Have U Seen Her? is the debut studio album by Finnish singer and songwriter Alma. It was released through PME Records on 15 May 2020. It was preceded by the release of two extended plays Have U Seen Her? Part 1 and Have U Seen Her? Part 2 on 1 November 2019 and 13 March 2020, respectively, and one single "Bad News Baby" on 22 November 2019.[3][4][5] The album was produced and written by Justin Tranter, Andrew Wyatt and Sarah Hudson, among others.[6]
| Have U Seen Her? | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 May 2020 | |||
| Length | 37:00 | |||
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| Alma chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Have U Seen Her? | ||||
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Composition
editThe Line of Best Fit described the album as: "...is filled with the catchy soundscapes we’ve come to know and love while seesawing within a new, mature experimental sonic range."[7]
Singles
editThe lead single of the album titled "Bad News Baby" was released on 22 November 2019 along with its music video. The title track was not the official single from the album, but had a music video released on 1 November 2019. "Stay All Night" was released as the second single on 31 March 2020 from the album, along with a quarantine music video. "LA Money" was sent to radio air play on 21 June 2020[8] as the third single from the album.
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 72/100[9] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 7/10[10] |
| Dork |   [11] |
| Gigwise | 6/10[12] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 7.5/10[7] |
| NME | [13] |
Have U Seen Her? was met with generally favourable reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album received an average score of 72, based on four reviews.[9] Album of the Year assessed the critical consensus as 71 out of 100, based on four reviews.[14]
In a positive review, Malvika Padin from The Line of Best Fit said about the album: "Truly, the strength of Have U Seen Her? lies in its shift away from the EDM bombardment of Alma past and instead dabbles with a myriad of soundscapes; from the grooving simplicity of 'Stay All Night', the bold pop of 'Bad News Baby' and even the thunderclaps of 'Nightmare', this 12 track offering is an exploration into just where Alma wants to be in 2020. Growth and development aside, if there's one thing that's undeniable it's that Alma can write a chorus. Alma's confidence to explore just where she wants her sound to go is commendable, but her heart-on-sleeve honesty is the most remarkable facet. Overall, Have U Seen Her? strikes a great balance between rocking out with piercing, lacerating soundscapes and soothing nerves with heartfelt songwriting encompassed in diverse melodies. The balance falters at points but it's never irreparable as Alma rights it again with the natural magnetism of her music".[7]
Laura Copley from the Clash said about the album: "The album's opening song and namesake 'Have U Seen Her' is perhaps an unusual track to begin with, given that its hip-hop, M.I.A-esque sound doesn't appear all that frequently thereafter. Autotune is also very prevalent on this track, and perhaps masks Alma's natural gift of being a near-flawless vocalist. Overall, it doesn't justify the rest of the album - yet this is just a mere setback with what is to come."[10]
Writing for Gigwise, Toby Bryant said: "Whilst it's the dizzying, alcohol-fuelled nights that come with sudden stardom which drive Alma's debut LP, through the mist the 24-year-old has a fascinating story to tell. Have U Seen Her? is the tale of an artist who won't fit into any box".[12]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Have U Seen Her?" |
| 23rd | 2:41 |
| 2. | "LA Money" | 2:53 | ||
| 3. | "Worst Behavior" (featuring Tove Lo) |
| Hitimpulse | 2:41 |
| 4. | "Stay All Night" |
|
| 2:47 |
| 5. | "Bad News Baby" |
| 3:20 | |
| 6. | "Nightmare" |
| Wasabi | 2:31 |
| 7. | "Mama" |
| Wasabi | 2:58 |
| 8. | "King of the Castle" |
| Hank Solo | 3:27 |
| 9. | "My Girl" |
| Hitimpulse | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Find Me" |
| Nystrom | 3:17 |
| 11. | "Loser" |
| DFA | 3:12 |
| 12. | "Final Fantasy" |
| Wasabi | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 37:00 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Have U Seen Her?" |
| 23rd | 2:41 |
| 2. | "Worst Behavior" (featuring Tove Lo) |
| Hitimpulse | 2:41 |
| Total length: | 5:22 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stay All Night" |
|
| 2:47 |
| 2. | "King of the Castle" |
| Hank Solo | 3:27 |
| 3. | "Find Me" |
| Nystrom | 3:17 |
| Total length: | 9:31 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bad News Baby" |
| 3:21 |
| 2. | "LA Money" |
| 2:24 |
| 3. | "Stay All Night" |
| 2:48 |
| Total length: | 8:33 | ||
Charts
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[18] | 1 |
References
edit- ^ "Alma - Have U Seen Her? - LP". Rough Trade. Retrieved 10 September 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "ALMA "LA Money" | (Radio Date: 12/06/2020)".
- ^ "Have U Seen Her (Part I)". Apple Music. November 2019. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ "Have U Seen Her (Part II)". Apple Music. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ "Bad News Baby – Single by Alma on Apple Music". Apple Music. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ Ginsberg, Gab (13 March 2020). "Why Alma Had to Sign a New Record Deal in Order to Release Her Debut Album". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ a b c Padin, Malvika (May 14, 2020). "It's finally here. The long-awaited debut from Finnish cyber-pop star ALMA". The Line of Best Fit.
- ^ "ALMA "LA Money" | (Radio Date: 12/06/2020)".
- ^ a b "Have U Seen Her? by Alma". Metacritic.
- ^ a b Copley, Laura (May 13, 2020). "Alma - Have U Seen Her? - Clash Magazine". Clash.
A punchy offering from the pop rebel...
- ^ Freyaldenhoven, Laura (15 May 2020). "Alma – Have U Seen Her?". Dork.
- ^ a b Bryant, Toby (May 12, 2020). "Alma - Have U Seen Her? - Gigwise". Gigwise.
The singer's refusal to compromise marks her out as an upcoming pop gem to treasure
- ^ Krol, Charlotte (May 14, 2020). "Alma's – 'Have U Seen Her? ' Review". NME.
- ^ "Alma – Have U Seen Her? – Reviews". Album of the Year.
- ^ "Have U Seen Her? (Part I) / ALMA". Tidal. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ^ "Have U Seen Her? (Part II) / ALMA". Tidal. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ^ "Acoustic EP / ALMA". Tidal. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ^ "Albumit 21/2020". IFPI Finland. Retrieved May 24, 2020.