My Name Is Michael Holbrook - Mika's new album 2019

[We-Are-Golden]

After a few times listening to it I have to say that I'm starting to skip some of them. Probably because the music is just so totally different that what I'm used to from him and it really depends on the mood I'm in.

[giraffeandy]

3 minutes ago, We-Are-Golden said:

After a few times listening to it I have to say that I'm starting to skip some of them. Probably because the music is just so totally different that what I'm used to from him and it really depends on the mood I'm in.

 

For me there's no bad song (just RTCTL feels a bit meh to me, but it's still ok) but I have the feeling I'm listening to two different albums – one with songs like Tiny Love, Paloma, I Went to Hell Last Night, Platform Ballerinas, Stay High, Tiny Love Reprise and the other one with songs like Dear Jealousy, Sanremo, Cry, Tomorrow and Ice Cream. One style is more Beatles influenced, the second has more 80s and 90s pop dance vibe. However, I like some songs from both parts so I actually can't say which style I would prefer on the album... 

[We-Are-Golden]

7 minutes ago, giraffeandy said:

 

For me there's no bad song (just RTCTL feels a bit meh to me, but it's still ok) but I have the feeling I'm listening to two different albums – one with songs like Tiny Love, Paloma, I Went to Hell Last Night, Platform Ballerinas, Stay High, Tiny Love Reprise and the other one with songs like Dear Jealousy, Sanremo, Cry, Tomorrow and Ice Cream. One style is more Beatles influenced, the second has more 80s and 90s pop dance vibe. However, I like some songs from both parts so I actually can't say which style I would prefer on the album... 

 

Yes exactly, I have that feeling too. I'm not a massive fan of RTCTL either, that's the most skipped one.  

 

It's not that I 'hate' or really dislike any of the songs though, the whole album just doesn't give me the same 'vibes' as his earlier albums did. I know he wasn't going for that, offcourse, but I just think it will take a while for the songs to grow on me, it'll take a longer time then with, for example, NPIH (my favorite). 

 

I still stick with the favorites I mentioned Friday, I reaaally like Platform Ballerinas, Blue, Dear Jealousy, TIny Love (+ reprise) and Sanremo.

Edited October 6, 2019 by We-Are-Golden

[giraffeandy]

5 minutes ago, We-Are-Golden said:

It's not that I 'hate' or really dislike any of the songs though, the whole album just doesn't give me the same 'vibes' as his earlier albums did. I know he wasn't going for that, offcourse, but I just think it will take a while for the songs to grow on me, it'll take a longer time then with, for example, NPIH (my favorite). 

 

Maybe the concept of this whole album is to show the contradiction between Mika and Michael Holbrook and that's why it feels like two albums with different styles together.  Like the more introspective songs stand for Michael and the more danceable for Mika. Or most likely I'm starting to overanalyze everything. 

[Amy hudsone]

I don't feel like it's two albums in there. I like the way songs are arranged and ordered. To me the order of the songs is so well calculated and it's a cohesive album that I can hear from start to finish without skipping any song.

[Starlight]

Okay, so now that I have the album, too, and that I've listened to it like 5 times  , I can also already give a first opinion to it.

But before I have to say that some comments are actually making me kinda sad... Anyway, I don't want to judge or attack anyone! Music is such a personal thing that it's totally normal that we all can't like the same songs the same way.

I personally love the album! For me it's truly a masterpiece. In it's own way. Of course I also had expectations before I listened to it. And I have to admit that it's different. But isn't that what makes it as special as the other albums before? I think it's a normal process that artists develop. And I can hear in the new songs that Mika went through this process. In my opinion it's a very personal album if you pay attention to the lyrics.

Obviously Mika got inspired by other artists throughout his life and that's probably why he's also taking their sound in his own songs. But they're still so Mika and not just a copy.

 

 

My very favourite song of the album is Platform Ballerinas. I love the dancy style and for me it's a happy party song. These are the ones I always like best.

This song had me the first time I listened to it! I think I will be one of my all time favourites.

My second favourite is Tiny Love Reprise. It's touching me deeply and I'm not ashamed to say that I had tears in my eyes when I first listened to it. It's not just because I know what's the story behind or the fact that his mum and Paloma are singing in there, too. I really love the background music and the whole arrangement of the song.

As a third favourite I would take Dear Jealousy. But I don't really have a certain reason for it.  I like the beat and the melody.

With the other songs I'm still unsure about how to put them into fav list. I like them all! Ready To Call This Love is a beautiful ballad and I can relate to the text. So that why I like that one a lot, too.

As well as I Went To Hell Last Night. I really like the message of the song and I'm 100 % with what he's signing.

Cry is my least liked favourite song at the moment, but I bet it will be growing to me with in time. It's special in some kinda way, but I have to get used to it by listening more.

 

For now, that's all I wanted and had to say.

[giraffeandy]

3 hours ago, Lucyndaria said:

Yeah, that's how I feel as well- I like all the songs well enough, but the album as a whole is just not what I expected.

 

I did some rearranging, and I feel like the songs "flow" better like this–

 

Tiny Love

Dear Jealousy

Sanremo

Ice Cream

Platform Ballerinas

Stay High

I Went To Hell Last Night

Cry

Ready To Call This Love

Tomorrow

Paloma

Blue

Tiny Love Reprise

 

I tried to listen to the album in this order and the tracklist is really good! If someone is interested, I made a playlist on Spotify: 

 

 

[ellie]

46 minutes ago, giraffeandy said:

 Like the more introspective songs stand for Michael and the more danceable for Mika. Or most likely I'm starting to overanalyze everything. 

 

I prefer Mika then, Michael doesnt seem to have much to say 

[giraffeandy]

15 hours ago, MatanBenYosef224 said:

 

I Think that Platform Ballerinas sounds a bit like a song from High School Musical  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0tHWJ6PDKA

 

 

 or this 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfsc5blh3RE

 

 

 

I think many songs by Mika sound like out of a musical... 

[Mousetrap]

3 hours ago, giraffeandy said:

 

I don't get the general "hate" among fans for Cry tbh, I don't think it's the best song Mika has ever done but it's really one of the most enjoyable tracks on this record. Maybe it reminds of George Michael but Mika always had songs like that on his albums, just think of Touches You from TBWKTM, that's 100 % inspired by George Michael too (Faith & Father Figure) and still sounds like a Mika song. Cry also kind of gives me Tah Dah vibes, which is one of my favourite tracks from TOOL (deluxe). I have to say I'm rather kind of underwhelmed by some of the ballads on this record as I always thought ballads are Mika's strenght, even though Blue really grew on me after more listenings and I like it now. However, I think this album has some of Mika's best dance pop songs, which is kind of unexpected but I think I will enjoy this album for what it is. I actually have a quite similar feeling about MNIMH as I had about TBWKTM, many great songs I will definitely play a lot, it just doesn't have the flow of an album for me like for example NPIH had. 

 

I don't say I hate or "hate" Cry or any other song. I don't say I don't like the album, the album is OK, not great, but nice. One problem is I can't get used to such a mainstream, commercial sound. I didn't expect this from Mika, I loved his music because it was so different. MNIMH is not different, almost every song sounds like some other song and as @ellie said:

 

2 hours ago, ellie said:

Its bizzare how imitative he is of other artists on this album and while thats not new, I didnt use to guess the exact song that inspired him after 30 seconds  

 

And this is the second problem.

The most important thing is that I don't have that special feeling I used to have when I listened to Mika's music for the first time. Many songs are nice, but they just don't catch me.
Though I think Tiny Love and Tomorrow are among the best Mika's songs, I love them. So at least I have something to be happy about.

[Littlelady]

I love the album  in all its facets. I listened to it very often and sometimes with headphones and I tried to dive into the songs. It touches in a special way . Mika has the ability to put emotions, pain , soul into music, even it sometimes seemed to be "just" commercial, it isn't . I also I found  myself in songs for example platform ballerinas and since I know the vid from San Remo the song ha a very special and personal effect to me, years ago I wrote Mika about it in a letter. I will not tell here what it was but it was but the vid remembers to it.  I will not do a ranking , all I have to say Iwil not miss any song and MNIMH is a masterpiece

[Mikasister]

 

[Starlight]

4 minutes ago, Mikasister said:

 

Well deserved

[Gemz]

I've given the album one full listen so far and I agree with many points you guys have made. The more upbeat songs on the album are definitely some of Mika's best upbeat songs whereas the ballads are not his best work. I was disappointed with the duet with Jack Savouretti and I much prefer Youth & Love. Cry sounds good but the chorus is super disappointing. The Tiny Love reprise is really good, I might prefer it over the original. My favourite out of the songs not released before the album is Platform Ballerinas and I like how one of you pointed out that it sounds like a song from High School Musical, my favourite Musical series   My overall favourite at the moment has to be Tommorow because the chrous keeps playing in my head! My least favourite is Stay High, maybe because of how it sounded so out of place being after Blue    My Top 5 favourite so far in no particular order= Ice Cream, Tomorrow, Dear Jealously, Platform Ballerinas and Paloma.

[badgirlslament]

I think the album as a whole is solid... personally I added Youth & Love to the end of it and it's still cohesive and wonderful.   Any other bonus tracks emerge yet or just the two for Japan?

 

 

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

I love all the songs. I am still waiting for my CD, which is travelling from UK now. So I listen to the songs on Spotify. I don't want to say which one is my favourite because if I start to mention any title I will finish at all 13 😄

 

For me they are like planets of the same solar system and they are independent as each one. They have different levels depending if we want just t dance, if we want to relax or if we listen to the lyrics.

But on the other hand they create this special Univers. Mika's Univers.

And as Mika said: he wrote this album without thinking about consequences. This is what he was feeling, the stories he wanted to tell us, the medecine he needed to cure.

And I accept it totally. This is Mika version 2019.

[Starlight]

24 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

I love all the songs. I am still waiting for my CD, which is travelling from UK now. So I listen to the songs on Spotify. I don't want to say which one is my favourite because if I start to mention any title I will finish at all 13 😄

 

For me they are like planets of the same solar system and they are independent as each one. They have different levels depending if we want just t dance, if we want to relax or if we listen to the lyrics.

But on the other hand they create this special Univers. Mika's Univers.

And as Mika said: he wrote this album without thinking about consequences. This is what he was feeling, the stories he wanted to tell us, the medecine he needed to cure.

And I accept it totally. This is Mika version 2019.

It totally agree with you

[ellie]

31 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

This is Mika version 2019

 

Yeah well, I wish Mika version 2019 wasnt such a plagiarist

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

5 minutes ago, ellie said:

 

Yeah well, I wish Mika version 2019 wasnt such a plagiarist

 

At least Mika's younger fans will learn something about GOOD music from 70' 80' 90' 

[ellie]

6 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

At least Mika's younger fans will learn something about GOOD music from 70' 80' 90'

 

Will anyone remember Mika for his music though?

[MatanBenYosef224]

https://screenstreams.co.uk/2019/10/my-name-is-michael-holbrook-mika-album-review.html

 

A Review I Found about MNIMH. The writer of it also mention the tracklist and tracks order, saying:

 

The only critique I’d have of Mika’s ‘My Name Is Michael Holbrook’ would be that some of the songs seem a bit… choppy when going into one another. One second, you’ll listening to an upbeat, sugar-coated confection, the next, the track stops abruptly and you’re led into a piano-based, slow burner. There’s nothing wrong with having a bit of variety, of course, but the changes are so sharp and sudden you’re left wondering if perhaps the track-listing could’ve been mixed up a bit to save this from happening. 

With that said, the way that the tracks are arranged means that there’s never a lull in the album. Usually, you get about two thirds into a record and start suffering from musical fatigue. Not with ‘My Name Is Michael Holbrook’. The album whizzes by, a colourful, glittering 13-track affair from the eccentric singer.

 

 

Good to see a good and interesting review  

[Anna Ko Kolkowska]

12 minutes ago, ellie said:

 

Will anyone remember Mika for his music though?

Oh, come on. Do you really think this album is sooo bad???

[mellody]

7 minutes ago, ellie said:

 

Yeah well, I wish Mika version 2019 wasnt such a plagiarist

 

He wanted to go back to his roots, the way he felt when he wrote LICM. And - I think I've said it before on another thread - when I first heard LICM, almost every song sounded familiar, as if I'd heard it before. Queen, Abba, Beatles, Cutting Crew (though I only noticed that similarity because he explicitly mentioned it in the credits),... but still it was new and fresh, Mika's own creation, although the sound strongly reminded of other songs. And with MNIMH it's the same.

Personally, I don't think of other songs in particular when listening to Mika's new songs - the only exception being the Bridge in San Remo, which reminds me too strongly of TLC's Waterfalls. But of the others, no. Sure, IWTHLN sounds like it could be by The Beatles, but I can't pin it down to one particular Beatles song. Billy Brown also sounded like a Beatles song to me, I remember spending weeks on trying to find out which one it was, and at some point I just gave up.

[ellie]

4 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

Oh, come on. Do you really think this album is sooo bad???

 

Lol I couldnt resist making a joke

 

I mean I like it, but I feel its kinda average and nothing special.

[Starlight]

14 minutes ago, mellody said:

 

He wanted to go back to his roots, the way he felt when he wrote LICM. And - I think I've said it before on another thread - when I first heard LICM, almost every song sounded familiar, as if I'd heard it before. Queen, Abba, Beatles, Cutting Crew (though I only noticed that similarity because he explicitly mentioned it in the credits),... but still it was new and fresh, Mika's own creation, although the sound strongly reminded of other songs. And with MNIMH it's the same.

Personally, I don't think of other songs in particular when listening to Mika's new songs - the only exception being the Bridge in San Remo, which reminds me too strongly of TLC's Waterfalls. But of the others, no. Sure, IWTHLN sounds like it could be by The Beatles, but I can't pin it down to one particular Beatles song. Billy Brown also sounded like a Beatles song to me, I remember spending weeks on trying to find out which one it was, and at some point I just gave up.