Mediocre (Spanish pronunciation: [meˈðjokɾe]) is the debut studio album by Mexican singer-songwriter Ximena Sariñana, released in the US on 12 February 2008 via Warner Music Mexico.
[4] It reached number ten on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums, and spawned the hit single "Vidas Paralelas".
In the summer of 2023, in celebration of the 15th anniversary of its release, Sariñana performed in a 4-show residency at the Lunario of the National Auditorium and one at the Teatro Metropolitano in Querétaro.
Bruno Bressa, the drummer of Volován, helped in the production process of the album, and also played the keyboard and tabla for its tracks.
Jimmy Draper of Time Out New York describes the musical style as "full of buoyant, jazz-inflected pop with occasional electronic underpinnings and outbursts of rock".
Ron Bronson of SoMinty points out that "Un Error" and "Sintiendo Rara" are slower songs reminiscent of Sariñana's interest in jazz.
[8] Corsa praises Mediocre, calling it a "deftly crafted alt-pop record", but notes that "it’s the electronic embellishments, dub effects and jazz trimmings—in the form of loose piano lines, subtle tempo changes and vocal improvisations—that make it unique.
[13] Mark Kemp, a music journalist from Rolling Stone, called Mediocre one of the strongest debuts from a female singer-songwriter since Norah Jones' Come Away with Me, exclaiming "There's sultry torch songs, folky ballads, smart rock — and not a bum track among them.
If you have any real desire to listen to music en español, you'll be hard pressed to find a better singer on the indie scene these days.
[16] Eric Danton of The Hartford Courant pointed out that "her prospects in the United States are less predictable thanks to a fragmented radio landscape and what for many English-speaking listeners is a language barrier.