Review Summary: More KGB (the song) and less KGB (kreating generic ballads)
The gays were excited for a reason. An eye-catching signature look, an intriguing backstory, and a captivating dance talent (best displayed in the sickening music video for “SexOnTheBeat”). Adéla had all the ingredients for building early-career hype, but most importantly, she delivered on it by stacking her debut EP, last year’s
The Provocateur, with 7 standout tracks and no filler. Its trashy, hooky Slayyyter-esque electropop was a winning formula – the Wor$t Girl in Slovakia looked to be set for a skyrocketing career.
Now, a year later, we have
Prima, and her debut LP is a puzzling left-turn away from electrifying synthpop, instead delving mostly into 2010s-inspired R&B-trap-pop. It’s apparently the style of music Adéla grew up listening to, but she should’ve aimed closer to Ariana’s
Dangerous Woman so she wouldn’t end up sounding like another Madison Beer or Tate McRae.
Lead single “KGB” was an unfortunate red herring, as it implied a continued evolution of her
Provocateur sound, with its high-energy synth production and cheeky lyrics that only Adéla could sing. Nothing else on
Prima follows in its footsteps, with the other upbeat tracks “Boys” and “Fantasize” taking their cues from 2000s Britney rather than pushing pop forward into the 2020s (the former is still a fun bop though).
Where the album falters is in its heavy ratio of mid-tempo cuts and ballads, which definitely aren’t Adéla’s strong suit. She’s yet to develop a skill in writing compellingly sincere lyrics, and when paired with run-of-the-mill production it makes songs like “Hitachi” and “Therapy” a slog to get through.
Prima has a lot more misses than hits, but thankfully it ends on a high note with “Ain’t In LA”, a radio-ready anthem with a fantastic singalong hook – if Adéla wants to continue in this more mainstream direction, she at least has one example of how to do it well.
