𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒, 𝖻𝗅𝖺𝖼𝗄𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝖺𝖽𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋

› ࣪ . ๑ 𝗹.𝗴 : 𝗌𝗉𝗂𝖼𝖾

Crystal Tai of the South China Morning Post said, "On spice, shes also known as the Leader, reveal that she are no longer, instead embracing a mature sound that is as dark as it is real". Jeff Benjamin from Fuse TV pointed out that "while the lead-up to the album release saw Ella shifting expectations for Korean-pop acts, the music itself positions them away from any dismissive idols or pop star labels". Hong Dam-young of The Korea Herald revealed "Ella' focus has always been on connecting with listeners and using its own stories as leverage. And she has not deviated from that in its new album spice" describing, "Musically, the fully packed 10-track album is admirable, as it seamlessly shifts between genres ranging from trap, hip hop and Latin pop to R&B. Unlike her previous socially conscious hip-hop works, spice is overtaken by dark tunes and complexed feelings of love" adding that, "The key factor behind the album's explosive success doesn't lie solely on its musical versatility and extravagance, but also in its overarching message: What truly matters is to deliver messages that can truly touch a listener's heart".

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian, however, gave the album a mixed review, writing that "on the plus side, she's very good at any genre, performing with a breathy intensity that's genuinely affecting and powerful..." but "there is also stuff that you struggle to recall the second it finishes: in one ear and out the other it goes, leaving no recognisable trace. It's not that it's overly saccharine, which is the charge regularly levelled at K-pop; it's just commonplace". Petridis pointed out that "the phenomenon of Ella seems more interesting than the music at its centre, although spice is certainly good enough to keep the phenomenon moving smoothly". Crystal Bell of MTV stated 'with spice, Ella cemented herself as one of most vital acts in pop music today", calling the album one of the best of 2020.

In December 2020, art director HuskyFox was nominated in the category Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for his work on spice. It is the second time someone of Korean descent received a Grammy nomination after Sumi Jo was nominated for Best Opera Recording in 1992.

Both "More & More" and "Loco" were voted as one of the top 65 Best Songs of 2020 by The New York Times. "Ladida" was ranked the second best K-Pop B-track in 2020 by MTV, and "Psycho" came in as the 15th best K-pop song of the year on Billboard. Billboard ranked the album on their "Best Albums of 2020 So Far" mid-year list.

﹑→ ．𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗦 .

Publication • List

City PagesEvery | #1 album from 2020
IdolatorThe | 10 Best K-Pop Albums of 2020
MTV | Albums Of the Year
Noisey | The 100 Best Albums of 2020
PopCrush | Best Albums of 2020
Refinery29 | The 12 Best K-Pop Albums of 2020
Rolling Stone | 20 Best Pop Albums of 2020
Young Post | The 20 best albums of 2020

﹑→ ．𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 .

Year • Award • Result

2020 | Album of the Year | Won
2020 | Album of the Year - 2nd Quarter | Won

﹑→ ．𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 .

✶₊ 01 Version [CD+Photobook+Random Photocard+Mini Book+Standing Photo]

✶₊ 02 Version [CD+Photobook+Random Photocard+Mini Book+Standing Photo]

✶₊ 03 Version [CD+Photobook+Random Photocard+Mini Book+Standing Photo]

✶₊ 04 Version [CD+Photobook+Random Photocard+Mini Book+Standing Photo]