B-Side Guys

Roisin O'Connor

Roisin O'Connor’s album reviews that count toward B-Side Breakdowns: 76 reviews, going back to 2017, each next to the album’s Breakdown.

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Writes for

What they review

  • Pop 29%
  • Indie & Alternative 22%
  • Hip-Hop & Rap 16%
  • Rock 14%

Find Roisin O'Connor

By the numbers

2A-Sides reviewed, the albums the critics rate highest
13albums given a perfect score
10years of their reviews we track, 2017 to 2026
How their scores spread
  • 0–498
  • 50s0
  • 60s11
  • 70s0
  • 80s44
  • 90+13

Their favorites

  1. Olivia RodrigoYou Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love 100 The Independent
  2. Kacey MusgravesMiddle of Nowhere 100 The Independent
  3. The WeekndHurry Up Tomorrow 100 The Independent
  4. RosalíaMotomami 100 The Independent
  5. Tyler, the CreatorCall Me If You Get Lost 100 The Independent

Artists they keep coming back to

Their scores for each artist, in release order.

A-Sides they reviewed

2 albums that earned an A-Side, the critics’ top tier; they scored 2 of them 75 or higher.

Every review

Outlet
Charli XCXMusic, Fashion, Film“The pop star’s seventh album plays around with a number of ideas about her three favourite artforms, along with questions of identity and self-worth. It’s strange to hear her sounding…”The Independent via Wikipedia60 3/582Jul 24, 2026
The Rolling StonesForeign TonguesThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/573Jul 10, 2026
MadonnaConfessions IIThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/576Jul 2, 2026
Olivia RodrigoYou Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love“US artist scatters warning signs through the first side of the album in a way that feels pre-emptive, like she should have seen them all along”The Independent via Wikipedia100 5/587Jun 12, 2026
Paul McCartneyThe Boys of Dungeon LaneThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/581May 29, 2026
Kacey MusgravesMiddle of Nowhere“Grammy-winning star revels in sprawling songs about single life, dry spells and toxic exes, against a sonic backdrop inspired by her homes in Mexico and Texas”The Independent via Wikipedia100 5/580May 1, 2026
Harry StylesKiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.“After discovering la dolce vita in Italy, pop’s millennial king wants to make us dance – and respect our mothers”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/575Mar 6, 2026
Robbie WilliamsBritpop“Former Take That singer is on top form for his first proper album in a decade, throwing in a Gary Barlow reunion just for the hell of it”The Independent via Wikipedia60 3/573Jan 16, 2026
Florence + the MachineEverybody Scream“Inspired by a near-death experience, Florence Welch conjures up a fantastic collection of songs that find her wrestling with her role as a performer, her status among ‘the greats’, and…”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/583Oct 31, 2025
Taylor SwiftThe Life of a ShowgirlThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/567Oct 3, 2025
The Black KeysNo Rain, No FlowersThe Independent via Wikipedia60 3/565Aug 8, 2025
The WeekndHurry Up TomorrowThe Independent via Wikipedia100 5/5742025
Katy Perry143“The sense of fun that propelled Perry to international stardom has been replaced by a weariness (or perhaps wariness) of the industry she once dominated”The Independent via Wikipedia40 2/5402024
Doja CatScarlet“As with hit 2021 album ‘Planet Her’, this record operates in its own strange world”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5662023
Foo FightersBut Here We Are“Frontman Dave Grohl sounds startlingly fragile on certain tracks, as though still numb with the shock of drummer Taylor Hawkins’s death”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5842023
Depeche ModeMemento Mori“Dave Gahan and Martin Gore’s first album since the death of their bandmate Andrew Fletcher offers a more nuanced side of their dark electronic sound”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5822023
PlaceboNever Let Me GoThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5812022
RosalíaMotomami“Rosalía’s third record is hypersexual, future-leaning brilliance, while hip-hop legends Cypress Hill remain as clear-headed on hazy-eyed matters as ever”The Independent via Wikipedia100 5/5902022
Avril LavigneLove Sux“Marr applies his scattershot sonics to matters of the pandemic era, while pop-punk queen Avril Lavigne offers a heady dose of nostalgia”The Independent via Wikipedia60 3/5722022
alt-JThe DreamThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5762022
The WeekndDawn FM“New record is a self-knowing contradiction to The Weeknd’s past celebrations of impermanence via one-night stands and sleazy affairs. Now he understands, even regrets, his flighty behaviour”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5822022
Silk SonicAn Evening with Silk Sonic“Snoop oversees the creme de la creme of Def Jam on his new album, while Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak) embrace the cheese on their Seventies-indebted debut”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5822021
Tyler, the CreatorCall Me If You Get Lost“The transitions between tracks are magnificent, each outro sliding virtually undetected into the next track”The Independent via Wikipedia100 5/5862021
Maroon 5JordiThe Independent via Wikipedia40 2/5412021
Little MixConfetti“Group’s clear Nineties influences mesh wonderfully with contemporary pop production”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5732020
DeftonesOhms“Idles compel you to pay attention on their vital third album, while Deftones are back to what they do best on ‘Ohms”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5842020
Fontaines D.C.A Hero’s DeathThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5832020
Taylor SwiftFolklore“This is an unconventional record – at least for the world’s biggest pop star. It’s also brilliant”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5882020
Pop SmokeShoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon“Record is not only a celebration, but an elegy for what else he could have achieved”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5712020
Jessie WareWhat’s Your Pleasure?“On her fourth album, Ware sounds gleefully unhindered in her exploration of desire, while Khruangbin offer a perfectly inoffensive third record. Nadine Shah’s ‘Kitchen Sink’ is a strong cocktail, garnished…”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5862020
The 1975Notes on a Conditional FormThe Independent via Wikipedia20 1/5692020
Norah JonesPick Me Up Off the FloorThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5802020
The WeekndAfter HoursThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5802020
BTSMap of the Soul: 7“As a full album, 7 shows how determined the band are to make this record as cinematic and immersive an experience as possible”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5812020
Justin BieberChanges“A number of songs about his new wife are so uninspired that he may as well be declaring his love for a household appliance”The Independent via Wikipedia40 2/5542020
Pet Shop BoysHotspotThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5762020
EminemMusic to Be Murdered By“It stands to reason that Eminem would align himself with Alfred Hitchcock, the director who supposedly inspired this album – they share an active distrust of women”The Independent via Wikipedia40 2/5662020
The WhoWhoThe Independent via Wikipedia60 3/5782019
Kanye WestJesus Is King“West’s delayed record feels more like a collection of skits than a studio album, and fans will no doubt be wondering whether all the hype and stress that preceded its…”The Independent via Wikipedia40 2/5612019
SlipknotWe Are Not Your Kind“The sheer ambition of ‘We Are Not Your Kind’ is just as staggering as their seminal record ‘Iowa’ – the dynamic might be even better”The Independent via Wikipedia100 5/5852019
Kaiser ChiefsDuckThe Independent via Wikipedia60 3/5622019
Thom YorkeANIMA“Yorke often tends to make his most explicit political comments outside of music. But there are moments here where you feel his rage”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5822019
Tyler, the CreatorIgor“Tyler has never been one for traditional song structure, but on his fifth album he’s like the Minotaur luring you through a maze that twists and turns round seemingly impossible…”The Independent via Wikipedia100 5/5842019
Lewis CapaldiDivinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent“22-year-old’s debut might be uninspired, but what it lacks in originality it makes up for in talent”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5632019
The CranberriesIn the End“Aldous Harding sounds delightfully free on her new album ‘Designer’, while The Cranberries find closure on their final record. Soak’s second album shows a bolder artist, but Catfish offer more…”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5752019
MuseSimulation Theory“Rock band's eighth album will be baffling to new listeners, and disappointing to old fans”The Independent via Wikipedia40 2/5622018
Lily AllenNo ShameThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5782018
Daron Malakian and Scars on BroadwayDictator“System of a Down’s Daron Malakian releases his long-awaited second solo album, while Jamaican singer Popcaan follows up on his 2014 debut with ‘Forever”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5742018
ImmortalNorthern Chaos GodsThe Independent via Wikipedia60 3/5732018
Florence + the MachineHigh as Hope“Florence Welch looks back on her youth with a mix of fondness and regret, and takes as stripped-back an approach as seems possible”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5732018
The CartersEverything Is Love“Two of the most innovative artists of a generation seem unbreakable as they fire shots at former friends and celebrate their own power”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5792018
Arctic MonkeysTranquility Base Hotel & Casino“On their sixth album, the Sheffield band land on something creative, intriguing and completely different”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5732018
Janelle MonáeDirty ComputerThe Independent via Wikipedia100 5/5892018
Anne-MarieSpeak Your Mind“Rising pop star Anne-Marie releases a debut album jam-packed with infectious, dance-worthy bangers, while Willie Nelson mourns departed friends on ‘Last Man Standing”The Independent via Wikipedia60 3/5612018
Cardi BInvasion of Privacy“This week, Cardi B is a musical chameleon on her debut album while Laura Veirs offers a welcome perspective on emotional turmoil on her 10th studio record”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5852018
Kylie MinogueGolden“In this week’s roundup, the Manics are as fervently political as ever, while Spanish rock band Hinds thrive on their imperfections”The Independent via Wikipedia60 3/5642018
Lana Del ReyLust for Life“Her duet with The Weeknd proves a masterful pairing, they stand out among their peers as two artists who have succeeded at crafting their own myth”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5772017
LordeMelodrama“Pure Heroine documented feelings of teenage ennui in a way that was both self-reflective and universal; Melodrama takes a similar approach to the early years of adulthood”The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5912017
The xxI See YouThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/5822017
Bring Me the HorizonAmoThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/581
Travis ScottAstroworldThe Independent via Wikipedia100 5/587
Mac MillerCirclesThe Independent via Wikipedia100 5/582
Kacey MusgravesDeeper WellThe Independent via Wikipedia100 5/576
6ix9ineDummy BoyThe Independent via Wikipedia20 1/538
Camila CabelloFamiliaThe Independent via Wikipedia60 3/570
Kacey MusgravesGolden HourThe Independent via Wikipedia100 5/589
Jonas BrothersHappiness BeginsThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/576
Tate McRaeI Used to Think I Could FlyThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/570
Imagine DragonsOriginsThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/555
Bring Me the HorizonPost Human: Survival HorrorThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/573
Panic! at the DiscoPray for the WickedThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/568
Alanis MorissetteSuch Pretty Forks in the RoadThe Independent via Wikipedia100 5/575
Mac MillerSwimmingThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/576
PinkTrustfallThe Independent via Wikipedia60 3/564
Foo FightersYour Favorite ToyThe Independent via Wikipedia80 4/579
Ed Sheeran÷The Independent via Wikipedia80 4/568

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