Heart on My Sleeve (album)

"Not Another Love Song" was released as the lead single on 2 October 2020.^[4] Its music video was released on 20 October 2020.^[5] "DFMU" was released on 28 January 2022, as the second single, alongside a music video.^[6] "Leave You Alone" was released on 31 March 2022, as the third single.^[7] "How" featuring Roddy Ricch was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on 7 June 2022, as the fourth single.^[8] Its music video was released on 28 July 2022.^[9]

A deluxe edition of the album featuring three additional songs was released on 2 February 2023 in conjunction with the announcement of Mai's Heart on My Sleeve North American tour.^[10] "This Is", a track from the deluxe edition, was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on 14 March 2023 as the fifth single.^[11]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	74/100[12]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[13]
Clash	8/10[14]
The Observer	[15]
Pitchfork	7.3/10[16]
The Telegraph	[17]

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Heart on My Sleeve received positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 74 based on six reviews.^[12] Clash critic Naima Sutton described Heart on My Sleeve as "back and just as soulful as ever," praising Mai for investing "several incredibly personal parts of her psyche into the project.. She highlighted standout songs like "Not Another Love Song", "Break My Heart", and "Power of A Woman", concluding that while the album's "aural range [...] isn't massive," it remains cohesive, polished, and a strong follow-up to her debut.^[14] Pitchfork's Eric Torres described the album as a "solid follow-up that centers her strengths as a singer and songwriter," praising them its lush instrumentation, tactile elements, and well-chosen guest appearances. While noting occasional filler tracks such as "DFMU" and "Feels Like," Torres highlighted how the "best songs are closely in tune with Mai's emotions," with her "sumptuous voice and attention to detail2 making the record a "beguiling delight."^[16]

Damien Morris from The Observer observed that Heart on My Sleeve moves beyond the "happy 90s nostalgia" of Mai's debut into "tricksy rhythms and odd magic," noting that while the album is again filled with love songs, Mai demonstrates her skill in "parsing the everyday dramas of twentysomething relationships in relatable [...] language." He highlighted tracks like "Fallen Angel", "Pieces", and "Trying"for their inventive production and forward-looking sound, though he suggested the album could benefit from more local London influence amid its polished American-style production.^[15] Kate French-Morris, writing for The Telegraph described Heart on My Sleeve as an album where she continues "swimming in [her] feelings," blending 1990s-inspired R&B with modern self-love and sprightly beats. While noting the album is "still too long," French-Morris praised its emotional maturity, and contributions such as Mary J. Blige's cameo, concluding that Mai demonstrates her intent "not just on orbiting, but becoming” a major R&B star."^[17] AllMusic editor Andy Kellman noted that the album continues "Mai's signature style of "spacey slow jams and lingering ballads," describing the album as "writing a little more openly than before." While praising her collaboration with Mustard and other producers, Kellman observed that the album's "lack of variance in tempo [...] makes Heart on My Sleeve downright torpid at points," though he acknowledged that Mai's subtle vibrato and occasional upticks enhance the record.^[13]

In the United States, Heart On My Sleeve debuted and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200, number nine on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number two on the Top R&B Albums chart, earning 20,000 album-equivalent units (15,000 being pure album sales) in its first week.^[18] In the United Kingdom, the album opened and peaked at number 13 on the R&B Albums Chart and number 55 on the Album Downloads Chart, but did not enter the official UK Albums Chart.^[19][20]