Little Simz
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Age 101/AWAL
Listen Below
Listening to a MAGA man with a god/inferiority complex who decried slavery as a choice and who has stuffed his album full of abusive misogynists holds precisely zero interest for me. Neither does listening to a man who gives R. Kelly a co-write (and therefore adds funds to defend his heinous behavior) and steadfastly refuses to progress his subject matter. To be blunt, I’d rather gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon than give either of those men a single penny. I’m annoyed that I’ve even mentioned them at all, but they serve a purpose as poor comparisons to the dazzling album of work from a Black woman that I chose to listen to instead.
The fact that Little Simz is not as well-known as her male contemporaries (Dave and Stormzy, for example) both here in the UK and around the world is difficult to prescribe to anything other than good old-fashioned sexism. Her last album, 2019’s GREY Area was a resounding, Mercury Prize nominated triumph that demonstrated her typical lyrical quality allied to the impeccable production of and collaboration with long-time friend and collaborator Inflo.
The duo (with select other helpers) hit the jackpot here (again) with Simz’s fourth album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, as it astounds in its musical palette and lyrical dexterity. Ostensibly, it tells the tale of the tension between Simbi the person (note the acronym at play in the album title) and Simz the superstar musical artist before emerging with some kind of anointed contentedness. At over an hour long and weighing in with 19 tracks, my initial fear was that it was over-filled and padded out, especially with the dreaded interludes that punctuate many an average album. But I was wrong. Totally and utterly wrong.
The array of musical styles that Inflo and Simz have assimilated and bent to their will is astonishing – there’s the grandiose, epically stirring orchestration of lead single and opener “Introvert,” the Smokey Robinson sampling bliss of “Two Worlds Apart,” the Curtis Mayfield-like Blaxploitation urgency of “Standing Ovation,” the neo-soul feel of “I See You,” the slinky Afrobeat of “Point And Kill” and the sparsely gospel “How Did You Get Here.” Each is carried off with aplomb while offering the perfect backdrop for Simz’s flow—it is quite incredible in its variety.
The aforementioned interludes are far from the usual fare too. Instead of the snippets of studio life and other assorted fluff that we are accustomed to, they offer the chance for Inflo to demonstrate further proof of his impeccable skillset. Lurking in the brief, but named interludes lie cinematic grandeur and orchestral flights of fancy that wrap proceedings up in layer after layer of drama—they feel like Inflo stretching his wings even further, soaring even higher.
But a musical backdrop of such breath-taking dynamism would be squandered without a lyricist and performer the equal of it. That is clearly not an issue here, as Simz bristles with hubris one second and humbles herself the next, searching for the line that divides the person from the artist and the sense of self the balance between the two brings. On the raucous, rambunctious “Fear No Man” she raps, “Ain’t your typical rapper, I ain’t got my neck froze / Still your favourite artist couldn’t even step close / Heard they want my crown but I ain’t never stressed though / ‘Cause to your career that would be detrimental,” while on “I Love You, I Hate You” she grapples with her absent father and the impact it has on her still, reflecting, “You made a promise to God to be there for your kids / You made a promise to give them a life you didn’t live / My ego won’t fully allow me to say that I miss you / A woman who hasn’t confronted all of her daddy issues.”
The fact that Simz is able to convince across the vast array of musical styles contained on the album is testament to her charisma, undeniable lyrical skills and the strength of the bond between her and Inflo. They make a dynamic, glittering combination resolutely unbothered by chasing trends and together, they create a unique stew of Black music that feeds the soul as it moves the hips.
Notable Tracks: “Fear No Man” | “Introvert” | “Standing Ovation” | “Two Worlds Apart”
LISTEN: