Audrey Hobert Who's the Clown?
Audrey Hobert's Who's the Clown? arrives as a sharp, self-aware debut that balances glossy pop production with diaristic storytelling, earning broad critical notice for its blend of humor and intimacy. Across professional reviews, critics repeatedly point to buoyant singles like “Thirst Trap” and quieter emotional centers such as “Phoebe” as definitive moments, while conversational highlights including “Sue Me”, “Bowling Alley” and “Wet Hair” surface as the record's most talked-about cuts. The collection scored a 79.75/100 consensus across four professional reviews, suggesting a warm critical reception that prizes Hobert's voice and specificity even as some reviewers wish for greater variety.
Critics consistently praise Hobert's knack for turning social anxiety, young romance and fame-tinged spectacle into compact pop vignettes, with reviewers noting how precise cultural detail and comic self-awareness elevate the best songs on Who's the Clown?. Praise centers on tight hooks and lyrical specificity - “Sue Me” is described as a viral-ready miniature packed with telling quotidian detail, “Thirst Trap” emerges as a synth-forward highlight, and “Phoebe” functions as the album's emotional linchpin. At the same time, several critics observe repetition of themes and occasional reliance on biographical shorthand in the back half, an area where outside collaborators might have added fresh texture.
Taken together, the critical consensus frames Who's the Clown? as a promising, often essential debut: witty, immediate and song-forward, with standout tracks that answer the question of what the best songs on the album are and a narrative voice that suggests stronger work to come. Read on for full reviews and track-by-track reactions that unpack where Hobert's strengths and limits lie.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Thirst Trap (duplicate handling)
1 mention
"the exhilarating highlight "Thirst Trap," which ends with the confessional closer"— Rolling Stone
Phoebe (duplicate handling)
1 mention
"The excellent "Phoebe" is a reflection on feeling comfortable in your own skin"— Rolling Stone
Thirst Trap
3 mentions
"Hobert concludes the song "Thirst Trap" on a hopeful note: "I once read that some people’s beauty can’t be captured.""— PopMatters
the exhilarating highlight "Thirst Trap," which ends with the confessional closer
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
I like to touch people
Sue me
Drive
Wet Hair
Bowling alley
Thirst Trap
Chateau
Sex and the city
Shooting star
Don't go back to his ass
Phoebe
Silver Jubilee
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Audrey Hobert’s debut Who’s the Clown? makes its case for best songs like “Sue Me” and “Phoebe” by folding pop hooks into diaristic specificity, the reviewer noting how Hobert turns cultural touchstones into intimate narrative. The voice is self-effacing and observant, so the best tracks stand out as compact portraits rather than aspirational anthems - “Sue Me” is the viral single that doubles as a textbook example of banal detail made telling, and “Phoebe” is the record’s quiet emotional centerpiece. Listeners asking what the best tracks on Who’s the Clown? are will find that the album rewards attention to lines and scenes, not just radio-ready choruses. The record stakes its claim by making ordinary moments feel like celebrity evidence, which is exactly where its strongest songs live.
Key Points
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The best song, "Sue Me", pairs viral appeal with diaristic, banal detail rendered emotionally resonant.
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The album’s core strength is turning pop culture specificity into intimate storytelling about belonging and fame.
Themes
Critic's Take
On Audrey Hobert's debut Who's the Clown? the best songs - especially “Sue Me” and “Bowling Alley” - turn hyper-specific anxieties into catchy, grotesque pop that makes you laugh and wince at once. The reviewer delights in Hobert's verbal abundance and conversational cadence, praising how “Sue Me” squeezes mouthfuls of detail into a syncopated beat and how “Bowling Alley” explodes a small internal debate into an unexpectedly catchy single. Yet the album stumbles in its second half when specificity becomes a crutch on tracks like “Chateau” and “Phoebe”, which lean too comfortably on biographical shorthand. Overall, the record is witty and immediate when it steps back from particulars, showing real promise as a portrait of young, messy adulthood.
Key Points
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“Sue Me” is the best track because its verbal abundance and syncopated beat turn private anxiety into memorable pop.
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The album’s core strength is comic vulnerability that translates small, specific moments into playful, relatable songs.
Critic's Take
Audrey Hobert's Who's the Clown? thrives on diaristic confession and wry humour, with songs like “Thirst Trap” and “Sex And The City” standing out as sharp vignettes about the lengths young women go to for attention. The record leans into relatable storytelling - “Bowling Alley” and “Wet Hair” make her voice feel like a close friend, candid and funny. Production surprises on “Drive” and “Silver Jubilee” add texture, but the album sometimes repeats themes and melodies, leaving room for a fresher outside collaborator. Overall, this debut shows Hobert ready for the spotlight, and the best songs here prove why listeners are searching for the best tracks on Who's the Clown?.
Key Points
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The best song(s) distill Hobert’s diaristic voice and sharp observations about attention-seeking, making “Thirst Trap” especially effective.
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The album’s core strengths are candid, comedic storytelling and tasteful pop production, though themes and melodies can feel repetitive.
Themes
Critic's Take
Audrey Hobert stakes a claim with Who's the Clown?, a thrilling debut that pairs synth-heavy bangers and intimate acoustic moments. The reviewer's ear keeps landing on buoyant highlights like “Thirst Trap” and “Phoebe” as the album's emotional centers, while tracks such as “Wet Hair” and “Bowling Alley” prove Hobert can write an irresistible pop hook. The tone is celebratory and sharp, praising how cinematic songwriting and gleaming production make these the best songs on Who's the Clown?. This record feels like a confident coming-of-age statement, equal parts party anthem and tender confession, which is why listeners asking for the best tracks on Who's the Clown? should start with “Thirst Trap” and “Phoebe”.
Key Points
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“Thirst Trap” is the best song because it combines confessional lyrics with a dance-floor climax and memorable sax payoff.
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The album’s core strengths are cinematic, hook-forward songwriting and a balance of glossy pop bangers with revealing acoustic moments.