Review Roundup: Miguel - 'Kaleidoscope Dream'

Miguel puts his own stamp on R&B with his sophomore album Kaleidoscope Dream, available now. The L.A. crooner delivers 11 effortless tracks, with production from Salaam Remi, Jerry Wonda, and Pop & Oak, plus the No. 1 hit “Adorn” and follow-up “Do You…” Did Miguel’s seductive sound make noise with critics? Find out below.

USA Today: The 25-year-old singer smartly continues to distance himself from R&B’s explicit, club-banging clichés with a subtlety seductive second album. The beats are spare, the songwriting is intimate and the overall effect is infectious. 3/4

The Boston Globe: Miguel, who also co-produces, needs to trust his own vocals more, as some tracks are simply overproduced. A good hook (“I’m going to do you like drugs”) on “Do You…” gets washed away by effects, and a gratuitous gimmick (sampling “Time of the Season”) on “Don’t Look Back” fails to serve to the song.

The Associated Press: Miguel’s sophomore effort Kaleidoscope Dream oozes sex with a bit of rock ‘n’ roll and funk, further elevating and pushing the elasticity of R&B like other acts including Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, and Jhené Aiko.

Newsday: His resemblance to Prince goes beyond his ability to shift from growl to falsetto effortlessly. … Miguel’s Dream is a wake-up call to his R&B competitors to step up their game. A-

SPIN: Kaleidoscope Dream is startling and invigorating, a fully formed statement from an artist hungrily surging toward the front of pop music’s creative pack. 9/10

Rap-Up’s Favorite Tracks: “Adorn,” “Where’s the Fun in Forever,” “Do You…”