I appreciate both Simz' artistic explorations and the willingness to share these creative tangents between albums. Sadly, the four track Sugar Girl makes a mild impression. Its mix of flavours feel mostly derivate of other trendy styles in the modern rap scene.
Opening with That's A No No, we find auto-tuned mumble ad-lbs over spacey synthetic beats akin to Yeat. Adding little to the conversation, the mid track pivot to her normal rap person seems stiff in its contrast. This synthy exterior melds with classic 808s and deep base lines on the proceeding Game On. Its underwhelming tone leads onto an under-powered hook, culminating in a rather forgettable stint.
Things perk up on Open Arms. An intriguing percussive groove drives the song, housing an ambiguous yet dreamy atmosphere. Effeminate voices dip in and out of intensities. Curious in concept but it lacks something exceptional to tip it over the edge. Telephone continues with the spaced out, dreamy vibes. Autotune returns, aiding its chilled lean into an Ethereal space. The whole thing drifts by in a soft mediocrity. Intriguing experiments but all of them lack something special.
Rating: 3/10
Rating: 3/10