INTRODUCTION

(Turns around in my chair like a Supervillian) Hello….I bet you’ve been expecting me…as the certified Madeon Guy in most of my friend circles. It was inevitable this day would come. The day where I tism out about HIS NEW. FREAKING. ALBUM!!!!! It has been almost 7 years since Good Faith dropped, and whilst there have been small drops inbetween such as “All Your Love”, “Gonna Be Good” and also well, Good Faith Live being run LOL, we have deprived of truly NEW Madeon stuff for a while, SO IMAGINE MY HAPPINESS TO DISCOVER A NEW MADEON ERA WAS ON THE RISE!!!

Whilst there was (and is) some pushback to Victory, which I do understand, I am really happy this is the direction Madeon decided to go into for his third album. If there’s anything I admire about him and his music, it’s his ability to experiment and try new things. Adventure specifically really made me think about the power art can have on your own creative spirit and life. I hope Victory can ignite that same passion in others as Adventure did for me. IT’S ALSO JUST SOOOOO AWESOME as someone who’s loved Madeon’s darker work to see him INDULGE IN IT! IN A FULL ALBUM!!! AUUUUGH. WE ALL USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THESE.

Naturally, I’ve been keeping up with all of the new Victory stuff the best I can! I’ve been listening to the singles as they release (I remember my first proper listen of “HI!” being on the shuttle to my creative program while my ex and friends talked amongst each other LOL, it was really lovely and I do cherish that memory) and god I’ve been. SO. HYPED. whilst the release cycle has been a bit rough, THE DAY IS FINALLY HERE!

From that debut at Red Rocks to the Hi! Pop-up teaser to the freaking Victory Band website…it’s just been such a ride and I’m so happy to properly be a part of it! Especially cause wink wink, I’m planning to participate in a Victory fanzine! It’s just been a lovely lovely time.

This post will mainly be my thoughts on the tracks on the album with some small extra stuff thrown in! If I ever get the stamina for it maybe I’ll discuss how exceptional Victory Live is, but maybe that’ll have to wait until I ACTUALLY SEE IT IN PERSON!!! Which I hope to do!!! ESPECIALLY since I’m gonna go somewhere more concert-heavy soon! I can only hope…

As for my review system, I’ll be giving rating’s out of 5 stars in 3 categories. Which are:

1. “Production Value” i.e: the actual music instrumentation and how it is on a technical level!

2. “Inspirational Value” i.e, how much I personally feel inspired by or can imagine a story to the music, is it creative and awe inspiring? does it provide good amv potential? MANY such questions like that!

3. And finally! “Melodic Value” i.e: how GROOVY is the song? would I dance to this shit? is it something I’d belt from the back of a car? do I find myself needing to google the lyrics, or are they memorable? Does the impact hit the same every time? Ect Ect!

Now, with all that established, let’s get into the track list!

Tracklist

Hi!

Starting off with the album opener, “Hi!”! Initially the reception to this song from many was with mixed, and I somewhat understand it. Adventure and Good Faith are much more whimsical and rooted in typical EDM-isms whilst Hi! is a very big showcase of this more grunge/rock turn Madeon is taking with Victory and Victory Live. While I personally adore it (I mean, I’ve ALWAYS been a Celine and Prince truther, I love Madeon when he takes on a darker sound!) I can also get why it’s not some people’s thing.

In terms of production value, Hi is technically very fascinating to me. Of course, I for the trillionth time admire Madeon’s impressive plunderphonics, one of my favorite things about his work! And melodically, the lyrics to this song are also SOOOOOO god damn catchy! I always end up banging my head and struggle not to sing along when I listen back to this song. The “WE LOVE IT” chants are absolutely iconic to this era and there really isn’t a single boring moment in this song. It’s just so very awesome.

The main thing this song lacks in for me is inspirational value, that’s just fine though! I think the song’s strongest parts are it’s instrumentation and strong sense of style, and the vibe alone is enough to get me pondering my orb about it….

Car Crash Baby

Car Crash Baby was the second single released for Victory and good god, it is one of my favorites, which is REALLY SAYING SOMETHING! There are so many good songs on this album it’s crazy!!! Car Crash Baby expands on all of the good parts of “Hi!” and comes in with a very enticing story (to me at least!)

Something some folks criticize about Madeon’s music I’ve seen is the simplicity of his lyrics, which I’d actually argue is something that makes his music very appealing to me! While they aren’t always perfect (who can be?), when they hit they Hit. The emotion behind them is enough for me to excuse the so-called “simplicity”. “I love you like a car crash, baby” is such a powerful line to me.

The song is also elevated by the EXCEPTIONAL second half, the beautiful tone change, OEOOUUUGUGUGUGH. It gets me EVERY TIME! It really captures the previous whimsical tone found in Adventure and Good Faith while still maintaining the new quirks of Victory. It also (in my opinion), helps drive this sort of feeling of being in this destructive relationship home. There are moments where the pain feels calm, almost beautiful. The fact that Madeon as an artist can capture moments like that with only a few sounds is very lovely to me. It’s something I hope to emulate with my own creative work someday!

Super Platinum

Oh now we are getting INTO IT.

I will be so real, Super Platinum has been my favorite Victory track since I heard it for the first time during that iconic Red Rocks livestream (thank you to the people streaming for all of us who couldn’t attend! we are forever in debt to you!). It is exceptional from start to finish. The PRODUCTION on the song is just ABSURD. While I am sad we lost some silly bits from the live version, I still adore the final production. I also AM SO. GOD DAMN HAPPY. that they merged ALL THE LIVE COMMENTARY into THIS SPECIFIC SONG!!!! It’s just such a perfect fit for it and it’s just. uuuugh its so good.

It’s also no damn secret that another reason I adore this song is because I associate it with Lia and I’ve had an animatic idea for it since I heard it. ONE DAY!!! It’s also just so hard NOT to jam the fuck out to this song. I feel the beat in my BONES. It also gets extra points for being (I believe) one of the most plunderphonic heavy songs on the album LOL. God. If you listen to any song from this album, LISTEN TO THIS ONE!!!! It’s genuinely a 10/10 from me. No notes. This unironically is some of Madeon’s best work yet, I LOOOOVE SUPER PLATINUM!

Dancing On Your Grave

THE FIRST NON-SINGLE AND NON-LIVE SONG! I admit, I was very skeptical when I initially heard most of the live songs wouldn’t make it to the final album. Knowing how stuff with Adventure turned out, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a Victory Deluxe sometime, but regardless. I was especially skeptical when looking at the titles, they didn’t stand out a ton to me so I was worried they would flop, and within a few seconds of listening to this song I was proven SO WRONG! I really like this one! This one also was a lot lighter in sound than I expected from the title alone! I actually avoided most of the teasers for this one LOL so I went in completely blind!

“Dancing On Your Grave” as others have noted, is very Porter Robinson “Smile” esq, which was a lovely surprise and I love seeing how Madeon and Porter influence each others work! Artists connecting with each other like artists do never fails to make me smile…but Madeon takes a lot of those “Smile” esq traits and give them his own unique spin on it. It gives off the same sort of playful vibe as something like “For You” but this song is extremely vulnerable at the same time.

I’ll be honest I’ve been pondering a potiential Spy Anya animatic to this song… “I'm feeling a desperate need to use somebody, Like I'm turning into you” is such an evil god damn lyric. ENOUGH. ENOUGH!!!!!! This song really captures the feeling of trying to get over a shitty relationship in any form. The music portrays both those initial feelings of freedom while also pulling you back down into the soft wounded parts of yourself that can’t help but long for what was there before. The instrumental break near the middle, eooougugugh its so good. Its So Good, and then the build up and the DROP. I really hope this one gets played live its sooooo good…

Somebody Else

On my first like 10 seconds of listening I was like ehhh…this sounds a bit too much like Dancing on your gr- AND THEN I WAS HIT WITH THE MAJESTIC INSTRUMENTATION SENT FROM THE HEAVENS ITSELF. This song’s production is Heavenly. It’s just so gentle yet strong and I adore it. It honestly reminds me a ton of Borealis from Good Faith, someone should make a mashup of the two! This song feels like a sort of spiritual sibling to it.

The build-up’s in this song are jsut something else. and that. GOD. DAMN. DROP. I know I said something similar for Dancing On Your Grave but i mean it for this one. THE DROP IN THIS IS ACTUALLY LIKE. WHAT IS THAT MELODY???? I was STUNNED when i heard it for the first time, it’s so beautiful. Dancing On Your Grave and Somebody Else honestly feels like two sides of the same story in a way. This one hit harder for me personally than Dancing On Your Grave but omfg still. guys. WHAT THE HELL!

Fire Away

Good god, while initially I wasn’t super drawn to this song’s live version, over time it’s quickly warmed up to being one of my favorites. Slayyyter’s addition in the final album also for sure helps it stand out amongst the other songs and she also just has such a BEAUTIFUL voice. My cracktheory take is that Madeon should collaborate with Pinkpantheress sometime soon, THEY’RE BOTH RELEASING BIG ALBUMS RN!!! THEY’RE HUGE FOR THE PLUNDERPHONIC FOLK!!! It would change lives. Also French EDM x British drum and bass? That sounds so Fucking Cool.

The lyrical content of this song is also just so fucking cool, “already forgot my halo” and “i raise a glass like a loaded gun” is sooooooo SOOOOO. ITS SOOOOOOO god damn. It just hits different man. This song really delves into that darker sound and it’s just so tense yet rhythmic I LOOOOVE IIIIIIIT! or should I say WE love it…Heh….its so freaking good.

Chaos Magic

CHAOS. GOD DAMN. MAGIC. From start to finish this song just radiates the same edgy coolness that Shadow the Hedgehog (who I assume this song is named after, unsurprising given Madeon’s noted influence from Sonic’s OST’s) gives whilst having an original identity. This song is just. So. FUCKING. COOOOOOOOL. The type of shit that makes me want to ride on a motorcycle during a sunset or something.

Also, obligatory, gotta say it. Thank you Madeon for making a song specifically with Chaos in the name so I can apply it to Chaos forever. Animatic one day as well but heavy on this one cause good god. The production on this is, once again, ABSURD. I am completely trapped in the world of this song everytime I listen. and the SYNTHS AT THE END SOUNDING LIKE SCREAMS? ARE WE JOKING? SOMEONE GET THIS MAN OUT OF THE KITCHEN THERE ISN’T ENOUGH FOOD TO GO AROUND!!!! He’s cooked TOO MUCH!!! This one is juuuuust soooo gooooood. I used to pray for times like these brah, finally. Also one of my favorites from the album, it’s just excellent.

Enjoy

Initially hearing this one, I was a bit confused at the sudden tone shift from Chaos Magic until… the DAMN MUSIC KICKED IN. Never underestimate a Madeon song shit will pay itself off in 2 seconds. Truly. but god, this one VERY quickly grew on me. I LOOOOOOOVE the soft little bell/piano notes in the background complimenting the harsh “ENJOY” plunderphonic repetition and hard synths/beat. This song is very Jack to me, especially with the lyrics touching on lies and what not LOL. It’s also a weirdly tropical sort of song? It feels like the beach for some reason to me.

This one is also super plunderphonics heavy which gets +10000 points from me, the part where we hear more of the sample near the end is just so hypnotic. I love this one so terribly, it’d make an awesome edit audio honestly someones gotta do it. Idgaf with what blorbo but you’ve gotta do it. this song is so freaking good dude.

Red Jacket

Unfortunately, probably my least favorite out of all the songs on the album at this point in time. Not to say it’s terrible or anything though! It’s still very nice, but it’s got the least unique pointers serving in its favor which sucks a bit, especially since it was the only non-live song to get a single LOL.

This song still ROCKS regardless though! Perhaps it is even…Red ro (I AM KILLED INSTANTLY), I do like different vocal quality done here, but I do think the beat is kinda samey to other songs to really stand on its own, which again is weird because it technically came out first LOL. I could see this one being a cool edit audio also though, EDITORS GET ON IT!!!!

Lonely Space Age

The closer of an album undoubtly almost always has a lot of pressure placed upon it, it’s essentially how you’re ending the Musical Meal as it will be so if it flops, it risks ruining the whole experience. I was worried for this one, considering again, was a bit offput by the title, but when listening, I was found completely transfixed by it’s sound!

Lonely Space Age gives off very somber yet contemplative vaporwave to me, it really feels like you’re floating through the universe and thinking about all of your mistakes “I'm a shadow of the hero you forgot” is also just such an insane lyric, truthfully. same with “Cause "I love you" is the weapon of this crime” AND ESPECIALLY “I just miss the way you loved me like a child”. god. this one is for sure the most emotional out of all the tracks.

Lonely Space Age delivers on Victory’s previous set up of these seemingly failed relationship(s) and their relation (ha) to Hugo (the characters) fame and his band. I mean what no there isnt a band what are we talking about hahaha. It really feels like having everything click after shit has gone soooooo wrong. It also ends on SUCH an ominous note too….ONCE AGAIN. RELEASE. TEH DAMN. DELUXE VERSION!!!! I am NOT allowing things to end sadly…

While it currently isn’t like a huge #1 for me, this one I can still recognize as being brilliant. I’m sure it’ll grow on me more with time, but it’s a very interesting way to end the album, and it contrasts the ending of what could be considered part of this album’s pre-conception “Celine”, who’s Absolu ends in a violent raging scream, whilst this one ends in a descending somber drone. It’s just so utterly fascinating. ALSO excited to see this one live for SURE. The visuals I’m sure will be insane.

BONUS: VICTORY LIVE!

HA! You thought I was done!!! NO!!! I’m including Victory live too :3 because why not! and good god I can’t NOT. I’m only gonna talk about purely new original stuff, sadly no remixes, but I WILL say that the miracle/no fear no more and THE GOD DAMN. BEINGS X LA LUNE mixes are my absolute favorites. My millionth promise of an animatic but seriously guys Someday. Anyways…lets dig into the live songs!

Revolution

HELLOOOOOO REVOLUTION! Love the title both for the obvious Daft Punk connection, paying homage to Madeon’s primary inspiration musically, AND also for accidentally having a connection to rgu. Madeon watch Utena it will change your music forever idgaf if you don’t like anime YOU’RE WATCHING THAT SHIT!!!! NOW!!!!

This one (at least in the live thus far), is very simple, with only really a sentence it builds it’s lyrics upon, but it’s instrumentation is just so powerful and the way those lyrics are DELIVERED just. god. I knoooooow logisitcally the lyric is likely “revolution” twice, but I can’t stop hearing it as “revelation, revolution”, which just sounds 1000x cooler so I’m choosing to believe it’s that for now.

I also am in LOVE with the sample at the start and how it ties into the tone of the song, it’s just so FREAKING. COOL! This song honestly feels like a mini version of the vibe of Chaos Magic, it’s very lovely. I hope it gets expanded upon into it’s own song, especially because it’s the least lyrically focused one making it stand out and tying it to some of Madeon’s older discography!

Hugo 2

This. Song. I have NOT seen ANYONE talk about this song like it deserves. the concept of this ALONE is just insane to me. I loooove the idea of fighting with a previous version of yourself or a different version its just so. FREAKING.. EOUUUUGH the symbolism. the things you could do with it, and the music illustrates Madeon in his prime beautifully. The lighter synths paired with the angelic choir voice and of COURSE. THE EVIL SHELTER VOICE COMING IN? WHAAAAAAT. MY JAW DROPPED WHEN I HEARD THAT. especially with the paired visual of hugo SHOOTING HIMSELF ON STAGE? HELLO? So called EDM fans get told not to kill themselves at a porter robinson concert first then are shown Madeon killing a version of himself at the next!!! What hysteria!!!!

You’re not gonna believe this guys, but I Also have a big animatic idea for this one. WHO WOULD’VE GUESSED! I can’t help but think about Lia when listening to this song ok? IT’S SO FREAKING GOOD! Please release a studio version Madeon….I WILL GIVE YOU MY LIFE.

CONCLUSION!

To conclude the best I can, I’d honestly give Victory overall a ★★★★★ on production, a ★★★★☆ on inspirational value, and a ★★★☆☆ on melodic value. These ratings obviously can change overtime though LOL. It ranks extremely highly for me (as does all of Madeon’s work), but I really think even if you don’t feel especially Cheesed by the new direction, you should give the album a shot! It’s really just so good. Listen man. Folie a Deux was a departure from Fall Out Boy’s “usual style” at the time and it’s what I’d consider their best work, so who knows! Maybe it’ll be like that for you to! Or not! If anything, something very underrated about art is interacting with stuff you don’t like, you might learn more about yourself than you think! But regardless. EVERYONE MANIFEST I WILL SEE VICTORY LIVE IN 3…2…1 oh my GOSH IS THAT SPIKEY VICTO (I am killed by a semitruck)