The album isnt bad but isnt great either.

There are a few things wrong with this album/approach:
When artists have their biggest career moments they start thinking they can throw whatever out there and “stay true to themselves” (which is code for using friends as writer, trying to write themselves and staying in their comfort zones) but ultimately this leads to an underperformance/downward trajectory.

If she wouldve labelled this a “mixtape” or side project everyone would change their tune - coupled with the fact that its 10 months since her Soundtrack album (which she sang 4-5 songs on) and 4-5 months since her 2 collab #1s this just wasnt the best time to release a full body of work. She also has the Mariah and Jennifer Hudson collab coming up - she really is pumping out the music this year.

The biggest change with this album is there is no Max Martin, Savan and Ilya. This is her first album since Yours Truly where there have been NO pop producers/tmax martin camp. My Everything had 5 songs from the tran, Dangerous Woman had like 10, Sweetner had 4-5, Thank U Next had 4 and the Charlies Angels album had 4 from her and the team also.

This album was majority tommy brown/rascals for which theyve worked with her on every album, however often on the non standout songs (aside from thank u next and 7 rings). This was the biggest change here - no big pop productions not even 1 song which is why everyone is feeling this way.

Veteran producers/writers like savan, max and Ilya care about song momentum, structure and build up - these songs however approach songwriting and making in a completly different way and it just didnt click her.

Heres hoping she goes back to them on her next album becuase these muted trap short songs are not what made her career and will not sustain it going forward.