"Are We There Yet?" - Rick Astley Album Review

Make sure to tell your parents and grandparents that Rick Astley has released another album, and this time he is shocking his fans. Astley has branched out and adapted his music to 2023, yet he still sounds as mystical as he did in 1987 with the release of his first album “Whenever You Need Somebody.”

Astley has had a whirlwind of a career, starting his career in 1985 and completely changing his style in 1990. His career began in the dance-pop genre and he truly embodied the “boy next door” style. However, in 1990 he decided to completely alter his appearance and switch to the passion & soul music genre, and even growing out his hair to complete this transition.

Astley never really got to let his soulful music make it to the top of his career, as his famous dance-pop single “Never Gonna Give You Up” became a British highest-selling single, and also a worldwide number-one hit. Obviously, Astley's career took off like a rocket after this intense rise to stardom, and the iconic music video secured his place in fame.

Between the ages of 28 and 34, Astley decided to retire, focusing on his family and raising his daughter Emilie. Astley also claims he was growing tired of the music industry and the business side of the career, and needed a break from the fame. This “retirement” was short-lived though, most likely because Astley was insanely young and realized he still needed money.

In 2000 Astley started releasing new music and even made some songs into club hits (even with an 8-year-old daughter). Since his ex-retirement he has released five albums, the fifth one being “Are We There Yet?” on Oct. 13, 2023.

This album was supposed to be released on Oct. 6, 2023, however, Astley posted a hilarious post on Instagram captioning it “We are not quite there yet” and said that there were production delays. Nonetheless, the ninth studio album is finally in the hands of listeners and it is an absolute masterpiece.

The album opens with the song “Dippin My Feet” and it is the greatest introduction for this album, showing Astley's divergence towards a more retro, Gen-Z feel and that his music has evolved with time. Astley then leads into possibly his best song on the album, “Golden Hour.” This song is outstandingly beautiful, mesmerizing and truly a meaningful song meant for a wedding's first dance.

Astley has some songs on this album that are also unique in an unexpected way, such as “Forever & More” and “Close (Your Shoes).” These songs stand out on their own and almost mirror Astley’s more soulful music from the 1990s.

Overall, Astley has proven himself to be extremely talented and more than just his hit “Never Gonna Give You Up.” This album perfectly exemplifies Astley's past work and his evolution and adaptation towards a new genre.

Rating: 7/10

Reviewers favorite songs: “Golden Hour,” “Close (Your Shoes),” “Blue Sky”

Reviews least favorite songs: “Maria Love,” “Driving Me Crazy,” “Waterfall”

Grace Bowman is a third-year majoring in biology and minoring in psychological sciences. To contact her, email gab5585@psu.edu