Gold is the fourth full-length studio album by British soul singer Cleo Sol, released on 29 September 2023 through Forever Living Originals. The album was announced days before its release, just like its predecessor surprise album Heaven, released two weeks prior.[1]

Gold
A photo of Sol arising out of water
Studio album by
Released29 September 2023 (2023-09-29)
GenreSoul[1]
Length42:04
LanguageEnglish
LabelForever Living Originals
ProducerInflo
Cleo Sol chronology
Heaven
(2023)
Gold
(2023)

Reception

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Billboard's Kyle Denis chose "There Will Be No Crying" among the picks of the week, calling the song "a practice in affirmation, a paean for freedom and release in a world desperately in need of it".[2] At Clash Music, Robin Murray gave this album a 9 out of 10, writing that everything Sol releases is excellent and that "while Heaven felt like a mood piece, Gold is more defined, the music more sketched out, and with more evident strengths".[1] Okla Jones of Essence chose this as some of the best music of the week.[3] In The Fader, David Renshaw recommended this album prior to hearing it, based on the strength of Sol's previous work and its "tender blend of neo-soul, 70s soul, and modern jazz".[4] At HotNewHipHop, Gabriel Bras Nevares wrote that Gold is "another stellar effort" from Sol made of "tender, crisp, and obviously soulful genre fusions that establish her as a captivating voice".[5] Jem Aswad of Variety reviewed both Heaven and Gold, calling them both "serene R&B outings" and comparing them favorably to 1970s Stevie Wonder and Erykah Badu.[6] Vibe's Mya Abraham included Gold in the best music of the week, calling it "soul-stirring and ethereal" music that will help listeners "ascend" with this "soul-stirring LP".[7]

The Economist chose this as one of the best albums of 2023, writing that both Gold and Heaven are excellent, but praising this release in particular for being more varied.[8] The Complex UK chose this for the fourth best album of 2023.[9] Staff at Billboard ranked this the eighth best R&B album of 2023.[10]

Track listing

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  1. "There Will Be No Crying" – 3:49
  2. "Reason" – 4:00
  3. "Things Will Get Better" – 3:29
  4. "Only Love" – 3:24
  5. "Please Don't End It All" – 4:25
  6. "Lost Angel" – 5:54
  7. "Desire" – 4:53
  8. "In Your Own Home" – 4:08
  9. "Life Will Be" – 3:18
  10. "Gold" – 4:39

Personnel

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Murray, Robin (29 September 2023). "Cleo Sol – Gold". Reviews. Clash Music. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  2. ^ Denis, Kyle (2 October 2023). "R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Cleo Sol, Paul Wall, Armani White, Kenyon Dixon & More". R&B/Hip-Hop. Billboard. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ^ Jones, Okla (29 September 2023). "Best New Music This Week: Latto, Amaria, Lil Wayne And More". Home. Essence. ISSN 0014-0880. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  4. ^ Renshaw, David (29 September 2023). "New Music Friday: This week's essential new albums". Music / Hip-Hop. The Fader. ISSN 1533-5194. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  5. ^ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (2 October 2023). "Cleo Sol Strikes "Gold" On Her New Album". Mixtapes. HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  6. ^ Aswad, Jem (29 September 2023). "Cleo Sol Steps Out From Sault With Two Serene R&B Outings, 'Heaven' and 'Gold': Albums Review". Music > Reviews. Variety. ISSN 0042-2738. OCLC 810134503. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  7. ^ Abraham, Mya (29 September 2023). "Kenyon Dixon, Cleo Sol, 6LACK, Jorja Smith, And More New R&B To Love". Music + Music News. Vibe. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  8. ^ "The best albums of 2023, as chosen by The Economist". Culture. The Economist. 8 December 2023. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  9. ^ Patterson, Joseph "JP"; Keith, James; Cagna, Claudia (15 December 2023). "Complex UK's Best Albums Of 2023". The Complex UK. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  10. ^ Scott, Damien; Mitchell, Gail; Lamarre, Carl; Mamo, Heran; Denis, Kyle (22 December 2023). "Best R&B Albums of 2023: R&B Staff Picks". R&B/Hip-Hop. Billboard. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
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