Critic reviews of The Origin Of Love

So here you can post links to critic reviews to Origin that you may find on the internet press, radios, blogs.... heaven and hell!

We have a thread for fan reviews here:

http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3793490#post3793490

thanks suzie

we will update this post with links to the reviews, and you can chat about them in the thread!

nanuk posted a link to The Guardian here http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3813314&postcount=1

Edited October 5, 2012 by robertina

robertina · October 5, 2012

nanuk posted a link to The Guardian here http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3813314&postcount=1

thanks :wink2:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/oct/04/mika-origin-of-love-review?newsfeed=true

Caroline Sullivan

The Guardian,

he PR bumph that comes with Mika's third album breezily suggests it was inspired by Laurel Canyon's dreamy soft rock and Steve Reich's proto-minimalism. If you squint you can just about see it: the sweet strumminess of Lola does have the scent of LA hippy about it, while the title track's looped percussive throb might conceivably have been influenced by Reich. But there's really no need for fanciful comparisons: the fact is, The Origin of Love is simply a good record by one of the UK's more undervalued pop songwriters. Working with Pnau's Nick Littlemore, he has cut back on the theatrics – though he can't quite stifle the odd falsetto shriek – and assembled buoyant electro swirls and layers into plush club-pop. It's arresting enough that he needn't have hauled in Pharrell Williams to mutter a verse on Celebrate (and his rap duet with Priscilla Renea on Popular will live on as one of his more incongruous encounters). The whole thing was inspired by his happily-in-love status, which just goes to show that joy doesn't always kill creativity.

cathouzouf · October 5, 2012

Found this review from one of Quebec best and thoughest critic (no clue if the video will work outside of Canada)

http://www.musiqueplus.com/videos/mi...ique-1.1069078

translation

Origin of love is the title of Mika's 3 album. Mika is a lebanese singer who grew up in Paris and London. Very popular in Quebec and Europe, particularly in France because he sings in French too. Not very well known in the USA, they haven't understand anything yet...

I didn't know his other 2 albums. I was introduced to Mika by the song Make you happy. I knew he was singing a bit like Freedie mercury. I love Make you happy and was expecting the same for the remainder of the album, a bit of elctro... Unfortunately, make you happy is the only one one of its kind on the album. With the very first song, we are reminded of Freddie. But with such a good voice, why the need to copy autotune so much, I don't understand. Also, I understand he can get from very high notes to very low notes in a second but does he have to do it 40 times in a row? Obviously not my kind of singer!

Very light pop, reminds me of the norvegian group A-ha (although I prefer their albums). Sometime, we have the feeling he wants to do very commercial music, but didn,t get all the way through. Emily and stardust are good example. I prefer Gaga's remix. he looses me with the euro-techno-testo-like songs like Celebrate. The production is bland, his compositions are old-fashioned. It's OK but not much more. Extract of Make you happy. This one is good, but only this one.

One the positive side: this guy also have a DESTROY feature on his show, so the fact that Mika was not featured in it is a victory in itself

suzie · October 5, 2012

HEre are the ones from the othert thread:

Critic reviews

BBC review http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/xcq4

Entertainment (Ireland) by Louise Bruton http://entertainment.ie/album-review...ove/140361.htm

The Guardian by Caroline Sullivan http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/oct/04/mika-origin-of-love-review?newsfeed=true

Q Magazine (UK) by Andrew Harrison http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3805079&postcount=154

Under the Gun Review (US) by Grace Duffy http://www.underthegunreview.net/201...rigin-of-love/ - or http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3805856&postcount=1

Edited October 5, 2012 by suzie

Soaring Simpson · October 5, 2012

Hey! The UK ones are pretty good! :trumpet:

Lilasko · October 5, 2012

Saw this thread now, guess I can repost this review here then :teehee:

The first swedish review of tool in Gaffa 26/9
http://gaffa.se/recension/64315

3/6 stars

In the borderland between the playground and the dance floor.

Everything Mika does is of first-class quality. But with his slightly schizophrenic pop in which he alternates between being Freddie Mercury, gay icon and kindergarten teacher I have a hard time understanding the latter role. He has a tendency to lapse into some sort of bubblegum pop that probably will work well at the preschools but sounds slightly forced for a grown up ear.

At The Origin Of Love it's thankfully less of the terrible childish jump-and-play-pop and more of that gorgeous, dark disco where his expressive, slightly musical voice comes into its own, without being too articulate over-explicit. Sometimes he actually manage sucessfully to bring the two together, like on the single Celebrate, a sort of disco anthem (in which Pharrell makes a negligible contribution and at the same time manage to delete all the sex appeal he usually possesses). I still miss the subtle. Mika always writes his listeners on the nose* with his tunes, texts and melodies, but with his third album he does it at least with a little more finesse.

Review by Maria Stacke

*To write someone on the nose is a swedish saying and means: Trying to impose someone else your own thoughts and opinions in a less respectful and tactful way.

mari62 · October 5, 2012

Review posted by Luke in the other thread

The Irish Times:

The Origin of Love Island ***

Those irritated by Mika’s polarising falsetto will be happy to know the singer has toned it down for his third album. Unfortunately for fans of songs such as Love Today and Grace Kelly, it seems the gap left by the singer’s bubbly pop theatrics has been filled by something entirely less appealing.

All too often, The Origin of Love sounds like a sterile, synthesised club soundtrack. Stardust and Overrated reveal nothing of Mika’s personality, while Pharrell Williams’s input on Celebrate seems rather tokenistic. Despite those missteps, there’s much to like. Lola’s Fleetwood Mac-meets- Bee Gees vibe is super, Kids inventively pairs a glitchy beat with an acoustic guitar, and Make You Happy vaguely references Pet Shop Boys. It’s certainly a new angle for Mika, but one you suspect even he isn’t completely comfortable with.

astor · October 5, 2012

It's weird that The Guardian seem to have given it a favourable review, as the Guide - a supplement of The Guardian - said some less than flattering things about the new songs last week :aah:

dcdeb · October 5, 2012

Here are a couple that I don't think have been posted yet:

http://music.thedigitalfix.com/content/17948/mika.html

When it comes to pure pop, no one does it with as much panache as wonder boy Mika. His third album The Origin Of Love will no doubt please the eight million and counting fans who have bought his other two offerings, if doing little else to expand his fanbase.

This is chock-full of bouncy, if predictable, numbers like the title track ("Love is a trap and you are my cigarette / Love is addiction and you are my Nicorette") as well as genetically modified affairs - the annoying 'Make You Happy' has Mika's robotic vocals repeating the title over, and over again. Things pick up somewhat with 'Underwater', a lush ballad replete with flowing piano and romantic lyrics that thirteen year old girls will be writing in their schoolbooks during chemistry class: "All I need is the love your breathe / Put your lips on me and I can live underwater." Music snobs may scoff, but the truth is that The Origin of Love is a slickly polished, if somewhat vacuous, collection of tunes that should help cement Mika's place as a pop heartthrob for a while yet.

-----------------------------------

http://www.theartsdesk.com/new-music/cd-mika-origin-love

CD: Mika - The Origin of Love

Lebanese-British star delivers more lethally effective songs with a vacuum at their core

by Thomas H GreenThursday, 04 October 2012

“Killer Queen” by Queen, “Rocket Man” by Elton John and “Laura” by the Scissor Sisters are all songs that reek of design. Their finest details have been engineered to their smallest component parts, yet the tone is light, almost throwaway. They’re crafted, calculated classics, but they revel raw in pop glee. This is the feeling Mika constantly strives for and which, despite his brilliance at constructing songs, continues to evade him. Not that the world minds too much: his records are globally successful on a huge scale, especially his first album, Life in Cartoon Motion. He has sold multi-millions. In France he is superstar.

Mika’s third album was put together with production heavyweights who have worked with Katy Perry and Robyn, as well as the likes of Pnau’s Nick Littlemore, William Orbit and Pharrell Williams, the latter appearing on the brash opening single “Celebrate”. Throughout, Mika's usual appealingly insouciant way with a lyric remains intact – “Stupid Adam and Eve, they found their love in a tree, but God didn’t think they deserved it” – but has a new, polished, synthesised quality that brings to mind what Air might sound like if they decided to be Supertramp. It’s as contagious as the Ebola virus but there’s an audible sense that this 29-year-old, classically educated in music to the very highest level, does this because he can rather than that his blood boils with it. It undermines everything. Whether it’s the Bee Gees-gone-trance of “Stardust”, the balladic piano simplicity of “Underwater”, the pumping tech-disco of “Overrrated” or the super-catchy “Emily”, it’s utterly effective on an immediate level but the froth lacks heart.

The truth is I want to like Mika. He’s just the sort of artist sneering music journos, clutching their tedious Radiohead and Bon Iver albums to their bosoms, dislike intensely. But it’s not his ditzy frivolousness that’s off-putting - that only makes him more appealing. It’s the sense that he’s a dilettante pop star whose music really is vapid.

suzie · October 5, 2012

It's weird that The Guardian seem to have given it a favourable review, as the Guide - a supplement of The Guardian - said some less than flattering things about the new songs last week

That's because I assume it is different people who wrote those two reviews. it's not that the Guardian needs to align on what they think of an album - they simply publish those.

Edited October 5, 2012 by suzie

astor · October 5, 2012

That's because I assume it is different people who wrote those two reviews. it's not that the Guardian needs to align on what they think of an album - they simply publish those.

Ok that makes sense. :doh:

suzie · October 5, 2012

Ok that makes sense.

I liked the one from Caroline Sullivan:a short but well-written review.

RayaBadran · October 5, 2012

Found this review from one of Quebec best and thoughest critic (no clue if the video will work outside of Canada)

http://www.musiqueplus.com/videos/mi...ique-1.1069078

translation

Origin of love is the title of Mika's 3 album. Mika is a lebanese singer who grew up in Paris and London. Very popular in Quebec and Europe, particularly in France because he sings in French too. Not very well known in the USA, they haven't understand anything yet...

I didn't know his other 2 albums. I was introduced to Mika by the song Make you happy. I knew he was singing a bit like Freedie mercury. I love Make you happy and was expecting the same for the remainder of the album, a bit of elctro... Unfortunately, make you happy is the only one one of its kind on the album. With the very first song, we are reminded of Freddie. But with such a good voice, why the need to copy autotune so much, I don't understand. Also, I understand he can get from very high notes to very low notes in a second but does he have to do it 40 times in a row? Obviously not my kind of singer!

Very light pop, reminds me of the norvegian group A-ha (although I prefer their albums). Sometime, we have the feeling he wants to do very commercial music, but didn,t get all the way through. Emily and stardust are good example. I prefer Gaga's remix. he looses me with the euro-techno-testo-like songs like Celebrate. The production is bland, his compositions are old-fashioned. It's OK but not much more. Extract of Make you happy. This one is good, but only this one.

One the positive side: this guy also have a DESTROY feature on his show, so the fact that Mika was not featured in it is a victory in itself

Cath, I saw your comment on the website and the review is not that bad, 'cause I LOVE to watch Rajotte on MP and he's often right in some other circumstances. He usually goes WAY WAY WAY more further when he doesn't appreciate an album, and I think that is really a plus that he actually likes a song. He's super picky with his music and he said it himself: it's not his type. But for someone that likes Mika's voice and this sort of light pop music, I think they will appreciate it. Just to make you feel better :huglove:

astor · October 5, 2012

I liked the one from Caroline Sullivan:a short but well-written review.

The other one is short... Well written? Hmm.

"During Mika's (g)imperial phase, around the time Sienna Miller was a style icon, one would sigh and say, 'I wish he'd dial it down' especially as he was singing that patronising song about plump girls. Be careful what you wish for. This comeback single is oddly subdued: Mika claims he wants 'the whole world to celebrate', but sounds like he just signed up for Dancing On Ice. Meanwhile, Pharell can barely be arsed to sound like himself."

mellody · October 5, 2012

a few german ones:

(sorry no time to translate now, maybe someone else can? :blush-anim-cl: )

Weser-Kurier: http://www.weser-kurier.de/startseite_artikel,-Schluss-mit-Kindergeburtstag-_arid,390303.html

hitchecker.de: http://www.hitchecker.de/gehoert/cd-mp3/1979-mika-the-origin-of-love-cd-kritik.html

WAZ: http://www.derwesten.de/panorama/leute/cd-tipp-mika-the-origin-of-love-id7165166.html

cathouzouf · October 5, 2012

Cath, I saw your comment on the website and the review is not that bad, 'cause I LOVE to watch Rajotte on MP and he's often right in some other circumstances. He usually goes WAY WAY WAY more further when he doesn't appreciate an album, and I think that is really a plus that he actually likes a song. He's super picky with his music and he said it himself: it's not his type. But for someone that likes Mika's voice and this sort of light pop music, I think they will appreciate it. Just to make you feel better

I totally know that about Rajotte... I was watching him burn vinyls he hadn't 25 years ago ;-)

I was just really hopeful he would like it because he loves MYH. You're right, it could have been much worse, he could have burried the Cd in cat litter like he did with Van Halen:huglove:

suzie · October 5, 2012

The other one is short... Well written? Hmm

I did not mean the review you quoted but I actually think this one is right about Celebrate. To me a well-written review does not mean I agree with the content.

DerMoment1608 · October 5, 2012

I don't think we have that one yet?

Stop. Listen. Fall In Love With Mika.

If you haven’t heard about Mika, then you don’t know what you’re missing. After all, he is known to be quite the cartoon character in terms of his electro-pop-ish musical style. As a matter of fact, his last album “The Boy Who Knew Too Much” was pretty whimsical. Cute, if you may.

With this new release, “The Origin Of Love”, Mika is proving to have grown up (just a bit), producing a much more serious album compared to the last one.

No more fooling around huh, Mika?

The song that shares the same name as the album, “The Origin Of Love” is a happy song. This track is the lead single for this album. If you’re having a bad day, not to worry, blast this in your car or in your room and you will be smiling instantly. Heck. Break into a shimmy, if you want.

If you’ve always been a fan of Mika, this is “the Mika experience” all over again (read: bouncy, twirly, happy).

Also, for the first time ever, Mika aces a collaboration with American rapper/producer, Pharrell Williams, for “Celebrate“. Odd coupling, some might say. But that’s the beauty of being Mika – music doesn’t always have to make sense. To be honest, we say it turned out pretty well:

“Lola” is another track available on the album. Though it’s simple but it’s good. Imagine yourself sitting outside the yard, with your shades on, accompanied with a glass of lemonade while listening to the piano work in the background. Bliss, much? “Do nothing all weekend” vibe, much?

Oh Lola, I’ve made up my mind,

And I’m not going to fall in love with you this time .

Slightly retro, this song will definitely take you to another era.

“Emily” was originally “Elle Me Dit”, one of the lead singles. “Elle Me Dit” is also known as the French version of “Emily”, so you kinda get to hear it twice.

Fine by us, really, because it’s super catchy! Also, let’s not forget how “feel good” the lyrics are:

Emily, it’s your life and you can’t live it twice

One day you’ll understand and then you’ll take my hand

Emily, I love you, and do know you do too

You never make no sense, screaming at me in French

Bullcrotching, that’s that…

Bullcrotching, that’s that…

Shut up listen to me, dance with me Emily

This song was originally “Elle Me Dit,” one of the lead singles. “Emily” has some catchy versus and chorus. Mika is showing some good range in this track. Way to go Mika!

Mika’s “The Origin of Love” is out at a music store near you. Get it, get it! For more information, visit Mika’s official website.

http://hype.my/2012/10/stop-listen-fall-in-love-with-mika/

And another German one:

http://www.alternativmusik.de/rezensionen/mika-the-origin-of-love/

dcdeb · October 6, 2012

:yay: I'm happy with this review!

http://www.digitalspy.com/music/albumreviews/a410694/mika-the-origin-of-love-album-review.html

Mika: 'The Origin of Love' - Album review

Released on Friday, Oct 5 2012

Published Saturday, Oct 6 2012, 4:30am EDT | By Robert Copsey

In a recent interview with Digital Spy, Mika admitted that his music is often born out of an accident, adding: "I'm not from a sound or scene." It's the kind of statement that you'd expect to hear from an act who's been PR-ed up to the eyeballs and actually peddling the same generic fodder as everyone else. But as his previous records have shown, the Lebanese-American is in fact bang on the money.

So a quick glance at the production credits for The Origin of Love shows that it's business as unusual, teaming up with an array of new and established songwriters and producers including Empire of the Sun's Nick Littlemore, Benny Benassi and long-time collaborator Greg Wells.

The former does a dazzling job on opener 'Origin of Love' and 'Kids', taming Mika's quirks with elegant electro-pop flourishes. Even Benassi - whose recent work includes Chris Brown and Madonna - doesn't sound quite himself on stadium raver 'Stardust', while the thick 'n' gloopy melody on 'Make You Happy' makes the vocodered chorus feel all the more glorious.

That said, he still can't resist the occasional falsetto shriek, which ranges from mildly irritating on 'Love You When I'm Drunk' to downright bonkers on the hyperactive 'Popular' - a bouncing duet with Priscilla Renea that pilfers bits from the musical Wicked. Nonetheless, the result is an accomplished third album from one of pop's most underrated songwriters; not that it appears to bother him in the slightest.

4 (out 5) Star Rating

Tracks to download: 'The Origin of Love', 'Lola', 'Stardust', 'Make You Happy'

If you like this, you'll like: Empire of the Sun, Scissor Sisters

cathouzouf · October 6, 2012

I'm happy with this review!

http://www.digitalspy.com/music/albumreviews/a410694/mika-the-origin-of-love-album-review.html

Mika: 'The Origin of Love' - Album review

Released on Friday, Oct 5 2012

Published Saturday, Oct 6 2012, 4:30am EDT | By Robert Copsey

In a recent interview with Digital Spy, Mika admitted that his music is often born out of an accident, adding: "I'm not from a sound or scene." It's the kind of statement that you'd expect to hear from an act who's been PR-ed up to the eyeballs and actually peddling the same generic fodder as everyone else. But as his previous records have shown, the Lebanese-American is in fact bang on the money.

So a quick glance at the production credits for The Origin of Love shows that it's business as unusual, teaming up with an array of new and established songwriters and producers including Empire of the Sun's Nick Littlemore, Benny Benassi and long-time collaborator Greg Wells.

The former does a dazzling job on opener 'Origin of Love' and 'Kids', taming Mika's quirks with elegant electro-pop flourishes. Even Benassi - whose recent work includes Chris Brown and Madonna - doesn't sound quite himself on stadium raver 'Stardust', while the thick 'n' gloopy melody on 'Make You Happy' makes the vocodered chorus feel all the more glorious.

That said, he still can't resist the occasional falsetto shriek, which ranges from mildly irritating on 'Love You When I'm Drunk' to downright bonkers on the hyperactive 'Popular' - a bouncing duet with Priscilla Renea that pilfers bits from the musical Wicked. Nonetheless, the result is an accomplished third album from one of pop's most underrated songwriters; not that it appears to bother him in the slightest.

4 (out 5) Star Rating

Tracks to download: 'The Origin of Love', 'Lola', 'Stardust', 'Make You Happy'

If you like this, you'll like: Empire of the Sun, Scissor Sisters

Nice review indeed... I could not agree more on the bolded part

dcdeb · October 6, 2012

I don't think we have that one yet?

http://hype.my/2012/10/stop-listen-fall-in-love-with-mika/

Uh... BULLCROTCHING?

:lmfao:

cathouzouf · October 6, 2012

http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/arts-et-spectacles/disques/201209/20/01-4576080-mika-personnalites-multiples-12.php

Mika: personnalités multiples **1/2

Avec The Origin of Love, son troisième album, Mika s'aventure dans plusieurs directions.

Recrutant les Benny Benassi et Martin Solveig, qu'il a côtoyés sur le récent MDNA de Madonna, mais aussi le réalisateur australien Nick Littlemore et Greg Wells (Adele), le chanteur britannique apparaît écartelé entre l'univers des pistes de danse et celui d'une pop rétro, moins périssable. Compositions davantage épurées et subtiles, comme l'excellente pièce-titre aux accents disco, et chansons à saveur house se succèdent entre deux flirts avec le reggae et le r'n'b. Mika affiche toujours une remarquable aisance vocale et signe quelques titres ambitieux (Make You Happy), or on a la désagréable impression qu'il se cherche sur le plan stylistique. Les mélodies, quoique non dénuées d'intérêt, n'ont ni l'insouciance, ni l'efficacité de ses refrains qui ont le plus voyagé, hormis l'adaptation de son hit Elle me dit, devenue Emily. À noter qu'une édition avec des titres supplémentaires en français est offerte.

Translation:

Mika: Multiple personnalities 2.5

With origin of Love, his 3rd album, Mika ventures in many directions

Recruiting Benny Benassi and Martin Solveig, with whom he worked on the recent MDNA from Madonna, but also the Australian director Nick Littlemore and Greg Wells (Adele), the British singer seems split btween the dance floors universe and a retro pop, less perishable. Compositions are less layered and subtle, as the excellent title piece with disco accent and house-flavored songs followed by flirts with reggae and r'n'b. Mika, as always, show a remarquable vocal range and have some very ambitious titles (Make You Happy), however, we have the bad feeling that he is searching for his style. Melodies, although far from being uninteresting, have neither the recklessness, nor the effectiveness of some of his better known songs, except for the adaptation of his hit Elle me dit, now Emily. Please note that a special edition with addition French songs is available.

krjsantos · October 7, 2012

Review The INDEPENDENT UK

Mika, The Origin of Love (Island/Casablanca)

Simon Price - Sunday 07 OCTOBER 2012

Now that he's announced he is gay, in perhaps the least surprising showbiz outing this side of Liberace, it's perhaps significant that Mika's third album borrows its title from Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Without descending into armchair psychology, he does sound like a man with a weight lifted from his shoulders, and The Origin of Love is an autotuned, multitracked meringue whose ingredients include 10cc and Buggles, and whose only weakness is the absence of a killer single.

Link:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/mika-the-origin-of-love-islandcasablanca-8200590.html

dcdeb · October 7, 2012

Review The INDEPENDENT UK

Mika, The Origin of Love (Island/Casablanca)

Simon Price - Sunday 07 OCTOBER 2012

Now that he's announced he is gay, in perhaps the least surprising showbiz outing this side of Liberace, it's perhaps significant that Mika's third album borrows its title from Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Without descending into armchair psychology, he does sound like a man with a weight lifted from his shoulders, and The Origin of Love is an autotuned, multitracked meringue whose ingredients include 10cc and Buggles, and whose only weakness is the absence of a killer single.

Link:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/mika-the-origin-of-love-islandcasablanca-8200590.html

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

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

Critic reviews of The Origin Of Love

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