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Critics aren't liking Diana Vicker's album


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Old 03-05-2010, 10:11
Boxfresh
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I was sort of expecting a wave of critical tongue baths declaring the album a masterpiece and frontrunner to win the Mercury Music Prize, after the semi-controversial 5 star album rating from DigitalSpy.

But most of the major reviews I've read so far have been pretty mediocre (Evening Standard, Guardian, Independent). A few make the point of saying they can't distinguish her from Ellie Goulding and her material is fairly standard or bland.

What's with disparity between DS and the other critics?

As an aside, though I hope Diana does well, I'm an Alexandra fan, and I'm still happy that I can say "Overcome" is still the critically best recieved album from an X-Factor contestant, in terms of reviews.
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Old 03-05-2010, 10:14
Ryan-B
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i think its an amazing album tbh. really surprised it is getting bad reviews.
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Old 03-05-2010, 10:15
stargirl1
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I think the problem is as you mentioned - Diana is releasing at the same time as Ellie Goulding, Marina and the Diamonds etc, who all have basically the same sound or style. If they had released last year as originally planned, then these comparisons wouldn't be made.
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Old 03-05-2010, 10:25
Boxfresh
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I think the problem is as you mentioned - Diana is releasing at the same time as Ellie Goulding, Marina and the Diamonds etc, who all have basically the same sound or style. If they had released last year as originally planned, then these comparisons wouldn't be made.
True. Diana's selling point on X-Factor was that she was supposed to be "unique". A few of these reviews point out that in the real world, she doen't seem to be particularly unique at all.

She's competing a a pretty crowed market. Still, JLS and Cheryl Cole prove you don't need good reviews to sell an album, so I can still see Diana's album doing well off the back of Once.

But it is a bit of a blow, as some fans were labling her the "credible artist" from X-Factor, because she was going the indie-pop route. That presumably means a certain level of critical kudos. The Independent critic actually loved her on the show, but doesn't like the album
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Old 03-05-2010, 12:41
musicdude
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I think she is unique. The album is pop but nothing compared to Pop albums released this year from Kesha, Marina and any others. I would say it is the album that Ellie Goulding she have done because hers is awful.
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Old 03-05-2010, 12:42
Shadow2009
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I think nowadays EVERYONE seems to be "unique" and people are just getting fed up of being told that people are "different" from everyone else. These days we have Florence, Paloma, Ellie, Marina, Ke$ha, Gaga and now Diana who either have weird singing voices, loud and fake stupid personalities or else they just walk around in weird clothes and have an OTT image for attention. Obviously Diana would fall into the first category but to be honest I think the "unique female" thing is getting old. Even Rihanna, Alexandra and Leona Lewis have started joining in with the weird looks and stuff.

I dunno, it'd just be refreshing to see a normal female now who doesn't have to act trashy or different or sing with a strained voice to get attention.
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Old 03-05-2010, 12:52
stargirl1
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I think nowadays EVERYONE seems to be "unique" and people are just getting fed up of being told that people are "different" from everyone else. These days we have Florence, Paloma, Ellie, Marina, Ke$ha, Gaga and now Diana who either have weird singing voices, loud and fake stupid personalities or else they just walk around in weird clothes and have an OTT image for attention. Obviously Diana would fall into the first category but to be honest I think the "unique female" thing is getting old. Even Rihanna, Alexandra and Leona Lewis have started joining in with the weird looks and stuff.

I dunno, it'd just be refreshing to see a normal female now who doesn't have to act trashy or different or sing with a strained voice to get attention.
I think there are still one or two, but they're not really in the public eye so much. Laura Marling and Amy MacDonald spring to mind.
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Old 03-05-2010, 12:59
-Jodie-
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I'm just back from Mars, who is that..?
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Old 03-05-2010, 13:49
kutox
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Maybe they are actually being realistic, rather than simply echoing DigitalSpy's hysterical over-excitement at someone from X Factor supposedly becoming a 'credible' artist and therefore hailing her and every song she sings as the most groundbreaking and innovative thing since sliced bread.
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Old 03-05-2010, 14:18
xfactorfan27
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Well doesn't seem to be harming initial sales-it's no.1 in itunes chart... Good luck to her-it's a great album and is far superior to Ellie Goulding's bland effort.
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Old 03-05-2010, 14:23
Unigal07
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Maybe they are actually being realistic, rather than simply echoing DigitalSpy's hysterical over-excitement at someone from X Factor supposedly becoming a 'credible' artist and therefore hailing her and every song she sings as the most groundbreaking and innovative thing since sliced bread.
Harsh, but true. DS really has been hysterical over Diana - FMs and the people who write the articles on the homepage. I know she's something a bit different, but only different to what we had a couple of years ago. Now the charts are full of artists who are claimed to be unique and different.

Best of luck to Diana, but from what I've heard of her, the hype around her is just too much. I really don't think she's *that* special. Would she actually be around if she hadn't made it on X Factor, like Florence/Marina/Ellie Goulding are? I honestly don't think so.
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Old 03-05-2010, 14:41
Boxfresh
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Well doesn't seem to be harming initial sales-it's no.1 in itunes chart... Good luck to her-it's a great album and is far superior to Ellie Goulding's bland effort.
I think she's in a similar boat to Ellie to be honest. Ellie scored a big hit with Starry Eyed, had a lot of hype behind her (Critics Choice award Brit ect) and got a #1 album.

But the album dropped like a stone the next week. The critics reviews for Ellie's album were not as good as the hype around her led people to believe. Maybe it hurt her momentum, as a lot of the people who are into indie-pop actually pay attention to what critics say before buying an album.

Diana's X-Factor status helps (she'll still have fans who buy her stuff no matter what), but if she's aiming for the same "credible market" as Ellie, the the weak reviews will hurt her. I think like Ellie she'll have eith a #1 or top 3 album debut, but possibly not much longevity. I think Diana needed the critics to say she's brilliant, better than anything the X-Factor has produced ect, to really sustain her buzz.
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Old 03-05-2010, 14:44
Shadow2009
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I can see her album plummeting next week, no matter how highly it peaks. 'Once' proved it's only her fans who are supporting her at the moment, she doesn't have any support from casual fans at the moment and her 2nd single will need to be more commercial and less annoying* perhaps for people to buy the album.

* I love 'Once' by the way but soooo many people mock it whenever it comes on. It's always "omg I hate that song" and then they start saying "once, once, once" in a really strained voice mocking Diana.
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Old 03-05-2010, 14:57
mimicole
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giving the album a listen now on we7
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Old 03-05-2010, 15:05
frost
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* I love 'Once' by the way but soooo many people mock it whenever it comes on. It's always "omg I hate that song" and then they start saying "once, once, once" in a really strained voice mocking Diana.
You mean a handful of people that you hang out with do? Well that is certainly damning criticism....
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Old 03-05-2010, 15:22
Shadow2009
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You mean a handful of people that you hang out with do? Well that is certainly damning criticism....
How rude. I was using an example. I've seen plenty of people online criticise the chorus and also criticise Diana's voice throughout the song as well as people in real life. I haven't seen any other artists voice been so badly criticised besides Diana's.
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Old 03-05-2010, 15:53
Unigal07
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How rude. I was using an example. I've seen plenty of people online criticise the chorus and also criticise Diana's voice throughout the song as well as people in real life. I haven't seen any other artists voice been so badly criticised besides Diana's.
I agree with you - I've noticed the same. Diana does get the p*** taken out of her a lot it seems by the general public. At least the ones we know, Shadow
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Old 03-05-2010, 17:07
superstar111
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I think she's in a similar boat to Ellie to be honest. Ellie scored a big hit with Starry Eyed, had a lot of hype behind her (Critics Choice award Brit ect) and got a #1 album.

But the album dropped like a stone the next week. The critics reviews for Ellie's album were not as good as the hype around her led people to believe. Maybe it hurt her momentum, as a lot of the people who are into indie-pop actually pay attention to what critics say before buying an album.

Diana's X-Factor status helps (she'll still have fans who buy her stuff no matter what), but if she's aiming for the same "credible market" as Ellie, the the weak reviews will hurt her. I think like Ellie she'll have eith a #1 or top 3 album debut, but possibly not much longevity. I think Diana needed the critics to say she's brilliant, better than anything the X-Factor has produced ect, to really sustain her buzz.
And they mostly have. Most have said that ti's a good start for her career, I've not seen a less than 3 star review for SFTTCT yet.
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Old 03-05-2010, 17:38
y0david6
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i think its an amazing album tbh. really surprised it is getting bad reviews.
its a brilliant album
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Old 03-05-2010, 18:25
xkatieloux
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True. Diana's selling point on X-Factor was that she was supposed to be "unique". A few of these reviews point out that in the real world, she doen't seem to be particularly unique at all.
This is the main point for me.

I don't think the timing has that much to do with it - I reckon if she had released the album last year she would have ended up being compared to people like La Roux, Florence and Little Boots. Not that her music is necessarily that similar to them (I don't personally think shes that much like Marina and the Diamonds), but because inevitably any female artists who are slightly quirky will get compared to each other in the media.

And the DS coverage of her has been totally baffling. I mean, even if you like her you have to admit that its been a bit OTT. Is it because she actually gives them interviews?
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Old 03-05-2010, 18:39
Makson
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It is not often you see a DS critic review with a higher rating than the user's comments rating underneath, usually the other way around..says it all really
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Old 03-05-2010, 18:54
kutox
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Harsh, but true. DS really has been hysterical over Diana - FMs and the people who write the articles on the homepage. I know she's something a bit different, but only different to what we had a couple of years ago. Now the charts are full of artists who are claimed to be unique and different.

Best of luck to Diana, but from what I've heard of her, the hype around her is just too much. I really don't think she's *that* special. Would she actually be around if she hadn't made it on X Factor, like Florence/Marina/Ellie Goulding are? I honestly don't think so.
That's exactly my point. I just think many people (DS in particular) are just shocked that someone from X Factor has released something slightly different to the norm for that show, and are therefore exaggerating how good she actually is.

Like you say - if she was just some new unknown singer who had just come out of nowhere, and had never appeared on X Factor, would anyone be bothered about her? Nowhere near as much as they are now, that's for sure. I'm not saying Diana has no talent, but the hype and media coverage she has been getting is purely down to who she is.
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Old 03-05-2010, 19:02
Boxfresh
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And they mostly have. Most have said that ti's a good start for her career, I've not seen a less than 3 star review for SFTTCT yet.
We must be reading different reviews then. The Evening Standard review is a 2 star review.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/...ana-vickers.do

The Indepedent On Sunday is a blatantly mediocre review, though I can't see a star ratiing. He calls it forgettable and coming from Diana (whom he liked on X-Factor) unforgivable.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...a-1960629.html

The Observer review was kinder, but still called the album generic commercial box ticking. The real serious critics are not treating it like the major artistic achievement DS made it out to be.
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Old 03-05-2010, 19:10
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The DS review made me laugh! it was just too much lol
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Old 03-05-2010, 19:58
performingmonk
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It's a great pop record, what I was expecting and a bit more. Her voice isn't the best but there's a fun energy about her as well as a touch of...I don't know, weirdness(!), that makes this work.

13 tracks and hardly a dodgy one on there. Some fantastic ones like Once, Remake Me & You, Boy Who Murdered Love, Put It Back Together (written by Nerina Pallot and Diana came out and sang this during her show a few days ago), You'll Never Get To Heaven, My Hip (top one that, should be a single). I do really like the record. Is it gonna change your life? No, lol, but it's definitely worth 4/5 for a pop album.
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