Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

PAINS OF A BLACK WOMAN, NOW ON BROADWAY

Ever since To Pimp A Butterfly, there's been a sore lack of theatrical Hip-Hop. Ambitious and inquisitive, hermeneutic and audacious. The kind declared as benchmarks, for the genre and artist. With Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, Little Simz all but guarantees that position, in 2021, to be held by her. A prodigy indebted to the conscious rappers of yore - something Simz soliloquizes on 'How Did You Get Here' - it's refreshing, in a sort of morbid way, to once again hear a mind be tormented by the woes of society. Whether it was Common or Black Star, The Roots or The Fugees, critiquing injustices with the mic disguised as pen and sketching portraits of inner-city strife ran prevalent through Hip-Hop at the turn of the century. Right when Simz was at her most pliable. Two key distinctions separate her from those clear influences; a lack of self-aggrandizing peer pressure and the viewpoint of a black woman. Yes, Lauryn Hill set the foundation, but rarely critiqued the culture. On Sometimes, Simz puts the stressors at the forefront, be it in regards to racism, misogyny, expectations, or mental health. Topics not formally discussed so candidly in Hip-Hop. Especially right out the gate, as we see with 'Introvert' and 'Woman,' as sobering commentaries usually get shuffled to an album's 'deep cuts' territory. If tracks like 'Rollin Stone,' 'Protect My Energy,' and 'Point & Kill' with their accessible fanfare are any indication, here it's the opposite. What matters most demands attention. The rest, compliments to the piece de resistance.

That being said, regardless of placement or consequence, Simz' consistency runs the gamut on Sometimes. Really, only 'Speed' offers a setback, ironic in the sense that it sounds closest to GREY Area; her 2019 breakout. Some tracks relish in orchestral dramatics, like 'I Love You, I Hate You' or 'Standing Ovation,' which brings about comparisons to Kanye West's Late Registration era. Here, Simz' fierce vocabulary and dynamic range find similarities to her closest contemporary, Rapsody, whose protean balance can be felt all across the record. Elsewhere, tender benevolence helps diversify mood shifts while strengthening the impact of Simz' dire warnings. Take 'Two Words Apart' or 'Little Q' with their Soul-tinged identities inflicting an aura of positivity, despite the circumstances surrounding them. 'I See You' and 'Miss Understood' combine these worlds, the hopeful and pragmatic, for a sympathetic plea to right your wrongs in order to aid the greater good. And the doubting self. These, adequately connected via the abundance of interludes which, despite normally being a prompt negative on any album, bolster the weight and pith of Sometimes' sensitive messages. All four are doused in whimsical orchestration, coming across as an auspicious, eulogistic Disney princess film with a score of strings, choirs, and uplifting parlance.

While it was entirely the case on GREY Area, improvements have been made to Simz' lack of possessed identity. Still, her influences are held tight to the vest, as she lacks intrigue into experimentation. All the aforementioned artists, and plenty more, drape over Simz like a knitted quilt composed of their accomplishments. Though they are expanding, as we see on the Reggae-inspired 'Point & Kill,' the Tribal bash of 'Fear No Man' (my personal favorite), or, the strangest one indeed, the Dance-Pop of 'Protect My Energy' whose disco proclivities arouse the likes of Jessie Ware and Carly Rae Jepsen. While that track stands out like a sore thumb, the rest of Sometimes is held together with firm congruity. The complex emotional palate, exigent monologues, orchestral flourish, all combine with tact resonance. A graceful gravity weighing on the minds of those cognizant to the setbacks of humans.