KYGO - CLOUD NINE

Kygo burst into the 2015 music scene with "Firestone" and "Stole The Show", bringing the genre "tropical house" to a whole new level. Since then, many artists has incorporated this genre into their music, making it the latest mainstream trend. This month, he has finally released his long-awaited debut album, "Cloud Nine".

"Firestone" has set a high bar for both the name tropical house and Kygo himself, to the extend I dare say has been a classic under this genre. His instant shot to fame similarly has aroused fans and music critics worldwide awaiting and expecting what kind of work Kygo will bring and how will they fare in comparison to his previous two mega hits.

Unfortunately I wouldn't say it fare good. Like everyone else I held my expectations high for his debut album. The album art is creative, the album title is great, what evokes my excitement further is when I saw the list of collaborators for this album. Releasing "Raging" as his first single from his album with Irish band, Kodaline, it hinted me that the choice of collaborators for this album could be a brilliant one. Of course it did not disappoint. There are Tom Odell, Labyrinth, Matthew Corby, Foxes, John Legend etc. These are wildly talented artists that stood out in composition AND vocals. Not to mention, what these artists have in common is artist individuality.

Rather than creating magical sounds with them, the collaborators fell flat alongside the sloppily made beats and hooks. Everything was so repetitive it literally got me "Raging raging". On the bright side, it made me appreciate more how good "Firestone" was.

Then again this is Kygo. The king of deep house. The creator to the amazing "Firestone", it can't be that bad. So I listened again and again, trying to convince myself there has to be a few good ones that I can get hooked to.

Thank god I found one. "Serious" with Matt Corby. Probably the only song that I can take it seriously (besides the previous two hits of course). While most of the rest drowned in repetitive monotonous lost sea, "Serious" emerged as the standout track with Matt Corby's signature voice and chill vibe. Bonus: that scat though!

Similar to many collaborators in this album, Matt Corby is better known on the acoustic side, lesser on the electronic side. The objective of this album seems to be converging these two distinctly different styles to create a new magic. Much like Avicii's attempt with country music. "Serious" proves to be a success. Can I hear Kygo? Yes. Can I hear Matt Corby? Yes. Do I feel like I'm in cloud nine? Hell yeah.

"Happy Birthday" is the best example of sloppy, sleepy, boring, cheaply made in the context of this album. I'd rather stick to the original birthday song thank you. "I'm in Love" is the worst alarm ever heard thank god the the chorus compensated it back. "Oasis" is another example of sloppy, sleepy, boring, cheaply made song from this album. Any song that ends with the word tonight is a landmine. And a song with constant unpleasing high pitched sound throughout the song is the last thing I expect from Foxes. Same goes to "Fragile". Songs with too many "tonight" and "ohs" is the standard definition of cheap production. The electric guitar indicates a break from the regular tune, which is a good attempt. Unfortunately Labyrinth has set the bar too high with "Jealous" so "Fragile" is a slight disappointment.

"Carry Me" started off good just like "Stay", but the weird high pitch Julia Michaels make with her non-ending 'on and on' took me to a loop of hell. "Nothing Left" is a good one but I love Will Heard's rich soulful voice too much it sounds like a watered-down version of his vocals here. "Not Alone" is a pleasant surprise since I didn't have a good impression with Rhodes' music but this song reversed it.

"Raging" and "Fiction" are second chances. Most of the songs I know by Tom Odell are more on the emotional ballad side but with "Fiction" there is more fun heard from him and Kygo. "Raging" has pretty dope piano riffs so excused for that. Plus, I was convinced that the lyrics wasn't that bad afterall so, pass. "For What It's Worth" delivered a beautiful closing to the album. I hear the classical piano trained Kygo embracing Angus and Julia Stone, that achieved the harmony as in "Serious". Another favourite from the album.

Overall, this album sounds like an infinite loop that is stuck in a block. "Firestone" and "Stole the Show" is the charm that brought him fame, at the same time is the doom that set the bar too high for this album. Nevertheless, I will still be looking forward to hearing from Kygo's music. Cloud Nine is only his beginning.

#kygo #norway #scandinavianpop #tropicalhouse