Little Simz — Sugar Girl
A confusing project from who is usually one of rap’s top performers.
Little Simz has garnered no shortage of deserved praise and acclaim from critics and listeners alike over the course of her career, captivating audiences with her razor-sharp flows and standout lyricism. However, on her latest release, the EP Sugar Girl, her best traits are barely present.
The four-track project kicks off with its only solo track, “That’s A No No”, which immediately sets the tone for what to expect — a buzzing rage-style beat, and Simz sounding like something of a mix between Doja Cat and Playboi Carti for the majority of it, far from her usual style. It comes off slightly awkward, especially in contrast with the second verse, where Simz brings a driven, hungry performance more typical of her. That verse is the only true highlight of the EP, the only reminder that this is, in fact, a Little Simz project.
When it comes to the other three tracks, none of them feel like Simz is fully invested in them. They lack the conviction and the soul of the rest of her discography, to the point that she almost doesn’t sound all that interested in making them in the first place. This especially applies to the third song, “Open Arms”, where Simz only appears on the repetipre-chorus, with the rest of the track handled by the feature, fellow UK rapper Deela. The features as a whole are fairly decent, with JT on “Game On” probably the strongest; the tracks also have their moments in terms of the production, with the beats largely having a spacey and futuristic feel to them; but the occasional more memorable moments don’t do enough to fully elevate this EP or make it stand out.
Overall, Sugar Girl is a fairly disappointing entry in Little Simz’ mostly solid discography. Despite a few highlight sections and some solid production, it’s a somewhat messy, unfocused project that feels like it lacks passion and direction. It’s not entirely clear what Simz was going for with this EP, but, in any case, the execution doesn’t connect all that well. Hopefully, this is nothing more than a blip for Little Simz, and by the time her next full-length studio LP comes around, she is back in top form.
5.0/10
