Lotus - Little Simz: Review
Review by Lavender:
Little Simz is one of the best rappers alive. I feel pretty comfortable saying that. It began at the tail end of the previous decade when she broke through with the ferocious Grey Area. Two years later, she followed it up with one of the best albums of the decade, the staggering rap opus Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, which I gave a perfect 10 and called my favorite album of 2021. Then, just a year after that, she punctuated it with another great record in NO THANK YOU. But since then, Simz has had a falling out with her principal collaborator, Sault mastermind Inflo, whom she sued for an unpaid loan and spends LOTS of time on Lotus attacking. And in her first outing since breaking through without Inflo by her side, her talent continues to shine through, even if some of the production and conceptualization is more hit or miss than usual.
Lotus censors Inflo's name whenever it comes up thematically, but that's the only courtesy it gives the drama at its core. Opener “Thief” faces the former collaborator head-on with a confrontational start where Simz spells out directly her feelings over a dark sound palette. Her verses are littered with very direct allegations as she doesn't pull any punches out of the gate. The album also ends dealing with the fallout of the Inflo lawsuit with a pair of beautiful Sampha-featuring tracks. “Lonely” is a narrative-driven cut about Simz’ feelings of frustration and isolation while trying to work on this album. It transitions excellently into the closed “Blues” where the gentle plucked strings and Sampha's stunningly beautiful voice hovers behind Simz' lowkey cadence for a soft but meaningful finale.
The record bounces between a cloudier, gentler sound and the kind of brooding intensity that has defined many of Simz’ best moments in her career. The second single, “Flood” is a great example that sees Little Simz and Obongjayar teaming up for yet another masterclass. The pair absolutely devour the song with cold and calculating vocals that have me on the edge of my seat throughout. They link up again later on my favorite deep cut from the record “Lion.” It serves up another irresistible chorus and a lowkey but gripping verse from Simz; these two really can't go wrong together.
That intensity keeps up on “Blood” a sketch-style song where Simz and Wretch 32 play a pair of siblings trying to reconnect. It's a fun push and pull that kind of feels like a more heartwarming version of Kendrick Lamar's “We Cry Together.” That transitions into the title track, a six-and-a-half-minute eruption from Simz, who is absolutely cutthroat in her songwriting and ferocious in her delivery. As she settles several scores, you can literary feel her tripping on every word as she spits them out sneeringly. It's a fiery performance that perfectly communicates the intensity of her feelings.
This album also has a gentler side, one that was forecast by its excellent lead single “Free.” The song sports a gentle, soulful instrumental with soft strings and a fantastic opening verse that keeps finding creative new ways to espouse the virtue of love. It pairs great with the song “Only,” which features great guest vocals from Lydia Kitto. Simz isn't as much of a presence in the song as I'd hope, but she makes the moments she does have memorable.
There's an analogous issue on “Peace” where Moses Sumney absolutely steals the show from everyone involved with his stunning vocals that are way more equipped for a track this nuanced. Simz also occasionally gets much sillier and more playful on the record, with very mixed results. “Enough” may be the goofiest she's ever sounded trying to ride this dance beat. Given how lethal and composed she can be, it all just feels so loose and formless, and while that turned me off at first, I can at least find the song tolerable now.
The song I can't tolerate is “Young,” which is a shame because it's Simz trying to do her own “Parklife.” The satirical posturing of the song is actually pretty sharp, and she gets a few good cracks in. But despite the fact I understand the song is designed to be annoying on purpose, it's still an annoying song and one that I find deeply unpleasant to listen to every time it comes up.
Lotus lands somewhere between Simz' last two records in terms of both concept and ambition. While it doesn't have a concept in the conventional sense of an overarching story like her 2021 masterpiece Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, the throughline of Simz learning how to move forward without her principal collaborator is a stronger connecting thread for the record than anything on 2022’s NO THANK YOU. Despite the fact that there are plenty of high points on Lotus, I actually think it's surpassed by both predecessors, and maybe even further back than that. Simz has a lot to say and finds some extremely compelling ways to say it, but occasionally, when her points are muddled or the format she chooses to deliver them in doesn't fit her unique style, results can vary. Thankfully, building upon her immense talent will always be a recipe for success, even when she isn't executing perfectly throughout. 7/10
