Saturn

Pitchfork 7.7/10 On her second album, the London singer-songwriter examines personal growth, romantic upheaval, and the trials of young adulthood through an astrological lens.

The Line of Best Fit 9/10 A powerful documentation of letting relationships, jobs and regrets go, Saturn is an emotional journey through struggle and empowerment, through loss and rebirth.

NME 4/5 An astronomical album, filled with blessings, Nao’s second record fuses R&B and jazz to explore the hardships and feelings of being a modern-day black woman.

DIY 3/5 ‘Saturn’ is a triumph and by reflecting so intensely on her struggles, Nao seems to have emerged a stronger person for it.

The Independent 4/5 Saturn is a work in perpetual orbit, which leads the listener through NAO’s personal journey over the past few years. It’s an album that feels grounded and also futuristic.

The Skinny 5/5 NAO assuredly ascends into the stratosphere with sophomore album Saturn, an open diary that leaves you both rooting for and absorbed in the afflictions of the angelic singer.

Clash 8/10 Nao is entirely galactic on this record – there is an omnipresent sensation of otherness throughout the album. Whether it be in the trademark effluvient vocal or in the consistently atmospheric and glistening instrumental, ‘Saturn’ is spacial.

Loud and Quiet 7/10 ‘Saturn’’s sonic palette and millennial anxieties are both strikingly modern, a testament to Nao’s perceptiveness as a songwriter.

The Guardian 4/5 With the rise of R&B classicists in the form of Jorja Smith, Ella Mai and Mahalia, Nao presents a compelling alternative to the mainstream.