Album Review: Little Simz - 'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert'
Little Simz, is back. Riding the highs that came with the critical acclaim of her third studio album, 2019’s Grey Area, Simz has returned with what could be her best project yet, and one of the best albums of this year.
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert opens with the track Introvert, a bold statement of an introduction to the 19-track album. Opening with drums that resemble a marching band and a horn section that sounds as though it was pulled straight from an explosive scene in an epic blockbuster, Little Simz comes through with some bars that immediately set us up for what’s to come. ‘I study humans, that makes me an anthropologist’, she raps, before giving us a project that is ultimately, intentional or not, a psychoanalysis of the many states of the human condition, often shaped by our surroundings.
The track ends, ‘As you embark on a journey of what it takes to be a woman’, leading us into the second song, Woman. The soul influence is heavy here, and gorgeously done. Familiar feature, Cleo Sol, provides a smoothly sung chorus enhancing Simz’ feminist message: ‘Woman to woman, I just want to see you glow’. This sentiment carries through the rest of the record, with a strong theme of success present throughout.
The soulful energy continues into some stunning tracks like Two Worlds Apart and Little Q (Pt. 1 & Pt. 2), and then Simz does a full 180 on the track Speed. There’s a real 90s British funk-rock sound to this cut, with a bouncy bassline, clunky drums, and lyrics about ‘making out the ends’. It feels intensely nostalgic and is executed with such precision and ease.
There’s a beautiful sense of femininity and sexuality being celebrated on the track I See You, where Simz swoons across some sultry yet vulnerable bars, ‘Whisper in my ear and tell me you won’t leave’. It’s refreshing to hear artists who aren’t afraid to lay it all on the table, their fears in love and the looming dread of being left.
Rollin Stone is the closest we get on the album to the production present on Grey Area. The booming 808s and twittering trap hi-hats create the perfect bed for Simz to be playful, ‘Might be a brat for a bit’, she says before diving into a braggadocious tirade of demands and requirements that come with being a star. This is a theme that has been in rap forever, and frankly, Little Simz is putting in the work on this album, proving she deserves whatever she wants. Seriously. Someone get her that suit tailored by Gucci. Pronto.
The best moments on the album start at the reggae-inspired song Point and Kill, where Obongjayar gives a killer feature on the hook that’ll be stuck in your head for days and days. The soulful bass riffs and fun horn segments come back here, reintroducing us to sounds from earlier in the track-list.
Fear No Man may be Little Simz’ best song to date. The sunny organ, rattling layers of percussion and deeply addictive chorus create a song that begs to be chanted at festivals in the summer. The lyrics here are extremely clever too. Simz finds a way to intertwine her humble background mentioned in earlier tracks, and her stardom rapped about on tracks like Rollin Stone: ‘Ain’t your typical rapper, I ain’t got my neck froze / Still your favourite artist couldn’t even step close’. She’s coming to the realisation here that what she cares about most in her fame is that her talent is recognised whilst she’s having fun in designer clothing. It’s extremely admirable, which might just be the word to describe the whole album.
Words by Curtis Saunders