Mina Alisa Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Mika The Origin of Love Island ** One of the catchier songs on Mika's third album is called Overrated, which is a curious sentiment to send spinning around the heads of your listeners. He may be inviting ridicule there, but then the Beirut-born singer probably feels Teflon-coated against critical barbs these days, having sold eight million records while remaining the dictionary-defined antithesis of cool. Mika – aka Michael Penniman – burst into the global charts with such a flamboyant splash in 2007 that a backlash was probably inevitable. The wild hair, colourful outfits and high-pitched vocals – all noticeably toned down for this release – proved widely off-putting, but he commands rather more respect within the industry. Madonna reworked one of his songs for her recent album, MDNA, not that the PR-aware legend chose to publicise it. "She certainly wasn't asking for my opinion," admitted the sanguine singer. But he has managed to entice a couple of notable names on to this album, having travelled the world tracking down potential contributors. The most significant acquisition is Nick Littlemore from Empire of the Sun, the Australian duo who have taken high-pitched pop to more credible peaks; Littlemore crops up regularly in the credits here, as writer or producer. The dance act Benny Benassi is also on board, co-authoring the euphoric club anthem Stardust, but the eye-popping presence is the US soul-rap superstar Pharrell Williams. His much-trumpeted appearance is disappointingly brief. In truth, it is less an alchemic meeting of diverse musical minds and more a couple of sentences shoehorned into the big single, Celebrate. That track, a simple but effective slice of Daft Punk-style disco-house, is left until last, indicating a misplaced confidence in the rest of the material. Several pre-release interviews suggested that Mika would adopt a more mature tone on this record. But despite the title, The Origin of Love is no grown-up ballad fest but a near-exhausting onslaught of upbeat dance-floor pop. There are moodier moments, such as the funky title track, where he swaps the squeals for a sultry, George Michael whisper. But elsewhere the melodies often sound disconcertingly like themes from children's TV shows, all jaunty chords and you-can-do-it lyrics. Popular, a duet with the US vocalist Priscilla Renea, would work rather well on Sesame Street, warbled by a couple of furry puppets. Is Mika overrated? Far from it. But this gifted performer will struggle to change perceptions while still pumping out such a saccharine strain of fizzy pop. http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/mikas-the-origin-of-love :wub2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Mail on Sunday 7/10/12 (UK) Mika The Origin of Love (4 stars) When he hit No.1 in 2007, it was easy to fear for Mika Penniman. Talented but puppyish and a bit much, he looked as if he'd need more love than the world might give. His third album suggests he still believes in technicolour pop, but he's a better writer now. Love You When I'm Drunk doesn't have great gravity; piano ballad Underwater takes George Michael's solemn approach to maturity. But a pile of good-to-excellent tunes includes Daft Punk-inspired Make You Happy and sweet, piano-and-handclap drive Lola. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I think the thing that has struck me reading all these reviews is that the critics all like different tracks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellody Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Finally got my UK deluxe copy today....going to play it to death then pop back on here to share my opinions! (Whether anyone wants to hear them is another story!) :naughty: of course, it'd be fab if you shared your opinion, we even have an extra thread for fan reviews: http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27316 silver, yes, i noticed that in the german reviews too! some say underwater is boring, others find it the best song on the album. similar with stardust. one or two wrote they don't find it catchy... i mean, wtf?! like it or not, but if stardust isn't catchy then i don't know what is, lol! they all seem to love the title track tho. guess that really should be a single! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 of course, it'd be fab if you shared your opinion, we even have an extra thread for fan reviews: http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27316 silver, yes, i noticed that in the german reviews too! some say underwater is boring, others find it the best song on the album. similar with stardust. one or two wrote they don't find it catchy... i mean, wtf?! like it or not, but if stardust isn't catchy then i don't know what is, lol! they all seem to love the title track tho. guess that really should be a single! Same with Make You Happy - either it's the track they recommend to download or they find it irritating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachie b Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 If it means they like him now then it doesn't matter, everybody has their own opinions. :rolls_eyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 That made me laugh I don't think it's true though. Let's look at Celebrate for example, it only went to #33 in the French charts last week and it's down to 45 now. Ok it does get airplay but it doesn't mean this single is a success. I'm not sure that random people in the streets could tell you what Mika's current single is. They would probably answer Elle Me Dit , which by the way still gets a lot of airplay (I wouldn't say as much as Celebrate but not that far..) EMD was very special, I don't think anybody really knows how it became so successful. I mean; nobody ever sells so many singles anymore or it's very rare. And it sold more than Relax 5 years ago when singles used to be still a bit more successful. Anyway, I think Celebrate is probably a good single in terms of radio airplays, I think it fits what's being played in France nowadays, but it's not strong enough to make people want to buy it and it's not the best representative of the album or Mika's work in general. Which is a shame. We are lucky in France that radio stations/TV channels/the media in general support Mika and I'm sure it helped getting him to #1 with TOOL (which is after all much more important than a single). I really wonder what the future will bring us with the release of Underwater. This time it's the other way around. It doesn't fit the radio landscape in my opinion but I hope they will play it so that it can make more people aware of Mika's brilliant work. If it gets radio airplay I think TOOL will be a real success; if not I'm afraid it will sell less than the first 2 albums.. So that supports my theory, actually, as I basically said that the reason EMD had such success in France is becasuse it is sung in French and not necessarily because it is a great ' summer tune' .In other words, Celebrate in French would have gone to No1 in France. EMD plays alot on the radio here as well... for example, it played 3 times since this morning on NRJ Montreal & that's just one radio station! It is still charting on iTunes, always in the top 5 for french singles What i find strange is CKOI radio is listing "Karen" in the "nouveaute musicale" I think they "jumped" on Karen because it is french & not necessarily becauce it's a song that justifies airplay/mention ... my opinion anyways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 EMD plays alot on the radio here as well... for example, it played 3 times since this morning on NRJ Montreal & that's just one radio station! It is still charting on iTunes, always in the top 5 for french singles What i find strange is CKOI radio is listing "Karen" in the "nouveaute musicale" I think they "jumped" on Karen because it is french & not necessarily becauce it's a song that justifies airplay/mention ... my opinion anyways It's my opinion too. They need french songs to fit with the law and they take everything, no matter what the song say. Karen is definitely NOT the song that can boost Mika's popularity... My opinion... I want to hear Stardust or Step with me on the radio. It would be amazing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 It's my opinion too. They need french songs to fit with the law and they take everything, no matter what the song say. Karen is definitely NOT the song that can boost Mika's popularity... My opinion... I want to hear Stardust or Step with me on the radio. It would be amazing... i didn't hear Karen on the radio... are they playing it? i only saw it on the list of "new songs" , but it is definitely mentioned & i'm not sure why... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathouzouf Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 i didn't hear Karen on the radio... are they playing it? i only saw it on the list of "new songs" , but it is definitely mentioned & i'm not sure why... Not sure about CKOI, but Cath Blais heard it yesterday on Rythme FM, so yes they are playing it It's getting higher on top 30 french http://www.ckoi.com/musique-decompte-franco.php (was 28 last week) and they played it at 2;30 this afternoon and at 7;20 this morning http://www.ckoi.com/titres-en-ondes.php I do like Karen, but it,s not completely representative of all the other songs on the album. We'll see what happens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krjsantos Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Review Metro UK Mika's The Origin Of Love is an electro-pop slush puppy Album Review: Mika’s third album The Origin Of Love is a pop confection that tones down his grating flourishes, without losing any get-up-and-go. Score: 3/5 Super-concentrated fizzy pop was Mika’s original recipe for success – it certainly ensured this all-singing/all-dancing British showman seized the spotlight. It also meant that Mika’s brightly syrupy tunes were most palatable in small doses: the showboating, the vocal acrobatics, the overstated sexual ambiguity (is he gay? Isn’t he? He is, apparently, and what of it?) all seemed in danger of eclipsing the strengths of his 2007 debut, Life In Cartoon Motion, and 2009 follow-up The Boy Who Knew Too Much. There’s still a quirky kick to Mika’s third album, The Origin Of Love (on the title track, he immediately declares: ‘Love is addiction, and you are my Nicorette’) but there’s an unexpected twist to his formula: a subtlety, a deeper tone, and a sense that the wackiness has been wisely reined in. Mika does eke a lot of material from the same romantic theme: the love here is often a hopeless affair but this boy just can’t help it. He also can’t resist a dig at former bullies on Popular Song (a duet with Priscilla Renea). And he does have a dashing way with pop, especially on the insistent electronic refrain of Make You Happy, and the chic shimmy of Emily (an English-language version of Mika’s original French track, Elle Me Dit). He’s worked with various clubby producers here but the most fruitful collaboration is probably current single Celebrate, where Nick Littlemore (Pnau/Empire Of The Sun) underpins the bouncy pop with an affecting tenderness. This time, slightly less sounds like so much more. Link: http://www.metro.co.uk/music/reviews/914225-mikas-the-origin-of-love-is-an-electro-pop-slush-puppy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Not sure about CKOI, but Cath Blais heard it yesterday on Rythme FM, so yes they are playing it It's getting higher on top 30 french http://www.ckoi.com/musique-decompte-franco.php (was 28 last week) and they played it at 2;30 this afternoon and at 7;20 this morning http://www.ckoi.com/titres-en-ondes.php I do like Karen, but it,s not completely representative of all the other songs on the album. We'll see what happens oye... that's all i have to say about that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krjsantos Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Review Time Out London Mika – 'The Origin of Love' album review Read our 'The Origin of Love' review and tell us what you think By Oliver Keens 2 stars Though it is a weak third album, at least Mika’s opening gambit offers something unique for a pop record – a Latin mass sung through a vocoder. If the London singer was seeking divine intervention, he’s been forsaken, sadly. This is pop mulch of the dullest kind, low on hooks or attitude and made with a fleet of producers (Pharrell Williams, Benny Benassi etc) who’ve cashed major label cheques without bringing their A-game. ‘Popular’ may offer a similar, Gok Wan-esque self-esteem boost as previous hit ‘Big Girl’, but amid some cringe-inducing rapping, crap club bangers and classical language, this is a strange but not curious album. Link: http://www.timeout.com/london/feature/3126/mika-r-the-origin-of-love-album-review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathouzouf Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 http://www.livemusicguide.com/blog/album-reviews/album-review-mika-the-origin-of-love.html Author: Kelly Hardin, Staff Writer Album Rating: 8.5 out of 10.Published: 09/20/2012 Mika has finally released his third album entitled The Origin Of Love following a three-year absence from the music world. After the enormous popularity of his previous two albums, Life In Cartoon Motion and The Boy Who Knew Too Much, Mika has been touring and performing at sold-out shows. His return to music with The Origin Of Love is a revelation of a new sound and talent that he has to offer as well as a revival of his characteristic electro-pop sound. While there are elements of The Origin Of Love that resemble his former work, this new album is far more well-rounded and not quite as playful as his previous two. Most of the songs on the album follow the happy, silly and somewhat repetitive pop formula that Mika makes catchy and interesting every time. However, there are a few songs on the album that take a more serious tone and highlight Mika’s maturation as an artist. “Underwater” is the first song on the album that is a recognizable departure from Mika’s typical sound. The song opens with a simple but beautiful piano melody that is quickly combined with a heavy beat to give the song an epic feel. While the chorus of the song, “With your love I can breathe, I can breath underwater,” is definitely on the cheesy side, there is still a very sweet and soulful element to the melody and the other lyrics that saves the song from being completely trite. As Mika sings “You are the port of my call [...] ‘cause all I need is the love you breathe,” it is difficult not to appreciate the idea that the love of another person can sometimes be the only means of survival in a difficult world. The tenth song on the album, “Popular Song,” is an interesting remix of the song from the Broadway musical “Wicked” and Mika’s own creation. Mika sings, “You’re only ever who you were. Popular, I know about popular; and all you ever have to do is be true to you.” The song is a playful take on the message of tolerance and is about someone who was bullied triumphing over their bullies when their talent is revealed. At the heart of the pop tune and playful lyrics is the idea that inherent value will always be revealed and appreciated in the end. “Heroes” is another standout song on the album due to its simple melody, complicated lyrics and soulful message. Mika sings, “I wish I could make you return, and what if I’ll never learn. As you walk to the toll of the bell, you’ll be fighting for our heaven with hell. And you don’t understand why no one else can see.” “Heroes” is about the difficult life of those fighting for social change and a better world. Mika cleverly amplifies this ballad dedicated to the life of visionaries by using few instruments and no electro-pop to create a pretty and uncomplicated melody. Overall, the album is a great mixture of Mika’s distinctive happy, light electro-pop and his new creations as a more mature artist. While some of the songs are beautiful and soulful, many of the songs include repetitive and incredibly cheesy lyrics. But those songs are still fun to listen to and definitely fun to sing along to. Mika still has a way of transforming lyrics that should be ridiculous and cliche into something fresh and entertaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanessa Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 http://sosogay.co.uk/music-review/album-review-mika-the-origin-of-love/ Positives: Mika does get it very right on a few tracks, particularly the stunning song ‘Underwater’. Negatives: The album is extremely inconsistent and marred by too much vocal distortion as well as a choppy, awkward production. Bottom Line: 2.5 / 5 - Average Review Since early 2007, Mika has divided both fans and critics with his quirky brand of pop music and falsetto vocals. It’s been three years since Mika’s last album, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, and he now returns with his third offering, The Origin of Love. While the album has some great moments on it, much of it is tarnished by noisy production, terrible lyrics, and a lack of creative cohesion. The album opens with the title track, which lifts its name from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. We’re immediately introduced to one of the records worst flaws: the obnoxiously distorted vocals. Throughout the chorus of ‘The Origin of Love’, Mika’s vocal harmonies have their tone and emotion electronically sucked out of them. This is a problem that occurs on several other tracks, leaving the listener without a tangible sense of the song. The production is all over the place and Mika’s usually skilled song-writing is ruined by inane lyrics. Throughout the album, there are too many cringe-inducing moments for Mika to ever shed much light on what he feels The Origin of Love may be. ‘Popular’ samples music from the musical Wicked, and features a rap-off between Mika and Priscilla Renae. The results are a dire mess of what’s meant to be a goofy song about self-acceptance. Part of the spoken-word passage of the track sees Mika drop the word ‘faggot’. While obviously the context of the song is not one that’s intended to offend, it poses the question: is that word ever appropriate to use in a pop song? It’s incredibly jarring to hear it used on what’s supposed to be a silly ode about loving yourself. Then there’s ‘Emily’, on which Mika assures: ‘are you stuck-up? / are you gay? / ’cause if you are / well that’s OK’ – even Lady Gaga hasn’t had the audacity to come right out and rhyme ‘gay’ with ‘OK’. Elsewhere, on ‘Love You When I’m Drunk’, Mika presents this gem of a chorus: ‘I only love you when / I only love you when / I only love you / only love you / only love you when I’m drunk’. Some of the tracks on the record are so hindered by their bad lyrics, no amount of vocal or production wizardry can help the listener stomach them. Not all the material is bad here though, there’s enough good stuff to save the album from being a total write-off. The best song is the straight-forward and emotional, ‘Underwater’. It features a clear vocal delivery, gorgeous piano melodies, and is nicely punctuated by moderate drum and synth usage. On the following track, ‘Overrated’, Mika gets us on the dance floor with some energetic synths and an infectious chorus. ‘Step with Me’ is a slinky come-on track, laced with warm synths, guitar, and a purring, undistorted vocal. The first single ‘Celebrate’ sounds just as the title suggests; it’s a fun and upbeat dance track, however even this is marred for a while as Pharrell Williams mumbles his guest bridge for about thirty seconds. It’s a completely useless and annoying collaboration on an otherwise solid single. Mika worked with some top-notch producers and songwriters here, such as Greg Wells, Dan Wilson, Nick Littlemore, Benny Benassi, and Klas Åhlund. The songs were recorded in studios in Montreal, Miami and Sweden across a period of almost two years. Such a wide range of producers and recording sessions must be partly to blame for the choppiness and inconsistency heard throughout the album. Ultimately though, the finger points at Mika for taking his music into territory that’s too strange and over-produced to be enjoyable or relatable. Mika is at his best when his music is focused on his song-writing and vocals, not when he’s trying to be Daft Punk. Go Get It: ‘Underwater’ / ’Overrated’ Forget It: ‘Popular’ / ’Love You When I’m Drunk’ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 http://sosogay.co.uk/music-review/album-review-mika-the-origin-of-love/ Wow that is harsh! I do like their style though. I don't agree with everything but at least they are specific and not just stringing a bunch of adjectives together to the point that it's meaningless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikaMadLuke Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 (edited) [YOUTUBE]-4KMeL1oKSA[/YOUTUBE] Review on Jo Whiley's show last night. (3/5) Edited October 9, 2012 by MikaMadLuke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mari62 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Luke, in order to embed videos, you have to put just the part between '=' and '&' like this, but without spaces [YOUTUBE] -4KMeL1oKSA [YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikaMadLuke Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Luke, in order to embed videos, you have to put just the part between '=' and '&' like this, but without spaces [YOUTUBE] -4KMeL1oKSA [YOUTUBE] Just noticed that now, I feel kinda silly, doing it wrong for so long! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerMoment1608 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 [YOUTUBE]-4KMeL1oKSA[/YOUTUBE] Is it OOL a lot more faster here??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayaBadran Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Not sure about CKOI, but Cath Blais heard it yesterday on Rythme FM, so yes they are playing it It's getting higher on top 30 french http://www.ckoi.com/musique-decompte-franco.php (was 28 last week) and they played it at 2;30 this afternoon and at 7;20 this morning http://www.ckoi.com/titres-en-ondes.php I do like Karen, but it,s not completely representative of all the other songs on the album. We'll see what happens Yup heard it on the radio too... awkward? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikaMadLuke Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Is it OOL a lot more faster here??? I had to change it so the video wouldn't be flagged for copyright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayaBadran Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Not sure about CKOI, but Cath Blais heard it yesterday on Rythme FM, so yes they are playing it It's getting higher on top 30 french http://www.ckoi.com/musique-decompte-franco.php (was 28 last week) and they played it at 2;30 this afternoon and at 7;20 this morning http://www.ckoi.com/titres-en-ondes.php I do like Karen, but it,s not completely representative of all the other songs on the album. We'll see what happens oye... that's all i have to say about that by the way, on CKOI there is a contest to win tickets to MIKA in Paris... Who's interested? at 3PM be tuned on CKOI 96.9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathouzouf Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 by the way, on CKOI there is a contest to win tickets to MIKA in Paris... Who's interested? at 3PM be tuned on CKOI 96.9 I saw... Wishing I will stumble on it when I'm listening to it. Not the most convenient hour to listen to radio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 by the way, on CKOI there is a contest to win tickets to MIKA in Paris... Who's interested? at 3PM be tuned on CKOI 96.9 OMG Ok I NEED those tickets. *listen to the radio* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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