However, they’re so good that that’s much less of an issue than the fact that only about half of the album is new material. It would also be nice to have more material altogether, as while they’re punchy many of the songs are below three minutes long. While the need to keep the public interested in a debut album is understandable, Ava Max had already released a particularly high number of singles and so already had a dedicated following. Seven of the fifteen songs on the album were released before it came out, ranging from two years ago in the case of ‘Sweet but Psycho’ to very near to the album’s release like ‘Who’s Laughing Now’ and ‘OMG What’s Happening’. One thing that would have been nicer after the wait is more new material. This is encouraging after the wait for the album and promises that Ava Max’s creativity will continue in her future work. Ava Max’s singles before the album came out were all distinctive and had lively and unapologetic lyrics, and the songs exclusive to the album have kept this up beautifully. Heaven & Hell is receiving positive ratings and reviews, so it looks like it was worth the wait. This juxtaposition makes the album poppy and energetic throughout, but with a switch between light and dark that perfectly justifies its title and brings together all of its songs. The first half of the album has songs that are positively focused on nightlife and romance like ‘Naked’ and ‘Tattoo’, whereas the second half has songs that are ambiguous or defiant, particularly ‘Belladonna’ and ‘Who’s Laughing Now’. The themes of heaven and hell are reflected clearly. If you’re new to Ava Max’s music, then it’s a powerful end to a promising debut album.

If you’ve been listening to those three songs since they all came out several months to two years ago, then it’s an underwhelming conclusion to an album that is actually very good. There are fifteen tracks in total, with most of the seven previously released songs intermingled between them, apart from ‘So Am I’, ‘Salt’, and ‘Sweet but Psycho’ being back-to-back at the end. It’s a great dance album reminiscent in style and lyrics of Sia and Lady Gaga.

The album is called Heaven & Hell and brings together some of Ava Max’s best singles and new material. It came out on 18 th September after its original release was delayed first by her changing some of the content in late 2019 and then by Covid in early 2020. Ava Max’s debut album has been a long time coming.

Heaven and hell full album