Higher Than Heaven was met with moderate commercial success,debuting at number-one on Scotland and the United Kingdom. It became Goulding's fourth chart-topping album on the later,making Goulding tie with Adele as the two British female artists with the most number-one albums in UK history.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Several critics praised Goulding's honesty after calling it "her least personal album yet",with many critics stating that her statement worked in her favour,as well valuing the singer focus of bringing back escapist pop as "refreshing" and "fun".
Background and development
The album was written in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,according to Goulding:"There was definitely a darkness about [the past two years] that was palpable in the studio,with everyone having gone through it differently. I think for that reason,nobody wanted to sit and agonise over some relationship or some drama. So that's how this album came together."[1] Goulding expressed that in contrast to her previous 2020 album Brightest Blue,the album is her "least personal album".[2] She elaborated "...I think it's the best album because I got to just explore other things about myself. I just really,really enjoy writing,really enjoy being a singer. [It] was such a relief and really refreshing to not be sitting in the studio going through all the things that happened to me and affected me. Because I feel things very deeply."[3]
Release and promotion
On 19 October 2022,Goulding announced the album's title and revealed its artwork cover,with an initial release date of 3 February 2023.[4][5] However,on 9 January 2023,Goulding announced an initial delay to 24 March,stating "...we've had some exciting opportunities appear behind the scenes."[6][7] On 28 February,she announced a second delay to 7 April;[8] stating issues with sourcing eco-friendly material for the album's physical formats.[9][10]
On 31 March,Goulding released the songs "Midnight Dreams","Cure for Love","Love Goes On" and "Higher Than Heaven" on digital platforms in conjunction with her appearance on the Amazon Freevee concert film Monumental;making the first 8 tracks of the album available.[11][12][13][14] On 7 April,the day of the album's release,Goulding released a music video for "Better Man",directed by Tom Sandford.[15][16]
In support of the album, Goulding announced European dates for the Higher Than Heaven Tour:[17] She also announced shows in the United States, accompanied by an orchestra.[18]
Higher Than Heaven received generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album received a weighted average score of 77, based on seven reviews - Goulding's highest-rated album of her career.[20] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 6.7 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[19]
AllMusic described the record as one of Goulding's "least personal" but also one of her most immediate, focusing on euphoric dance-pop escapism rather than introspection.[21]Clash praised it as a simple, fun pop album that prioritises entertainment over discourse.[22]The Daily Telegraph wrote that the album's mood aligns with the no-nonsense priorities of "Miracle", consisting of 11 tracks of nu-disco, '80s-inspired synth pop and sleek electronic dance music produced with hitmakers such as Stephen Kozmeniuk, Greg Kurstin and Andrew Wells.[30]The Evening Standard noted Goulding's intent to reactivate her hitmaking streak, highlighting the abundance of catchy, euphoric tracks.[24]The Line of Best Fit compared the project to Ava Max's Diamonds & Dancefloors (2023), calling it a non-stop collection of shimmering synths and energetic vocals with standout moments such as "Love Goes On".[25]NME highlighted Goulding's admission that it is her "least personal" work, but commended her ability to craft slick and stylish pop bangers despite some weaker lyrics.[27]PopMatters called it a thoroughly enjoyable, stylish set of dance-pop songs in the vein of Kylie Minogue and Madonna, designed for pure entertainment.[28]The Times deemed it a polished collection of escapist, post-lockdown dance-pop tracks that sound excellent in the moment, even if their long-term impact is uncertain.[29]
Katie Bain from Billboard listed the album "The 50 Best Albums of 2023", praising Goulding decision of "trading straightforward confessions for slick, textural dance pop and lyrical sweet nothings about dim lights and easy lovers", stating that Goulding "delivered one of her best (and most club-friendly) albums to date". As well dubbing Goulding as "one of the defining voices of dance music over the last decade".[31] Tomás Mier from Rolling Stone named Higher Tjan Heaven as one of the best albums of the year, praising Goulding decision of making a "fun, escapist pop" record that "remind listeners of Goulding's pop prowess", instead of going into an introspective route like most of her peers did in recent years.[32]
In the United Kingdom, Higher Than Heaven debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, shifting 11,818 album-equivalent units in its first week.[35] It became Goulding's fourth chart-topping album in the country, tying with Adele as the two British female artists with the most number one albums.[36] In the same week, her single "Miracle", a collaboration with Calvin Harris, reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, earning Goulding her first "chart double", although "Miracle" does not feature on Higher Than Heaven.[35][36][37] In the second week, the album dropped from number one to number 84 making it one of the few number-one albums to spend only one week in the top 75.[38][39] In Scotland, the album also debuted at number one on the Scottish Albums Chart, becoming her second chart-topper, and first since Halcyon (2012). Meanwhile, In Ireland, the record peaked at number 97 on the Irish Album Chart.[40] In the United States, Higher Than Heaven debuted at number 125 on the Billboard 200.[41]
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