Everything Is Love
Your Review
CRITIC REVIEWS
100
While their marriage may have its flaws, EVERYTHING IS LOVE frankly doesn’t. It’s a storybook ending for two people crazy in love who never gave up on each other — or their craft.
90
With incredible production and plenty of Easter eggs for fans to decode, the project more than lives up to its potential, with enough flame emojis to satisfy hip-hop heads and the Bey-hive alike.
85
Although not as strong a project as either ‘Lemonade’ or ‘4:44’, The Carters’ first joint LP still succeeds in defying the attempts to diminish negative portrayals of their relationship and black achievement.
83
As with The Avengers, your previous investment in the Carters will dictate your current enjoyment. But it’s hard not to feel something when the duo ... ends its impossibly luxurious extravaganza by simply repeating that the two are “happy in love.” It’s a pop fairy tale just real enough to believe in.
82
The Carters round out a trilogy of confrontational albums about their marriage with something lighter but no less resonant. It is a celebration of resilient black love and proud black extravagance.
80
Everything Is Love certainly doesn’t have the musical expansiveness of Lemonade. There are neither ballads nor bangers, and not much in the way of melodic song construction at all. Rather, these are snappily repetitive beats on which the stars can put across their message as a form of hip hop conversation.
80
‘Everything is Love’ may lack the immediate impact of Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s respective solo latest records, but it’s still interesting to see two of the biggest stars in the world relax.
80
While the album doesn’t muster the ambitious and intense highs of its two predecessors, it is one of the most satisfying event-albums in some time, and it feels like a labor of love.
80
Two of the most innovative artists of a generation seem unbreakable as they fire shots at former friends and celebrate their own power
80
It would be enough for the Carters to make their point with sly references and double-entendre, but what makes Everything is Love so impactful is that it’s musically on-par with anything else either artist has released in their careers.
80
The album ultimately serves as a vehicle to make their art consistent with their reality – a feat that the Carters have attempted individually and conquered collectively.
80
At times an opulent spectacle and at others a full-bodied avowal of devotion, Everything Is Love stands as a monumental testament to keeping it real.
75
This isn’t an album of ‘Crazy In Love’ or ‘Drunk In Love’ successors. It’s an album of love, and all the forms it can take in and outside of you.
70
Throughout Everything Is Love, Jay and Bey are at ease, a contrast to their previous solo releases and an epilogue of sorts to the gossip that has surrounded their relationship since 2014. For this reason it isn’t always the most substantial record, flexing and braggadocio abound, but it’s an enjoyable collection of tracks from the power couple.
70
Everything Is Love, the celebration of marriage and all of its foibles, is but the last chapter in a premeditated, pre-planned victory.
70
There’s a sense of immediacy and even unpredictability in the most restless moments on Everything Is Love, which saves the album from being a rather static and defiant contemplation of The Carters’ victories.
67
On Everything Is Love, Beyoncé and JAY-Z throw what you think will be the world-shaking Juneteenth party of the year – but it turns out to be their recommitment ceremony.
60
Calculating it may be, but it’s hard to think of anyone who’s turned prurient public interest in their personal lives to their advantage quite as adeptly as the Carters have.
50
Everything Is Love relies too heavily on its star power to feel anywhere near as consequential as Lemonade or 4:44.
30
Unlike other penetrating relationship sagas — Richard Linklater’s The Before Trilogy comes to mind — EVERYTHING IS LOVE is about the veneer of a successful marriage, and it plays like a press release, a publicity stunt designed to communicate to the world how great Beyoncé and JAY-Z are doing.
Jun 26, 2018
So uninspired, drab and unfulfilling: bar LOVEHAPPY, I didn’t feel compelled or drawn in like I did on Lemonade and 4:44. If you’re gonna try trap rap, at least be good at it.
Jun 17, 2018
Although bits of it remind the listener of a pletora of other contemporary trap / urban production, along with beats and terminology adopted in the songs, this album feels fresh and very much solid. The cohesion of the genres is soaked in between each song, while still managing to space through a diverse selection (from funk to soul to raggae to rap to urban/trap): the key here is blackness, black roots and, therefore, unapologetical black music.
Beyoncé’s vocals shows us a ... read more
Beyoncé’s vocals shows us a ... read more
Jun 17, 2018
Speaking from the point of hip-hop/trap this joint is pure flames. After the first listen you definetly what listen to it again. Great 'without warning' release.
Jun 20, 2018*
A decent pop rap album, but there's not many moments here that stand out. Beyonce's singing is on point, but Jay Z's rapping isn't very impressive or as poignant as it was in 4:44. Beyonce's rapping ranges from exciting to boring depending on the song, and the instrumentals are too repetitive and basic to justify the usual long runtimes of the songs. APESHIT is a clear standout here with a great beat and solid rapping and bars from the Carters. Longtime fans will find a lot of references to the ... read more
Jun 18, 2018
Dead boring production, in-cohesive tracks and a Beyonce with a new knack for phrases like "skrrrrt" and "pull up, hop out" this is some cringey shit. Hearing Beyonce struggling in an attempt to cultivate some sort of youthful 'bad bitch' image and Jay Z rapping on around 40% effort for 38 minutes is very tedious. For a married couple there's a serious lack of chemistry here but that's not entirely surprising considering they did recently spend a year beefing with each other ... read more
MISC LISTS
| / | The A.V. Club (First Half) |
Track List
- SUMMER
- APESHIT
- BOSS
- NICE
- 713
- FRIENDS
- HEARD ABOUT US
- BLACK EFFECT
- LOVEHAPPY
Added on: June 16, 2018
