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Little Simz is reclaiming herself on ‘Lotus’. From the moment the first note rings out on the opener ‘Thief’, it becomes obvious her creative autonomy is back on full display. Following the messy separation from her longtime in-house producer Inflo, ‘Lotus’ mostly seems to be an album about setting the record straight. I feel it needs to be clarified that although Inflo is a main target, he isn’t the only focus on the album. ‘Blood’ for instance sees Simz have a tense, winding conversation with her brother about their frustrations with each other, an attempt to get to the root of their respective pain.
‘Lotus’ is nothing if not diverse too. ‘Young’ as a lead single was immediately polarising. An angular post-punk-style groove and Slick Rick-esque rapping makes for an ear-grabbing blend. It’s one of those love-it-or-hate-it things; I’m in the former camp. Simz should be allowed to let loose given the tumultuous 12 months she’s experienced, and I think that is exactly the purpose of this song. ‘Enough’ featuring yukimi is disco ebullience through and through, and allows Simz to defy an expectation of sorrow. “I’m not the one to test”, she states with coolness, as if she wants someone to try.
Obongjayar’s second of two features is the Afro-funk jam ‘Lion’. A prideful proclamation of confidence, and a raw expression of power. It refines and even furthers some of the themes and musical explorations of her 2021 opus ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’. She refers herself to the likes of Lauryn Hill, not at all a far cry at this point in her career. She’s walking what she’s talking.
Simz wants to protect herself on ‘Flood’. The inverse of ‘Lion’ in terms of mood and mission, we catch a glimpse of doubt about her position in the industry. Simz seems to think she can overcome these obstacles, but any outward confidence is masking just a tiny bit of self-doubt. The tribal pounding of the instrumental enhancing an us-versus-them dichotomy. This is a vulnerable moment on the album, absolutely no question about that.
At no point on this album is Simz more vulnerable, then on the titular track. Not just vulnerable too, but angry. She lashes out at the unsolicited opinions of internet strangers, slacktivist self-righteousness, kneejerk judgements, and tries to remind the people listening that she is, in fact, human. There’s a deep lacuna between people’s view of public personas from the outside, versus what actually happens behind closed doors. Just because we can’t see something, doesn’t mean it is not happening. We shouldn’t come to conclusions based on the limited information at our disposal, yet we do, all the time. This is not the crux of the song, but it seems to be driving the emotional core of it. Simz wants to rap, she wants to rule the world, she wants to get better, and she can’t do that if she’s constantly being dragged down by the extraneous; this is an emphatic self-love anthem.
Little Simz is dropping a lot of baggage with her latest release. It would’ve been perfectly acceptable for her to simply step away from music for a year, grieve what she’s lost and love what she’s gained. That is not nearly enough for Simz though. This deeply personal turmoil has inspired her to put it all out in the open. If it’s on wax, then it’s tangible and can be exorcised. More importantly though, ‘Lotus’ is an exercise in duality. In order for Simz to shed her former skin, she needs to embrace the light and the dark. Incorporate that shadow, lest it consume you whole.
Dan Will Review 