AMG Review of Promise

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

On The Promise, Il Divo's formula shows signsof wear. The Promise isn't greatly different in feel or form from its predecessors -- it is still stately, dramatic Euro-pop covers balanced by a couple of made-to-order tunes -- and that's the problem. Without a change in sound or mood, the novelty of opera singers singing pop songs is beginning to wear off, particularly because the group's material here isn't strong. Previously, they sang songs that were hits the world over but here they rely on "The Power of Love," ABBA's "The Winner Takes All," and Charles Aznavour's "She," which skew this toward the group's Euro roots and give it a bit of a stuffy feel.