NO THANK YOU - Little Simz: Review

Little Simz

is a UK rapper who experienced a breakout past few years in both the critical and commercial spheres with her versatile hip-hop style. Last year she released her massively acclaimed album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert and surprised released this follow-up NO THANK YOU with no singles and minimal promotion in the lead-up.

Review by Lav:

I've always thought Little Simz had a lot of potential even when I wasn't exactly drowning some of her earlier projects in acclaim. All of that came to a head on last year's brilliant Sometimes I Might Be Introvert which was a slam dunk 10 in my book and my album of the year last year. That meant I was obviously excited about whatever Simz was going to do next, which after such a grand undertaking last year I didn't expect to come so soon. This record is definitely a less ambitious undertaking with a much narrower lyrical focus, but Simz talent absolutely shines in this environment all the same.

The opening track Angel is essentially an introduction of the record's main theme, which is basically "fuck the music industry". Simz takes direct aim at those whose dishonesty and greed have stood in the way of her and many others getting the proper credit and pay for their work and I'm right behind her. The song is very sonically reserved but I think it puts the lyrics front and center which sets up everything that's coming. That sonic approach is continued on Silhouette which is the first of the record's longer songs and is set up mainly to let Simz go on a long journey of personal reflection and observations that she needs to say. Thankfully it doesn't skimp on the instrumentation and features some wonderful backing vocals through both the gentle hums on the verses and even the great chorus break around the halfway point. 

The attack on the music industry comes up all over the record but some songs hone in on it even more directly. No Merci is a flat-out takedown with some achingly specific examples of their deceptive conduct like being pressured into making life-changing decisions over a single dinner. It also has a pretty unexpected beat switch-up into one of the most psychedelic things I've ever heard on a Simz song as she transitions into speaking directly to burgeoning artists, warning them to be careful. On X Simz frames the problem as more anti-blackness and dives into how it impacts everyone in any industry. The tracks dramatic and grand chorus gives the theme of the song a spiritual makeover that sort of shifts the energy to something more positive and triumphant and I think that's a perfect touch.

My favorite song on the record is Gorilla, an insane banger that could have fit in on SIMBI with its combo of grand horns and dark, muttering, and insanely infectious beat. I can't really explain how good this instrumental is and how quickly it grabs me you really just have to hear it. While we're on the subject the drums throughout this entire record are just pinpoint. And before I'm done with the song I have to say "I know The Streets will love it like I brought Mike Skinner" might be my favorite Simz lyric so far. Hearts On Fire is another huge highlight with a great sample worked into its instrumental and an absolutely lethal lyrical focus and delivery from Simz. She confronts the stress she feels and how it contrasts with all the blessings she's received and I love that dichotomy. There are a lot of songs that have been made about the trappings of fame but Simz manages to make it feel both personal and universal in her exploration of it. 

For the first six of the record's ten songs I have pretty much no complaints, though I'm not sure the last four songs stand up quite as well. The closing track Control is the best of the bunch but it's still an extremely reserved meditation over some soft piano. It works mainly as a closing track to the album. Broken is all about the ways mental health is largely ignored within the black community and it has some wonderful lyrical moments. Unfortunately, it's one of the points on the record where I think the length isn't in the song's best interest. While the outro is very lush and pretty I think Simz sets up an impactful conclusion to the song itself that is dulled by the long extended outro. 

Sideways is the shortest song on the record and I think that's a very good thing. The blown-out mixing is a bit much and it stands out really badly in the tracklist. I also think the stiff little drum beat does nothing to support Simz performance it's almost like this song was made for an entirely different record or artist. Somehow Who Even Cares is just as bad and while it doesn't have the defeatest attitude of its title it still represents a thematic shift. I'm also not sure the warbly beat works here though I'm much more sure of the effects that Simz vocals are slathered in being absolutely awful. I'm not sure what went wrong with this track but it sounds rough in a way nothing else on the album does. 

This record isn't perfect, but as a shorter and slightly more rough-around-the-edges victory lap in the wake of a truly epic album, I think it fits. Still I think trying to take the record less seriously is a mistake because Simz clearly put a lot of thought and focus into the lyrics and the different themes across the record, not to mention how universal the hatred she conjures for music industry bullshit is. Her versatility and talent are more than enough to keep this in the upper echelon of rap albums this year. 7.5/10

For more great hip hop check out my review of JID's The Forever Story here