And Then Life Was Beautiful is the third studio album by English singer Nao. The album was released on 24 September 2021 through Little Tokyo Recordings and RCA Records.[2]
| And Then Life Was Beautiful | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 September 2021 | |||
| Genre | R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 45:13 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| Nao chronology | ||||
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| Singles from And Then Life Was Beautiful | ||||
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Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| All Music |   [4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| NME | [1] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[6] |
| Clash | 8/10 [7] |
And Then Life Was Beautiful was met with universal acclaim from music critics and received a score of 85 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on nine critics' reviews.
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Andy Kellman observed "the generally softer and sweeter backdrops, which lean toward modern adult contemporary R&B and at times are plain, allow Nao to do more with her voice, a lithe soprano that glides, swoops, and flutters without strain".[4] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian commended the album by stating the "mood never feels trite on And Then Life Was Beautiful, but oddly infectious instead, perhaps because the songs are really strong, the lyrics admirably uncliched."[5] Writing for NME, Kyann-Sian Williams felt the album "captures a sense of healing, and offers hope" and labelled it as "a true celebration of R&B".[1]
Dylan Green of Pitchfork praised the "varied sonic palette" of the album. He noted that while And Then Life Was Beautiful doesn't completely reinvent Nao's style, the album is a significant milestone in her journey towards self-actualization.[5] Amelia Kelly of Clash lauded the album by stating that "the gorgeous vocals, the radiant tones, the graceful guitar – manifests enlightened bliss. The expertly blended transitions between each track transform them into puzzle pieces that fit smoothly together."[7]
The Independent included the album in their list of 20 most underrated albums at number 12.[8]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "And Then Life Was Beautiful" |
| LOXE | 3:23 |
| 2. | "Messy Love" |
| D'Mile | 3:35 |
| 3. | "Glad That You're Gone" |
| Stint | 3:33 |
| 4. | "Antidote" (featuring Adekunle Gold) | Sarz | 3:22 | |
| 5. | "Burn Out" |
|
| 3:19 |
| 6. | "Wait" |
|
| 3:10 |
| 7. | "Good Luck" (featuring Lucky Daye) |
| LOXE | 3:04 |
| 8. | "Nothing's for Sure" |
| GRADES | 4:17 |
| 9. | "Woman" (featuring Lianne La Havas) |
| LOXE | 3:11 |
| 10. | "Better Friend" |
| GRADES | 3:21 |
| 11. | "Postcards" (featuring serpentwithfeet) |
| Moore | 3:27 |
| 12. | "Little Giants" |
|
| 4:00 |
| 13. | "Amazing Grace" |
| Maths Time Joy | 3:26 |
| Total length: | 45:13 | |||
Charts
edit| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 63 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[10] | 1 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Edition | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 24 September 2021 | Standard | [11][12][13] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Williams, Kyann-Sian (24 September 2021). "Nao – 'And Then Life Was Beautiful' review: R&B star offers hope and a sense of healing". NME. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ "Nao shares "And Then Life Was Beautiful," announces new album". FADER. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "AND THEN LIFE WAS BEAUTIFUL by Nao Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy (21 October 2021). "And Then Life Was Beautiful Review by Andy Kellman". All Music. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Petridis, Alexis (23 September 2021). "Nao: And Then Life Was Beautiful review – joy and hope amid the pandemic". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ Green, Dylan (28 September 2021). "Nao: And Then Life Was Beautiful Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ a b Kelly, Amelia (24 September 2021). "Nao: And Then Life Was Beautiful Album Review". Clash. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Beaumont, Mark; O'Connor, Roisin (19 October 2024). "The 20 most underrated albums ever". The Independent. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ "And Then Life Was Beautiful by Nao". Amazon Music. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "And Then Life Was Beautiful [VINYL]:Amazon.co.uk: CDs & Vinyl". Amazon Music. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "And Then Life Was Beautiful by Nao on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 24 June 2023.