FEATURE:
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Looking Ahead to Little Simz’s Upcoming Fourth Album
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THIS year has provided us…
with some incredible albums and plenty of surprises! Being a fan of Little Simz, I have been wondering what she has been doing during the pandemic. Her previous album, 2019’s GREY Area, is a remarkable release that scored incredible reviews across the board. I think the Islington-born artist is one of the finest voices in Rap and Hip-Hop. I think that Little Simz is definitely a legend who is inspiring so many other people. I am still listening to GREY Area and being blown away by Simz’s stunning lyrics and vocal performances. She released the amazing E.P., Drop 6, last year. Not only is Little Simz one of the finest artists around; she is also one of the most prolific! She is such a tremendous and original creator, one can listen back to an album of hers like Stillness in Wonderland and get something new from it. It has transpired that a new album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, is on the horizon. This article from NME explains more:
“Speaking to The Observer, London rapper Simz explained that her fourth studio album was written largely in lockdown (in London and later Berlin) and that it explores her difficulty in opening up about her personal life in an industry where everyone is expected to be “an extrovert.”
Speaking about lockdown, Simz said: “I spent the time doing what everyone was doing really, just reflecting.”
She added: “I know that I’m quiet, innit? …I’m just very to myself and I didn’t know how to really navigate that, especially coming in this industry where you’re expected to have this extroverted persona all the time.”
The Observer revealed that the album is 19-tracks in length with spoken-word interludes. It describes the album as “an epic, Wizard of Oz-style quest as Simz confronts her fears and counts her blessings.”
Despite her difficulties opening up, Simz’ new album sees her addressing personal issues, including a distanced relationship with her father and a relationship.
Simz added: “When it comes to business and my work, I’m not shy at all, I don’t hold back with that. I’m very serious and direct, but other stuff sometimes…”
Earlier this month, Simz teased a new video that was shot at London’s Natural History Museum.
As shared on Twitter, Simz appeared in the museum’s iconic concourse, with a blue whale skeleton suspended from the roof, alongside a host of dancers.
“end of the month , let everybody know,” she captioned the post.
Whilst not yet confirmed, the video could accompany Simz’ first single from the album, ‘Introvert’, which will be released next week (April 23)”.
Judging by the reaction GREY Area received, I would not be surprised to find her in even finer form! Looking at the possible scale, scope and story of the album, we will get to learn more about Little Simz. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is going to be a magnificent album. I can definitely feel that! Whilst Little Simz’s work pre-GREY Area is remarkable, I think that 2019’s release was a moment when she really broke through and announced herself as a formidable and sublime artist. At twenty-seven, I think we will see material from Little Simz for many more years to come. I want to bring in a very recent interview from The Observer.
“Simz, full name Simbiatu Ajikawo, doesn’t waste her words. When she talks, she is purposeful, precise, politely withholding. Yet from its overture, her fourth studio album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, reveals an interior world of cinematic proportions. “I’m definitely not the greatest at opening up,” she says today. But there are two Simz: the one that is by nature reticent and the Simz who wants to show you her universe.
Born and raised in north London, she was a shy performing arts kid who found her voice at St Mary’s Youth Club in Islington. As a teenager, she starred in TV shows on CBBC (Spirit Warriors) and E4 (Youngers), all the while making music and uploading it on SoundCloud and Bandcamp. By 21 she’d written, recorded and released four mixtapes, five EPs and an album (A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons), all on her own label, Age 101 Music. After a brief stint at the University of West London, she decided to pursue music full-time. In 2017, Kendrick Lamar described her as “the illest doing it right now”. In his 2019 headline set at Glastonbury, Stormzy shouted her out as a legend and one of 52 essential British artists coming through. Simz describes that year as the best of her life; she landed a recurring role in the Drake-sanctioned Netflix show Top Boy, and released her third album, Grey Area, to critical acclaim. In 2020, she won an Ivor Novello.
About a year ago, Simz was in Los Angeles. She and her producer, Inflo, had recently started work on Sometimes I Might Be Introvert and she was celebrating turning 26. When she thinks about that last burst of freedom before the pandemic, her mind takes her back to a changing room on the morning of her birthday. “I got a birthday outfit to wear later – a dress and heels, a little bag, a whole situation.” That night, she had dinner at Soho House with some friends who were in town, including Top Boy co-star Micheal Ward and singer-songwriter Jacob Banks. Later, they went clubbing. Then, shortly after, her manager called, panicky, and put her on a flight back to London. “As soon as I got home, I think the next day, lockdown.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Jameela Elfaki/The Observer
Suddenly, she was home alone, in her own head. “I live by myself,” she says. “I spent the time doing what everyone was doing really, just reflecting.” That period of reflection has led to some of her best work”.
There are other things Simz won’t give away. There is a tension between what she’s willing to divulge in her music and her tendency to protect her personal life when asked about it directly. Nestled in the centre of her new record is an ode to what sounds like a committed relationship (“When planning for my future, I’ll be keeping you in mind”), the details of which she’d rather not be drawn on. I ask if she’s still in love. She falls silent, eyes darting exaggeratedly from left to right like a cartoon character. “This is so awkward,” she says. I tell her she was the one who wrote about it. “I know, I know,” she says. “I always forget I have to talk about this stuff. Sometimes it’s easier to draw from pain, but I don’t always want to draw from hurtful things, I want to talk about things that make me happy”.
This year has delivered so many treats and stunning albums. The single, Introvert, will be released on Friday (23rd April). I am fascinated to see how that sounds and what direction it suggests. Maybe it will be a natural continuation of GREY Area; perhaps it will hint at an entirely fresh sonic direction. It seems like the new album is going to be truly immersive and fantastic. I love everything Simz puts out, though it seems like we are about to witness something truly biblical! It appears - from what I have seen on social media - that there is a lot of excitement brewing already. Hopefully, as restrictions are being eased, Little Simz might be able to take her new music on the road and bring it the eager and adoring masses. After the success of GREY Area and Drop 6, so many eyes and ears will be trained the way of one of Britain‘s strongest artists. One of our brightest and most inspiring musicians, one can never easily predict Little Simz. Leading up to the release of Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, we will listen to the forthcoming Introvert…
WITH great interest and affection.