Ava Max is music for the gays. It’s true. I can say it. A blonde pop star with all the makings of a manufactured star, Max released her debut album this month following a long wait since the release of her first single, “Sweet But Psycho”. You could be forgiven for dismissing her on this song alone, a girly anthem about a girl who is well… sweet but a psycho. But Max has more potential beyond this, which shows through on Heaven & Hell.
The whole album is stock standard basic pop, but isn’t there something so infectious about that. Heaven & Hell feels like a pop album we’d have seen around 2010 – when Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream and Lady Gaga’s The Fame dominated the airwaves. There isn’t anything overly experimental about this album, but it’s catchy and light and that’s what we need in this COVID-19 hellscape.
Standout tracks include “Tattoo”, “Who’s Laughing Now”, and “Salt” which are tracks where the tone is elevated, there are some tracks lacking shine, but every album has these moments. It’s a solid debut – nothing particularly heavenly or hellish about it. But worth a listen nonetheless.
7/10: Stock Standard Pop but good god, it’s good.
