On her stellar sophomore set,
Diamonds & Dancefloors
, American pop hitmaker
Ava Max
bests her 2020 breakthrough debut with precision focus and a bounty of catchy hooks. Yet another instance where every track could be a lead single, the album is indebted to '80s synth-based dance-pop ("Million Dollar Baby," "Weapons") and early-'90s house anthems ("Ghost," "Diamonds & Dancefloors"), extending her pedigree as the next logical progression after forebears like
Lady Gaga
and
Dua Lipa
. With executive producer
Cirkut
back in tow,
seamlessly evolves the playful pop heard on
Heaven & Hell
and hones the attack with an icy determination born from recent breakups. Hardened by heartbreak,
Max
takes her pain to the dancefloor, drying her tears through the power of pop. The energy never relents -- the skittering two-step of the
Omar Fedi
-assisted "In the Dark" is the closest thing to a "break" -- and it's pure, irresistible thrills from start to finish, buoyed by the power of
's vocal range and passionate delivery. Beyond the official singles, other highlights include the dark synth creep of "Sleepwalker"; the disco-kissed earworm "Turn Off the Lights"; the electronic dance bliss of "Get Outta My Heart" (which samples
Bernard Herrmann
's
Twisted Nerve
score); and the pulsing neon-electro "Last Night on Earth." Deftly executed and ideal for repeat listens,
makes it two-for-two for
's catalog, delivering on the promise of her debut and pushing her even further toward the top of the early-2020s pop pantheon. ~ Neil Z. Yeung