REVIEW: Poppy - 'I Disagree'

Written by Ceci Graham

American singer, songwriter, and YouTuber Poppy released her fourth studio album I Disagree through Sumerian Records on January 10th, 2020. To dive right into things, it has been a few hours since I first listened to the album and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. The hesitation I currently have stems from Poppy being an artist that has a history of incredibly pop-centric music and I am somewhat resistant to her change in style. However if you take a minute to step away from Poppy’s past, the album isn’t bad from a modern alternative point of view. I Disagree is strangely enough a very similar sound to Bring Me The Horizon’s most recent album Amo, which was another polarizing album due to a change in sound. However, this process of genre-switching within the new Poppy album is even harder to wrap one’s head around. 

For comparison sake, imagine you’re at Emo Night listening to Bring Me the Horizon’s “Can You Feel My Heart” all the while the venue is blasting rave music overtop; it would be confusing and hard to focus on the sound as a whole. This album continually gives me stylistic whiplash, and certainly not a good way. From the first song “Concrete”, the contrast between heavy guitars and bubbly choruses are messy and difficult to enjoy. There are ways to blend genres into a cohesive and enjoyable project, but overall this album seems rushed and unpolished. 

Poppy’s I Disagree is not entirely negative though. There are select songs, such as “Anything Like Me”, where Poppy’s falsetto shines through without the abrasive metal influence. “Sick of the Sun” is a standout track with its traces of guitar work and focus on vocal melodies. Overall, Poppy demonstrates that she has a lovely singing voice, but does not explore her vocal range to its full potential. 

Rating: 2.5/5