Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, better known as Little Simz, is angry and she refuses to bottle it up anymore. Instead, she’s channelled it into her brilliant fifth studio album NO THANK YOU masterfully lifting influences from R&B, gospel, soul, funk, reggae and blues to create a thoughtful album packed with interesting sounds. The album was released last year on the 12th December after being announced only the week prior. Despite its late release some critics have dubbed it the album of 2022 – and we can see why.
The leading lady in hip hop has been at the top of her game for some time now. Her 3rd album GREY Area released in 2019 was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and won Best Album at the Ivor Novello Awards and at the NME awards. Only two years ago she released her fourth studio album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert winning her the Mercury Prize in 2022 alongside huge praise from fans and critics alike. Despite her climbing success Simz felt pain and frustration after she had to pull her North American tour last year. As an independent artist the financial cost of the tour would have left her high and dry.
NO THANK YOU, released on the independent label Forever Living Originals, how artists, especially artists of colour, often do not receive the salary or respect they deserve. Little Simz speaks out against this in a powerful way combing soulful instrumentals with bitingly clever lyrics to create a politically charged masterpiece that is as impactful as it is a joy to listen to. ‘Never cared about being immortalised’ is the opening line on the album and sets the tone for the whole album – Simz isn’t after fame or money she wants to make change through her music and bring joy to her listeners.
On the opener ‘Angel’ Simz discusses stardom and how labels ‘don’t care if your mental is on the brink of somethin’ dark/As long as you’re cuttin’ somebody’s payslip’. The expert sampling of vocals to create an angelic sound is just what we’d expect from Simz’s long-time collaborator and childhood friend Inflo. Cleo Sol, who frequently sings back up and the chorus over the album, adds a soothing juxtaposition to Little Simz’s cool flow. The second track ‘Gorilla’ begins with an orchestral flare and incorporates glorious old school hip-hop beats with a sample from Jurassic 5 along with an ethereal gospel chorus. Simz oozes triumph and powerful as she delivers the line ‘rap’s last hope and the faith, I’m restorin’’. ‘Silhouette’ maintains the gospel vibes with soft choral oohs contrasting Simz anxious flows about persevering despite doubting herself – in the end she remains positive telling those who try to wrong her ‘your insecurity won’t break me down’.
Simz’s anger is evident on the double entendre titled track ‘No Merci’ where she raps ‘You know that I’m unapologetically black’ to the gracefully mixed electronic beats that will make you want to move. The living West African drumbeats on the start of ‘X’ creates a startling contrast between the relaxed outro of the previous track. On ‘X’ Little Simz highlights the generational trauma of black people that will never leave despite a part of the community being able to achieve success. ‘Heart on Fire’ also continues the theme of artists being exploited with the punching refrain ‘My life is a blessing/ But it comes with the stresses’. ‘Broken’ is one of the most honest songs on the album with the falsetto chorus repeating ‘when you feel you’re broken and cannot fix it’ creating a trance-like drive whilst Simz raps about the struggles of trying to fix a broken system. The gentle instrumental towards the end of the song promises a future of hope and peace.
In the last three songs on the album have a lighter tone than the previous. The short but sweet ‘Sideways’ cleverly samples sped up vocals to create an enticing beat with a vintage sound. ‘Who Even Cares’ is almost psychedelic like the track has been mixed underwater. It displays Simz softer side with Cleo’s gorgeous chorus meshing with Simz’s laidback verse. The autotune on Simz’s vocals gives a relaxed feeling to the number – this will be the perfect summertime track for laying around in the park or on the beach on a hot day. The final track ‘Control’ is a stripped back piano number featuring only Simz’s rapping and a male gospel singer that tells a love story. It’s a charming ending to an album that gives its listener a lot to think on.
Though Simz flits between moods of feeling comfortable in her artistry and anger caused by the struggles of being a black artist in a ruthless industry by the end of NO THANK YOU she emerges victorious having produced a superb hip-hop album that will push forward the music industry to change and influence other artists to speak out against injustice. We know that we’ll have these songs on repeat throughout the year.
Words By Molly Sutherland
Header Image : @littlesimz Instagram
