Following her album No Thank You released at the end of 2022 and the long tour that followed, English rapper Little Simz takes a breather with this seven-track EP. I remember her excellent concert at MTELUS in early October. She played a striking new song with a club and dance sound. A hint of what was to come now, four months later.
She’s essentially doing the same thing she did in 2020 with Drop 6, a six-track EP slipped in between her two projects Grey Area and Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. The idea is simple and effective: a more immediate proposition, allowing new styles to be tried and fans to be hooked, while avoiding the pressure of conventionally long albums. The “canon” Little Simz, if you like, is still in the process of unfolding. You can laugh, but that’s really what it’s become! With the explosion of her success, the pressure must be tenfold – though I wish for her it isn’t the case.
Drop 7 contains some of the rapper’s most experimental tracks. Club, reggaeton, afrobeat, ending with a bit of soul propelled by a rhythmic bass; this bite goes by quickly, but it’s not without flavour.
“Mood Swings”, the first cut, and my personal favourite, has an icy mood of itself. It’s chilling, with Jakwob’s production reminiscent of Kelly Lee Owens’ style. Compressed percussion, magnetic sounds, voices echoing and getting lost in the mix. Simz is, as usual, fully assured, but not without a hint of nonchalance for good measure. This first song hits us like a bucket of cold water poured over our faces. This is the rapper who keeps reminding us that we don’t know her full potential.
As I say, this EP is a pleasant surprise. The bouncy rhythms of “Torch,” the rapping in Portuguese on “Fever,” the percussive party that is “SOS,” the hazy piano of “Far Away”; every song has a little something going for it. What’s surprising is not the quality. No, that’s been in the bag for several years now, and there’s no reason to doubt it. Rather, it’s the style that’s a delight.
For such an acclaimed artist, who has been so faithful to her work, this little something is a rather humble gift. It’s also a chance for us to reassure ourselves that Little Simz’s artistic curiosity is not waning.
