Top tracks — play these first
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Skies Don’t Lie Start here — establishes the sonic palette early
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Changed the Way You Kiss Me — This track features an infectious chorus combined with a danceable beat, marking a significant move towards commercial appeal that defined this album's success.
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Stay Awake — With its high-energy production and anthemic quality, this track exemplifies the album's ability to merge club-ready beats with relatable lyrics about living in the moment.
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Natural Disaster — The song blends emotional storytelling with electrifying production, showcasing Example's lyrical versatility and ability to connect personal experiences to broader themes.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends energetic hooks with varied lyrical themes but lacks a strong cohesive flow across its length.
What we noticed
- Lyrical content varies from personal narratives to party anthems, with a noticeable shift in mood and tempo between tracks like 'Changed the Way You Kiss Me' and 'Wrong in the Head'.
- Composition 25% of the score
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6/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady mid-tempo dance vibes
- club-ready tracks for nightlife
- uplifting energy for gatherings
- catchy hooks for sing-alongs
Maybe skip if you
- prefer slower, reflective music
- seek experimental, unpredictable sounds
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Breakthrough — Established Example's mainstream status after transitioning from underground roots.
- Career context
- Playing in the Shadows is Example's third studio album, following his breakthrough record, Won't Go Quietly. At this point in his career, Example was transitioning from underground grime roots to mainstream success, refining his sound while collaborating with prominent producers like Mike Spencer.
Tracklist
- 1 Skies Don’t Lie Start here 4:25
- 2 Stay Awake 3:24
- 3 Changed the Way You Kiss Me 3:12
- 4 The Way 4:28
- 5 Natural Disaster 5:06
- 6 Never Had a Day 3:53
- 7 Microphone 4:16
- 8 Playing in the Shadows 4:39
- 9 Midnight Run 4:00
- 10 Under the Influence 4:55
- 11 Wrong in the Head 3:11
- 12 Anything 3:32
- 13 Lying to Yourself 3:44
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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