Review - Cher Lloyd - Sorry I'm Late

Cher Lloyd is one of a large number of artists who find success in another part of the world (often in the UK), and then see a slow build in the US. While international success is great, the timing can be odd. A hit single can peak in their home country and not appear on a US chart for over a year, let alone take the months to rise to a high point and then fizzle out. By that time, it’s been years since an original album, and there questions of “what’s next?” are flying.

‘Sorry I’m Late’ is aptly titled for her British fans, who have been following her since her time on The X Factor. While her debut album was released in the US almost a year after it was premiered in the UK, it feels like it’s been decades. Pop stars these days need to continuously release new music, or otherwise be overtaken by competition. Lloyd knows this well, and thus the naming.

‘Sorry’ is so far devoid of hit singles (both tracks released so far have failed to chart in both the UK and the US), and that’s a shame, as they--and the entire album--are so much fun. While she has grown up a lot in just a few years (one does that when leaving the teenage years), she has kept her instantly-likeable personality and brattiness. She sounds like a younger and poppier (if that’s possible) Avril Lavigne, but the Avril we all remember and really love, not the one marrying the lead singer of Nickelback.

I applaud Cher’s ability to create a new album that is slightly more adult, but still perfectly on-brand. Not many people can pull that off and still have this much fun (as long as you don’t think about it too much).

Listen to: “Just Be Mine”, “I Wish (ft. TI)”, “Sirens”

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