Ava Max is a widely recognized music artist in the global industry – three of her tracks featured in the UK Top 20s in a little over one and a half years. She also had her commercial breakthrough in 2019 with ‘Sweet but psycho’, the final track of her album ‘Heaven & Hell’, spending at the top of the singles charts for four weeks.
Her artistic brilliance is well-evident throughout the presentation of ‘Heaven & Hell’. The anthem-like flow of the track ‘OMG What’s Happening’, has made it stand out among the rest – the vibey hook section and the entertaining lyricism have worked brilliantly for the overall success. A wide range of exciting and refreshing moments are offered through the sound of the album opener ‘H.E.A.V.E.N’.
The versatile nature of the opening moments of this album isn’t consistent – soon the presentation is dipped into pop elements. ‘Kings & Queens’ is structured to become a feminist anthem; however, the intention isn’t fulfilled and very soon gets surrounded by a narrow statement, which is evident through the lines: ‘To all of the queens who are fighting alone / Baby, you’re not dancing on your own.’
In a similar way, ‘So Am I’ opens up in a grand style but lacks in offering moments that can engage a listener: ‘Do you ever feel like a misfit? / Everything inside you is dark and twisted / But it’s okay to be different / Cos baby, so am I.’ This isn’t quite different from any other Pop album – there are elements of entertainment present within the structure, however, it lacks personality in some parts.
‘Heaven & Hell’ has all the ingredients that are required for keeping the audiences hooked, but it doesn’t quite stand up to the expectations of the listeners. Ava Max has offered a fun album that portrays the good aspects of synthpop and Europop. The premise of the album is consistently strong and well worth a few more listens.
This debut album from Ava Max has the potential of reaching certain heights, and at the same time, reflects the artistic brilliance of the creator.
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Alicia Parker is a fashion enthusiast studying at the University of California. She contributes to Daily Music Roll as a music blogger and writes a review of various music on a daily basis
