Kygo - Cloud Nine

Kygo
Cloud Nine
2016
Spotify

It is kind of hard to believe that Cloud Nine is actually the debut album from Kygo as He seems to have been in the public eye for years now, but it's true. However in a world populated with singles and quick bites to keep people interested perhaps the big EDM DJs are finding an album release less and less appealing. Kygo's tropical house style is on full display with this record, but it is perhaps the most watered down version of the genre that you are going to find. There are some absolute travesties on this record, that if it was not for Kygo's popularity with the younger generations should make him completely irrelevant. His formula is so dialed in: mid-tempo, synth line, effected almost meaningless vocal and just pool party into infinity. Where someone like Bakertmat is pushing the genre forward and adding new elements Kygo seems perfectly content with his formula and has no need for anything else. It is quite odd seeing how were are lambasting someone who is just releasing their first album as stale, but that simply is the case. There is literally a song called "Raging" and it does nothing of the sort, just more lyrics about how "our love" is so much different than everyone elses. I guess maybe because they listen to Kygo together?. Dreamy snyths populate almost every song offering little differentiation.

"Happy Birthday" featuring John Legend is the real travesty here. I don't know how Legend agreed to do this track, or how Kygo even came up with it really because it is simply bad on a level that is insane. Two seemingly talented individuals got together to make this song and it just really blows. Kygo clearly has a real talent at piano and it comes out in the "Intro" and throughout the record, but it is buried under so much bullshit that you stop caring. "Firestone" which was already a hit itself is hands down the best track, and the only one with some real emotion in it. Foxes actually sounds great on "Oasis" but the lyrics are so incredibly pedestrian, I doubt this will give her the bump she needs after her most recent album was a bit of a bummer. You will notice a lack of bass drops which is a hallmark of tropical house and Kygo in general which should be a relief, but instead it just feels odd and hollow. Almost an hour of music and 16 tracks means a slog to get through with only maybe a couple songs offering any real benefit. Perhaps if you are really on one, dancing by a pool with all the real party people of the world you could find something good on Cloud Nine but with all those parameters and much better music out there why would you ever subject yourself to this record. He may have millions of streams on Spotify and thousands of dedicated fans, but Cloud Nine simply is not good. Save that house of your life for something way better than Kygo and Cloud Nine, I wish I had.

2.1 out of 10