An uncompromising artist with a broad sense of scope,
Little Simz
came into her own on 2019's
Grey Area
; her Mercury Prize-nominated third album was a universally praised gem that seated her among Britain's top rappers. Arriving two years later, her follow-up is, if anything, more ambitious, with a personal nature that helps it connect squarely. While a range of subjects are explored within,
Sometimes I MIght Be Introvert
is, above all, a reckoning of
Simz
' public and personal selves, especially in relation to her recent success. Born
Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo
, the album's title is a nod to both her identity and an acronym of her nickname "Simbi." A sprawling 65-minute opus that somehow never wears out its welcome,
Introvert
doubles down on
' preference for organic production, utilizing analog drums, bass, and guitar over which sweeping orchestral and choral arrangements expand and contract. Opening track "Introvert" acts as a sort of symphonic overture, introducing both
' internal struggles ("one day I'm wordless, next day I'm a wordsmith, close to success, but to happiness, I'm the furthest") and the album's cinematic richness. The journey that follows winds and weaves through past and present, examining the trauma of an absent father on the dazzling "I Love You, I Hate You" or radiating bravado on the compact "Speed" and the nimble "Standing Ovation." A bevy of interesting guests appear throughout, including dulcet-voiced Nigerian singer
Obongjayar
on the Afrobeat-inspired "Point and Kill" and British actress
Emma Corrin
(The Crown), whose theatrical diction on the album's various interludes serves as a sort of tonal counterpoint to
' earthy flow. Working with longtime producer
Inflo
, the two present a formidable pair, with innate chemistry and a tightly focused collaborative energy. As on
, there are no dry spells or dips in quality, just a master class in modern songwriting with heaps of poise and a beating, soulful heart. ~ Timothy Monger