Ventura
| Anderson Paak
Ventura
Ventura is the fourth studio album by American singer Anderson Paak. It was released on April 12, 2019, by 12 Tone Music and Aftermath Entertainment. It features guest appearances from André 3000, Smokey Robinson, Lalah Hathaway, Jazmine Sullivan, Sonyae Elise, and Brandy, along with posthumous vocals from Nate Dogg. - Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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hnhh
A testament to all that makes him such a fascinating anomaly in our hip-hop/R&B landscape, "Ventura" is an emphatic return to form for the multi-faceted Anderson .Paak.
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Surreal Resolution
Ventura is pretty much smooth soul music and funky/grooving vibes all around but with more of a mature touch.
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XXL
Only months after Oxnard hit retailers, Anderson .Paak is back with his new album, Ventura. Bouncing back from the less than stellar reviews associated with his previous drop, the Aftermath artist delivers an 11-song project with a star-studded guest list.
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The Straits Times
Soulful and funky tunes from singer/rapper Anderson .Paak.
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Soundblab
Ventura infuses the old school cool of funk, blues, and soul with 21st-century touches, as if attempting to condense the last 50 years of black music into a single definitive statement.
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Pitchfork
After the hard left turn of Oxnard, Paak sinks back into the bubbly smooth grooves that got him noticed.
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CoS
The .Paak of Malibu returns with a lean and lovely record full of funk and soul.
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RollingStone
‘Ventura’ is Ambitious, Wide-Ranging Hip-Hop Soul.
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The Guardian
stripped-back soul to silence the haters.
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VARIETY
His fourth album arrives just months after his third — and it does a far superior job of fulfilling the promise of his classic breakthrough, "Malibu."
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NME
The Californian rapper and crooner continues his series of brilliant, self-mythologising records, and there's a distinct sense of a chapter coming to a close.
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NO Ripcord
Coming across as a familiar yet fresh sound, like a reconciliation of a past lover, Ventura’s soulful presence was crafted by time. Memorable and intimate from the start, Ventura completes Oxnard, as Malibu did to Venice; tying up all loose ends and graciously ready for the next chapter.
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HIPHOPDX
Paak’s newest project is less cinematic and epic than its companion piece but it’s just as ambitious, texturely rich, and bustling with pleasant surprises.
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musicOHM
Every track is dripping with smooth chords, funk-influenced rhythms and a retro quality to the production, and is all the better for it.
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Ther Line of Best Fit
With sumptuous harmonies and a live band locked in on every track, .Paak finds a sweet spot between throwback soul and the 21st Century dancefloor. He sounds like the best version of himself. ... An exceptional return to form.
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ALL MUSIC
The album is a treat to the ears. It's unmistakably in the tradition of soul and funk older than the artist himself, but could not have been made any earlier than the late 2010s.
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sputnik music
It's easy to imagine a superior album being made from sequencing it with the best of its predecessor. But there's a simple, unassuming quality that would be lost if you did.
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SLANT
The album serves as a reminder of the magic that can result from looking to the past to inform the future.
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CLASH
An exuberant return from an artist unafraid to reinvent and experiment...
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INDEPENDENT
The album borrows heavily from the singer’s consistently brilliant 2016 record ‘Malibu’, itself a fresh slice of soulful funk.
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Under the Radar
He updates romantic tropes to suit the more woke, modern lady, and strips off the machismo that mired Oxnard.
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exclaim
It's a super-charged R&B record, laced with throwback Motown/Philly grooves, that hits hard but fails to land a knockout blow. It seems to be a case of not being able to fully satisfy the hip-hop heads, the R&B fans and the amorphous genre-less Venn diagram in between.
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the current
The record is a master class is making good musical choices, and word is, on this record executive producer Dr. Dre gave Anderson .Paak the keys to make a lot of decisions on his own. What .Paak did is create a modern soul masterpiece - with legendary artists like Brandy, Jazmine Sullivan and Smokey Robinson joining .Paak's incredible voice. It's an extraordinary listen that I imagine I'll be listening to for years to come.
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HIGHSNOBIETY
The whole thing is pleasant enough, and certainly won’t scare off any diehard fans, but it’s not likely to win him any new one’s either. California has been .Paak’s muse for four albums now, it’s probably a good thing it won’t lend its name to a fifth.
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VIBE
Just five months after his last album Oxnard, Anderson .Paak has returned with Ventura – its soulful, intimate companion piece.
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THEYOUNGFOLKS
Ventura has somehow harnessed the essential elements of Paak’s essential elements. It takes purified music and inexplicably made it better. It’s turning a gold brick into a diamond somehow. A tight 40 minutes in 11 tracks, Ventura features crisp instrumentation that easily locks into place like clockwork.
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HOT PRESS
Smooth R&B Recovery After Priapic Misstep.
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Soul in Stereo
Overall, Ventura proves what I’ve been preaching in these reviews for years now – Less. Is. More.
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GIGWISE
For fans of Paak’s work with Mac Miller and live shows with Thundercat, this album is for you. And so, listen if not for .Paak’s extraordinary musicianship but for its deft production, old-school influences and Ventura spirit on some of the best hip-hop and rap of 2019. Ventura is surely a force to be reckoned with.
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THE POST
Ventura, an epic return to the soulful sounds that got him discovered in the first place. The album is not only a great return back to his initial sound, but it is also beautifully produced, with gorgeous instrumentation and vocals.
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MARQUETTE WIRE
“Ventura” is filled with daydream R&B melodies and easygoing vibes.
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SOFLOSOUND
Ventura more than succeeds: it is an embodiment of simple living in both love and music, channeled through one of the genre’s most charismatic men.
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THE DIAMONDBACK
On the versatile Anderson .Paak’s newest album Ventura, he re-channels the musical vibes that catapulted him to notoriety. For fans, luckily, it’s reminiscent of Malibu, the first album that introduced the world to his unique voice.
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DOPECAUSEWESAID
Overall, I really enjoy this project and after just a couple listens, I was able to place it above “Oxnard”. While I’m glad that .Paak signed with Dre, if this is the music that .Paak makes when working solo, maybe he should stay isolated a bit more often.
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The Daily Nebraskan
Anderson .Paak’s ‘Ventura’ sounds like B-tracks, lacks creative energy.
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RHYTHM RELOAD magazine
Ventura proves that Anderson has learned from his mistakes on Oxnard, and has learned to satisfy his nostalgic soul musically, while still slightly catering to mainstream audiences.
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PENN STATE COMMEDIA
“Ventura” certainly delivers in ways his fans hoped he would, but when everything is said and done, we find ourselves left with mere scenes of greatness.
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PALATINATE
While Oxnard sounded like Anderson .Paak being restrained by his new record deal, Ventura’s freedom provided a refreshing taste of pure .Paak magic. A return to his soulful, jazzy roots was just what he needed, but one thing for sure, is that Anderson .Paak isn’t ‘peakin’ anytime soon.
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Daily Emerald
Paak dives deep into his soul, funk and R&B influences on this album, with groovy bass lines throughout the whole project and a summery, carefree attitude.
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The True Blue Note
Anderson .Paak is able to once again dazzle and delight with Ventura, another groovy, fun-filled album to add to his already impressive catalog.
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Medium
If Oxnard was a grand, collaborative homecoming, grounded in his influences, Ventura is a purer piece of .Paak, a solid return to his original, breakthrough sound.
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Daily Nexus
Ventura, .Paak’s second project in under six months, makes it abundantly clear that this artist refuses to be written off or defined by his mistakes. His meteoric ascent into stardom naturally bred lofty expectations regarding the trajectory of his career, but this time around .Paak decides to let the music speak for itself.
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PAPYRUS
In a year that has not seen many memorable releases so far, Ventura stands out as arguably the best, and it could not have come sooner, as its tone and aesthetic are perfect for the spring and summer months.
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highlight
Ventura is a superbly produced album, satisfying listeners with a new style and tone, but also showcases Anderson .Paak’s growth from previous records.
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THIRSTKEY
"Ventura" takes us back to a more soulful side of Anderson .Paak and his skills in that department are as refined as they've ever been. The album is soothing, fun, and like all of Anderson's projects, has sky-high replay value.
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UPROXX
Anderson .Paak’s Triumphant ‘Ventura’ Eclipses ‘Oxnard’ With Its More Grounded Soul.
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4 out of 5
Ventura isn’t a total failure, but it shows Paak in a stylistic rut, re-doing sounds he’s done better on several occasions.
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stereoboard
Anderson .Paak’s new record is excellent: a rich, energetic return to groovy modern soul that reins in the edgier hip hop tones seen on 2018’s 'Oxnard'. And while his music sometimes feels derivative, it gives space to a singer and musical character of fabulous poise and endeavour.
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ALBUMISM
Joy and happiness permeate throughout the album, even when addressing things that are less than joyful and that is due to the fact that Paak is back on solid soul ground. His truth shines through the prism of his true musical self-expression, creating something that sounds more natural.
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Hit Up Ange
With Ventura, .Paak leaves behind the womanizing presence that fueled Oxnard. He turns in the tinted windows for a drop top, exposing every inch of his character that made Malibu a success. Barring that .Paak gets another recording itch, Ventura should have staying power, especially with beach season right around the corner.
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Radio 13
All in all, Ventura is an excellent piece of joyous soulful funk that serves as a remarkable follow up to Oxnard in its contrast to its hip-hop heavy predecessor.
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kulture hub
Ventura gives off feel-good vibes.
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K-UTE Radio
This is one of the best albums of 2019 thus far and will remain that regardless of what other big artists drop for the rest of the year.
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RIFFS & RHYMES
Ventura a unique album and a project worth revisiting many times over. It’s incredibly nostalgic, yet feels fresh and full of life – a formula that should continue to create great success for the foreseeable future.
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Music.Mxdwn
Ventura is a funky return to the glossy grooves that defined Paak’s music before Oxnard. While there are undoubtedly questionable moments production-wise as well as a fair share of dull and awkward moments vocally, Paak delivers yet another compelling, lively album that has undoubted appeal across multiple genres.
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TFC
Anderson does a great job here. If you’re into his music or R&B in general, check this one out. Just don’t anticipate it to knock your socks off.
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SOLISOVER.2020
Anderson .Paak is responsible for some of the best soul & r&b music within the last decade with his inclusion on Dr. Dre’s Compton album. His release of albums like Malibu threw him into success & eventually we got Oxnard, his soul/hip hop fusion baby. After only a few months we have a return to form with his new album Ventura.
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Zone Coverage
This album is beautiful and stands out from his other albums, and I’m glad to see this man continue to branch out and still make incredible music, no matter what sounds he decides to incorporate into his music.
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ACRN.com
Ventura feels more like an apology to fans who didn’t enjoy Oxnard than .Paak spreading his wings and flaunting his musical chops, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a worthwhile listen.
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Eject Music
Anderson .Paak gives us little time to breathe and reset as his new album Ventura not only follows closely from Oxnard, but also builds on all its best attributes.
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Davis' Blog
"Ventura" is a celebration of Anderson Paak's return to the throne of the neo-soul genre, a style of music dedicated to bringing back old school soul music sound with a more modern pace and upbeat style.
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Surreal Resolution
Ventura offers that with more of that organic production, live instrumentation, smooth/groovy vibes, and the features blending in well with all the production, showing us why we all love to listen to Anderson. Paak.
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EXEPOSE'
This entire album is a whirlwind of smooth soul, jazz, funk, and R&B energy; a true west coast record that, in my eyes, brings Paak back to the glory days of his Malibu hijinks.
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