Miguel CAOS
Miguel's CAOS arrives as a deliberately unsettled statement, one where menace, Mexican roots and psychedelic soul collide across moments of vivid invention. Critics agree that while CAOS suffers from brevity and compositional unevenness, its most electrifying cuts - notably RIP, Angel's Song, New Martyrs (Ride 4 U) and Nearsight [SID] - convert anxiety and political unease into cinematic, often visceral songs that showcase Miguel's technical vocal prowess and studio experimentation. The record earned a 64.5/100 consensus score across 4 professional reviews, reflecting a mixed but engaged critical reception.
Reviewers consistently praise tracks that fuse rock and R&B fusion with lyrical notes of resistance, immigrant experience and parenthood; RIP and Nearsight [SID] are singled out for their punk-ish catharsis and moody alternative-R&B textures, while Angel's Song registers for its Spanish-language intimacy and a daughter-directed moment that raises the emotional stakes. Critics note the album's chaotic ambition - some call it a messy triumph, others point to moments of torpor - yet agree that where production curiosity and vocal range coalesce, the record becomes essential listening.
Taken together, professional reviews suggest CAOS is worth attention for its standout tracks even if its coherence falters; the critical consensus frames it as an adventurous, sometimes polarizing follow-up that rewards those drawn to its darker, searching moods. Scroll down for full reviews and a track-by-track look at the best songs on CAOS.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Angel's Song
3 mentions
"'Angel's Song' is stunningly affecting, a reminder that Miguel remains a peerless R&B technician, a vocalist of real power."— Clash Music
RIP
4 mentions
"'RIP' and 'Triggered' encapsulating this instinct."— Clash Music
CAOS
3 mentions
"The searing open and title track 'Caos' offers change in real-time, with Miguel's voice dripping venom."— Clash Music
'Angel's Song' is stunningly affecting, a reminder that Miguel remains a peerless R&B technician, a vocalist of real power.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
CAOS
The Killing
RIP
New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)
Triggered
El Pleito
Perderme
Oscillate
Nearsight [SID]
Angel's Song
Always Time
COMMA / KARMA
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Miguel’s CAOS finds him revisiting familiar terrain, and the best songs - notably Angel's Song and The Killing - stand out because they marry menace and melody in ways the rest of the album only hints at. The reviewer's eye lingers on how those tracks inject urgency - the Spanish verses and the daughter-directed moment in Angel's Song give the album emotional stakes. Even when much of CAOS drifts toward torpor, Miguel’s voice keeps songs like The Killing from collapsing entirely. The George Clinton-assisted finale offers a lift, but it is the darker, more charged cuts that supply the album’s most compelling moments.
Key Points
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The best song is driven by menace and emotional urgency, with The Killing exemplifying that blend.
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The album’s core strengths are Miguel’s commanding voice and moody production, even when material feels familiar.
Themes
Critic's Take
Miguel returns with CAOS, an album whose best songs - notably New Martyrs (Ride 4 U), RIP and Always Time - showcase his vocal prowess and studio adventurousness. Soto writes with amused admiration, noting how those tracks could sit alongside his earlier work and why they emerge as the album’s heart. The reviewist’s voice is evaluative yet fond, parsing where the record’s middle stretch loses momentum while celebrating the moments that sing. Overall, the best tracks on CAOS are where Miguel’s range and production curiosity coalesce into the album’s clearest pleasures.
Key Points
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The best song(s) are where Miguel’s vocal range meets adventurous production, exemplified by 'New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)'.
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CAOS’s core strengths are Miguel’s undiminished vocal prowess and studio experimentation, despite uneven middle tracks.
Themes
Critic's Take
Miguel’s CAOS finds its best songs in the ones that translate anxiety into cinematic gesture, especially RIP and Nearsight [SID]. Jon Dolan writes with a cool, evaluative tone, noting that tracks like RIP fold Mexican allusions into moody, visceral alternative R&B while Nearsight [SID] explodes into a speedy punk-ish catharsis. He highlights Spanish-language intimacy on El Pleito and the political unease of Angel's Song, arguing that the album’s coherence is less important than its searching mood. The result is not always easy listening, but the best tracks on CAOS stick because they convert dread into striking musical action.
Key Points
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The best song is RIP because it fuses Miguel’s Mexican allusions with moody, visceral alternative R&B.
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The album’s core strength is its mood-driven approach that turns anxiety and political unease into dramatic musical moments.
Themes
Critic's Take
Miguel's CAOS arrives as a messy triumph: the title track Caos and the bruising pair RIP and Triggered supply the album's most combustible moments, while quieter pieces like Angel's Song prove he remains a peerless technician. Robin Murray writes with clear admiration for those highs, admiring the searing opener and calling Angel's Song "stunningly affecting" even as he notes the record can feel like an amalgamation rather than a coherent whole. For listeners asking what the best songs on CAOS are, the review points to Caos, RIP, Triggered and Angel's Song as the standout moments that justify the album's existence. The tone is measured but emphatic: imperfect, arresting, and worth hearing for its peaks.
Key Points
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The title track and bruising songs like 'RIP' and 'Triggered' are the album's most combustible highlights.
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'CAOS' balances striking vocal performances and production highs with inconsistent sequencing and moments that feel out of sync.