Black Star Elephant

''Black Star Elephant'' is the second studio album by Norwegian duo Nico & Vinz and their first album under that moniker, following a name change from Envy. It was released in Australia on 16 September 2014, and on 14 October 2014 in the United States. It contains fourteen songs and 7 interludes.

The album garnered a mixed reception from critics divided by the production and the duo's socially conscious lyrics. It debuted at number one in Norway and reached the top 40 in countries like Australia, New Zealand and the United States, spawning four singles: " Am I Wrong", " In Your Arms", " When the Day Comes", and "My Melody". Following its release, "Am I Wrong" went on to become the duo's most successful hit single to date.

Critical reception

''Black Star Elephant'' received mixed reviews from music critics divided by the mixture of the duo's socially conscious lyrics and the production driving it. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 58, based on 5 reviews.

Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' praised the duo's decision to deliver social issues through African-influenced pop production that didn't muddle it, saying that "Behind that choice seems to be an understanding that reaching the most really means alienating the fewest." Simon Harker of ''The Northern Echo'' praised the album's upbeat pop numbers for delivering social messages that feel refreshing, concluding that "Not every track manages to avoid coming across a little too treacly or earnest, but the likes of the Stargate-helmed 'Imagine' and easygoing rhythms of 'In Your Arms' are just as catchy and enjoyable as their best-known hit." AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt that the duo's approach to genre-bending tracks resembled that of Bruno Mars but that it also helped shaped them, concluding that "this cultural disconnect enhances them because it emphasizes how, at their core, Nico & Vinz are lite bubblegum worldbeat pop, and will try on any fashion just as long as it might bring them a hit."

Brent Faulkner of PopMatters said that despite the record's misuse of interludes and its tracks being too sugary and not quite matching "Am I Wrong", he praised the duo's delivery of social consciousness for sounding authentic, saying that "All in all, ''Black Star Elephant'' seems accomplished in its goals – delivering an album that thrives off its ‘good vibes’. There is no denying that Nico & Vinz better their listeners by eschewing negativity, not to mention avoiding profanity for the most part. That said, sometimes so much positivity grows ever too schmaltzy and a bit blasé." Caroline Sullivan of ''The Guardian'' praised the duo's vocal delivery of inspiration lyrics over eclectic worldbeat production but felt the interludes drag their message down, saying that it "nudges the album into the cheese zone." Chuck Arnold of ''Billboard'' said that despite the duo showing some heart and charm on tracks like "Know What I'm Not", he criticized the album's cheesy African instrumentation and inspirational lyrics, concluding that "''Black Star Elephant'' goes all amateur theater ''Lion King'' on you. That shows just how wrong Nico & Vinz can be."

Track listing

;Notes
* signifies an additional producer
*"Imagine" contains an interpolation of " The Champ" written by Harry Palmer.

Charts

References

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2014 albums
Nico & Vinz albums
Warner Records albums
Albums produced by Stargate