ICONOLOGY - Missy Elliott: EP Review
is a legendary hip hop and R&B crossover artist who dominated the lats 90's and early 2000's with a series of hits that influenced music for the next decade and cemented her sound into pop culture history. After a 14 year studio album break she was announced to be this years winner recipient of the MTV Video Vanguard award and timed the release of this EP with the VMA's.
Review By Lavender:
Anybody who tries to deny the cultural impact of Missy Elliott is crazy, but anybody who can't admit how amazingly catchy and silky smooth her best tunes sound still to this day needs to be completely discredited of all merit to their opinions, maybe that's a little harsh. But seriously Missy had an absolutely amazing run of singles that set the tone for the 2000's to blur the worlds of R&B and Hip Hop together and totally deserves the legend status she has reached. I was a little bit hesitant going into this record that Missy may not be reaching the consistency of her early work given how long it has been since she last released music, but ultimately I'm happy to report Iconology is a solid project.
The first track is Throw It Back a song I first heard playing a crucial role in Missy's VMA performance I saw before first listening to the EP. The track is a charismatic banger that sees Missy staying patiently relaxed while she flaunts her legacy and takes on all challengers. The beat is pretty solid and features some well put together layers of keys and effects that gives the track a very 2019 feel. The hook is the weakest point with an average and touch and go performance that really isn't all that memorable or unique. Cool Off opens up with a wacky Ariana Grande sweetener flow but gets better from there with a sharp trap inspired half-beat that I absolutely love. Missy raps in a choppy flow but I really don't mind it that much as she oozes out charm and drops some hilarious lyrics while at it for another solid song.
My favorite track of the bunch is DripDemeanor the EP's true sex-bop. The song is an R&B slow jam with Missy spitting some sensual and confident bars over it. The guest singer who I wasn't familiar with provides a hook that really takes me back to the R&B of the 2000's in the best way as well as dominating the middle of the track with a long bridge that breaks down the beat and fills in some wonderful sung passages. The track proves Missy can still write a banger or an intimate and sensual tune.
Unfortunately the last two tracks are the weakest moment on the EP with the song Why I Still Love You and an acapella version of that same track immediately following it. The song has by far the weakest instrumental of all the tracks here and a very rough vocal performance both with the poorly administered auto-tune, and without it.
ICONOLOGY proves that Missy Elliott still has it when she is working at her best and provides a handful of tracks that I really enjoy. While the record isn't likely to blow anyone away it does simulate the heyday of Missy's career for a generation of new fans. Unfortunately the record includes a rough ending but that doesn't mean we need to forget the things it did right, and it certainly doesn't mean I won't be anticipating whatever Missy Elliott happens to do next. 6.5/10
