Little Simz - Drop 7

16 Feb

The UK's underground walked so Simz could run… Clearly, that's facetious, but even on 1st listen, the influences are unquestionable. Simz is taking her musical tastes in a different direction with this new Drop 7 (2024) release, aiming at the clubbing underground with inspirations ranging from the bristol techno scene to later-stage dubstep, drill and a first spoonful love of UK funky.

Until this point, Simz’s sound was more funk and soul-orientated with smooth beats under a no-nonsense wrapping style that captured the imagination of young women and girls with songs of empowerment and an all-around "whatever you can do, I can do" attitude. Her rejection of the negative connotations of attitude has propelled little Simz into the musical zeitgeist, and an evident love for the UK’s many sounds will keep her there.

With Drop 7, it's clear that Simz is going in a different direction as 'Mood Swings' catapults into a moody electronic beat thick with suspense until it explodes into a club killer. Simz controls the cadence, creating even more separation between these two sections. Starting with an almost whispered approach on the former before the bravado steps in. This duality continues into the 'Torch' and, to an extent, ‘Fever’. The beat on 'Fever' is a bop, no questions. Simz strips back the beat in favour of something groovier. It leaves it just screaming for an extended mix. 'Torch' keeps it short and sweet. Simz gives us some experimental Grime vibes with electronic blast beats, heavy 808s, and rapid-fire percussion up the ante.

Flexing her funky house muscles, SOS sees Little Simz ditch the mic for the mixing desk, and wow, what a switch-up. Juicy bass drums keep that constant pulse, allowing congas, bongos and a plethora of hand percussion that's let loose. This acts as a beautiful breakpoint, almost like a palate cleanser, as we go from the more head-down clubby, dark atmospheric tunes into the more soulful trap-inspired electronica.

'Power' fully captures the imagination, the beat, the cadence, and the attitude screams of a woman of colour taking back her power. Simz's use of syncopated kicks and snares are coated in reverb, giving a sense of isolation and energy echoing UK club sounds but doubles to show the feeling of isolation. These final three tracks are infused with understated Afro-dance heritage. Simz continues to play with the genre as 'I Ain't Feeling It' takes a drill beat and adds ghostly synthesised wails. This provided a menacing backdrop for the most melodic vocal performance by Simz on the EP. I can't shake the feeling this will be the perfect night-driving tune. It is mellow and intense, with great use of rhythmic 808s. The vocal effect spinning off in different directions adds so much sparkle to the record. Bookending a fantastic EP is the Evergreen 'Far Away'. The piano melodies are enough on their own, never even mentioning this subtle afrobeat hammering away.

Simz is becoming an icon for no-nonsense rapping and having exciting perspectives. Yet, this EP highlights her musicality, the highlight lyricism, and her ability to fuse genres. She never seems content with what our conventions can bring her, but at the same time, nothing feels forced. She combines soul with afrobeat because it makes sense, or techno and reggaeton because why wouldn't you? Drop 7 is a love letter to UK culture with many diverse music styles. I can't see this being the start of a beautiful partnership between the most soulful styles of music and the grittier electronic-influenced club styles.

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