Ti Amo

Phoenix - Ti Amo
Critic Score
Based on 32 reviews
2017 Ratings: #619 / 940
User Score
Based on 364 ratings
2017 Rank: #666
Liked by 14 people
June 9, 2017 / Release Date
LP / Format
Glassnote / Label
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
Spill Magazine
How else would you like to spend time in face of all the trouble around you? A perfect release, whether you’re a fan of anything connected with the word disco or not. I’m not.
85
The 405

Written during tumultuous times, Ti Amo is the soundtrack to a future as hopefully bright as the record itself.

83
Consequence of Sound
By letting the world’s darkness in and finding a way to dance anyway, Phoenix helps listeners remember that while evil isn’t going anywhere, neither are the sunsets of Italian beaches or the soaring romantic nights that follow.
83
Pretty Much Amazing
A perfect pop soundtrack for the summer search for perfect love.
80
God Is in the TV

Bankrupt was a good record but there was a sense that the band were often trying too hard to recreate the natural anthemic highs of “1901” and “Lisztomania”. The songwriting and production throughout Ti Amo is more nuanced and has more of the effortlessness that has always made their career engaging.

80
NOW Magazine

Ti Amo feels like the kind of escapism Phoenix and their compatriots could use right about now. And the fact that it’s the most summery music they’ve ever made is like a big, red cherry on top.

80
Exclaim!
All ten of the album's songs overflow with sparkling synths, sighing pop hooks and made-for-summer beats. The lyrics are often difficult to parse, particularly since Mars frequently dips in and out of Italian and French, but the overall impression is one of sweet, big-hearted sincerity.
80
DIY

They cast a loving spell over the listener with their optimistic, almost carefree attitude, providing a cosmic, upbeat antidote to chaotic times.

75
The Line of Best Fit

Ti Amo has a romantic heart, and Phoenix use it to find the bright spots in a tragic world, without losing sight of the tragedy itself.

70
Under the Radar
There's an interchangeability to most of the tracks that is a weakness in some ways and a strength in others. The record might end up sounding similar, but that's kind of the point.
70
Rolling Stone
Even when you can't tell what Mars is singing about (which is a lot), the music radiates a suave majesty that feels universal.
70
Pitchfork

At its heart, Ti Amo is another meticulously constructed 10-song set of glossy soft-pop romance. Whenever Phoenix get around to release what’s sure to be a stellar best-of comp, a few welcoming standouts from Ti Amo will belong on there.

70
AllMusic
Instead of responding with more darkness, Phoenix make the most of their good-natured music, channeling the sensual joys of an Italian summer into gelato-sweet and gelato-brief songs that suggest beauty and romance are always necessary, especially when times are tough.
70
musicOMH

This jaunty, upbeat offering epitomises the performative youth and exuberance of the group, fronted by Thomas Mars.

70
GIGsoup
The bright lights and European nightclub vibes of ‘Ti Amo’ might lead to the album sounding too much like a caricature of Phoenix, but if a fun, slightly romantic synth pop album is what you want, it’s what you’re getting here.
60
Loud and Quiet
One could forgive Phoenix for playing it safe on their first album since major festival headline slots and top-ten chart placings became more expectation than surprise.
60
The Observer

While Ti Amo is slow to reveal its charms, there are moments when the cheesy concept – a romanticised version of Italy – is made to seem like a brilliant idea.

60
The Guardian

Ti Amo is a bold experiment, but Phoenix would be better served by keeping things chilled.

60
PopMatters

Ultimately, Ti Amo is a quality Phoenix record with catchy songs, an uplifting mood, and a breezy running time that will invite easy repeats sitting on a beach or imagining you were. It sits nicely within the band’s discography and will no doubt be remixed with ease and contribute to summer playlists.

58
Sputnikmusic

The fact is, Phoenix already made the quintessential summer record eight years ago; for all Ti Amo tries to recapture that magic, the inconsequential sweetness it provides fades as quickly as the delicacy Mars sings about in “Fior di Latte.”

58
A.V. Club

It’s just not the kind of album—unlike Wolfgang Amadeus or 2006’s It’s Never Been Like That—that feels particularly urgent. Maybe it’s a pleasant diversion for band and audience, which is fine—it’s just never much more than that.

55
Northern Transmissions
Akin to a summer romance, the album is a heady temporary endorphin rush but the likelihood of a relationship lasting into the autumn and beyond with ‘Ti Amo’ is unlikely.
50
Drowned in Sound

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was an album of such refreshing bombast and effortless cool that any future work would surely pale in comparison and struggle to plough its own furrow of success and significance. Regrettably, the struggle continues.

40
The Skinny

The band took all the wrong lessons from the success of their last album, and doubled down on the syrup. Turns out too much sugar really can make you sick.

SnowyFighter
63

I don't really love this album but ay at least good vibes

It's not a bad album at all, just kind of forgettable. The production is great, the instrumentals are great, the concept is great, but the songwriting feels lacking. There isn't much dynamic to this album and I think that is where its biggest weakness lies. Still not bad overall because it sounds nice, but just not really anything that I'm gonna come back to

J-Boy - 7.5
Ti Amo - 5.5
Tuttifrutti - 6.5
Flor Di Latte - 6
Lovelife - ... read more

Plats
61

"Ti Amo" has some catchy hooks and stellar production to boot. Disappointingly, though, it's excessively tame and lacks the energy of Phoenix's previous records.

Fav Tracks: J-Boy, Tuttifrutti, Goodbye Soleil, Ti Amo, Telefono

Least Fav Tracks: Fleur De Lys, Via Veneto

Score:
6.1
Fine

Marshall4Real
70

Entertaining, divertente, divertissant, entretenido.

Cobalt6
78

pretty good

80

J-Boy - 7.5/10
Ti Amo - 8/10
Tuttifrutti - 7.5/10
Fior Di Latte - 8/10
Lovelife - 10/10
Goodbye Soleil - 7.5/10
Fleur de Lys - 9/10
Role Model - 7.5/10
Via Veneto - 7.5/10
Telefono - 7/10

TheLilBastard
60

It has it's moments, but as a whole Ti Amo thoroughly fails to live up to its predecessors.

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Track List

1J-Boy
4:07
66
2Ti Amo
3:25
73
3Tuttifrutti
3:52
59
4Fior Di Latte
4:03
63
5Lovelife
2:31
59
6Goodbye Soleil
3:55
60
7Fleur de Lys
3:43
63
8Role Model
4:35
53
9Via Veneto
2:41
51
10Telefono
3:43
64
Total Length: 36 minutes
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Added on: April 24, 2017