vaulting creates sweetness overload, but the closing Pharrell hook-up Celebrate is an undeniable cherry on the top

Exactly! What is happening with these journalists? these reviews with minimum content

Other review from The Guardian UK

Mika: The Origin of Love – review

(Island) 2 star

Hermione Hoby

The Observer, Sunday 7 October 2012

More so than most stars, Mika's appeal rests on his silliness – it was his kitschy poperatics that sent his 2007 hit Grace Kelly global and made his debut album that year's ninth biggest selling. On his third album, however, he seems to have made the mistake of taking things too seriously. That voice – part Elton John, part Freddie Mercury and remaining part small child let loose on helium balloons – pairs uneasily with clubby beats. Other than the perky pabulum of prostitution singalong Lola and a big fat feelgood chorus on Step with Me, the hooks and hits are thin on the ground.

Exactly! What is happening with these journalists? these reviews with minimum content

In a lot of UK papers, they review several albums with a couple of sentences each.

In a lot of UK papers, they review several albums with a couple of sentences each.

massive review massive fail ..... do you think I'm right?

Daily Telegraph Review section, 6/10/12 (UK)

Mika Origins of Love (sic) 3 stars

An extravagantly talented powerhouse, Mika's almost relentlessly upbeat, cartoonishly colourful blend of Seventies soft rock sensibility with mainstream electro dance trends can get a bit wearing over prolonged exposure. Each of these 13 tracks sounds like a little radio gem, but the preening cuteness of Mika's zippy lyrics and exaggerated mannerisms of his smooth, high, swooping vocals are all bubbles and froth, like the Scissor Sisters on a sugar rush. His six-million selling 2007 debut promised more than just a camp 21st-century 10CC.

Download this: Make You Happy

Daily Telegraph Review section, 6/10/12 (UK)

 

Mika Origins of Love (sic) 3 stars

 

An extravagantly talented powerhouse, Mika's almost relentlessly upbeat, cartoonishly colourful blend of Seventies soft rock sensibility with mainstream electro dance trends can get a bit wearing over prolonged exposure. Each of these 13 tracks sounds like a little radio gem, but the preening cuteness of Mika's zippy lyrics and exaggerated mannerisms of his smooth, high, swooping vocals are all bubbles and froth, like the Scissor Sisters on a sugar rush. His six-million selling 2007 debut promised more than just a camp 21st-century 10CC.

Download this: Make You Happy

Sorry... the preening cuteness of Mika's zippy lyrics??? Have they even listened to the lyrics?

Sorry... the preening cuteness of Mika's zippy lyrics??? Have they even listened to the lyrics?

I think this reviewer (Neil McCormick) was hoping for a little more from Mika's lyrics. They are a bit superficial, with the odd flash of brilliance, rather than deep and meaningful. Neil's a fan of Mika, and I do get the feeling that he thinks electro pop is not the way for Mika to go.

I so fear for this album in the UK...but what have they got in their minds????

which f*cking kind of music do you like in the UK????

Sometimes I think snobbery prevents the critics from being honest to the artist.

In the UK they think they are the king of music criticism.

I so fear for this album in the UK...but what have they got in their minds????

which f*cking kind of music do you like in the UK????

 

Sometimes I think snobbery prevents the critics from being honest to the artist.

In the UK they think they are the king of music criticism.

Most reviewers have given it three or four stars, though, and it's album of the week on Radio 2, so that is a little encouraging.

Most reviewers have given it three or four stars, though, and it's album of the week on Radio 2, so that is a little encouraging.

sorry for my rant, sometimes I dispair for the UK

sorry for my rant, sometimes I dispair for the UK

You can despair a bit more then - Celebrate has failed to make the UK singles chart

I think this reviewer (Neil McCormick) was hoping for a little more from Mika's lyrics. They are a bit superficial, with the odd flash of brilliance, rather than deep and meaningful. Neil's a fan of Mika, and I do get the feeling that he thinks electro pop is not the way for Mika to go.

I tend to agree with him on that. As for lyrics... they've always been like that, haven't they? Some are absolutely brilliant and others don't seem to make sense at all. But as far as I understand (please correct me if I'm wrong):

preening = making yourself look good,

cute = sweet,

zippy = bright,

and even though these words apply to the chorus of OOL, they don't apply to the verses. One could describe SWM and Popular like that, but there's LYWID and Overrated to balance those, so I don't see it for the whole album.

You can despair a bit more then - Celebrate has failed to make the UK singles chart

no surprise, it's the same here. We said it multiple times that Celebrate was not a good choice for the 1st single. and now Underwater

no surprise, it's the same here. We said it multiple times that Celebrate was not a good choice for the 1st single. and now Underwater

I really like Underwater and don't think it is a bad choice....would't be my first choice - but I don't think it's too bad.

God knows really re the UK. I think it's getting possible slighty more expossure than I suspected it might but I can't see it acheiving huge sales.

I think zippy means quick more than anything but tbh that whole phrase is as nonsensical as any Mika lyric

I think all critics are snobs and it's not just the UK. They want to justify their own redundant existence.

" Welcomeing the new - less irritating- Mika "

" Welcomeing the new - less irritating- Mika "

 

If it means they like him now then it doesn't matter, everybody has their own opinions.

I so fear for this album in the UK...but what have they got in their minds????

which f*cking kind of music do you like in the UK????

Sometimes I think snobbery prevents the critics from being honest to the artist.

In the UK they think they are the king of music criticism.

You can despair a bit more then - Celebrate has failed to make the UK singles chart

I think zippy means quick more than anything but tbh that whole phrase is as nonsensical as any Mika lyric

I think all critics are snobs and it's not just the UK. They want to justify their own redundant existence.

I agree

You can despair a bit more then - Celebrate has failed to make the UK singles chart

That's a shame. Not that I thought it would, but you know... one always holds out some hope...

I'm anxious to see what kind of press we have here in the US now that album is FINALLY coming out here next week.

That's a shame. Not that I thought it would, but you know... one always holds out some hope...

 

I'm anxious to see what kind of press we have here in the US now that album is FINALLY coming out here next week.

Well it on the iTunes chart on Pre-Orders alone, that must be a good sign, it's at 90 here since it was released on Friday.

That's a shame. Not that I thought it would, but you know... one always holds out some hope...

 

I'm anxious to see what kind of press we have here in the US now that album is FINALLY coming out here next week.

Hopefully more than what I have seen here... Helps that he will be in the States when that happens!

You can despair a bit more then - Celebrate has failed to make the UK singles chart

It would have had a chance, if Radio One had played it. This is precisely why I wanted people to tweet them.

I haven't seen any ads for the album on TV yet.

I despair about the UK too, and I'll be gutted for Mika if the album doesn't chart high.

I just hope for the best for the USA, because if the single and album do well there, the UK media will def open their eyes and their ears.

It would have had a chance, if Radio One had played it. This is precisely why I wanted people to tweet them.

I haven't seen any ads for the album on TV yet.

I despair about the UK too, and I'll be gutted for Mika if the album doesn't chart high.

I just hope for the best for the USA, because if the single and album do well there, the UK media will def open their eyes and their ears.

I really hate to say this but I'm not at all surprised Celebrate hasn't charted. In my opinion, wrong single at the wrong time and not played on the "right" channels all adds up to poor sales.

I just HOPE the album sells better. I think it will chart inside the top 10 but it needs to stick around a while and not plummet after the first week.

Unfortunately I just don't think Underwater will do anything to boost sales of the album. Stardust would have been a better second single. That would stand a small chance of getting played on Radio 1.

To be honest I have given up worrying too much about his chart placings here in the UK but it still frustrates me a little bit, although I wish it didn't.