More about: Little Simz

Little Simz is an artist who’s always been a bit of a mystery. In interviews, she generally deflects questions about her personal life with the same level of deftness that she displays on the mic. But there are umpteen reasons why an artist might choose to suddenly release a new album with little in the way of advance promotion or even warning. In the case of Little Simz, it seems mostly to be because she’s got things off her chest.

No Thank You, less than eight weeks after she won the Mercury prize for its predecessor, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, seems to have been written out of necessity – not just for herself but for those around her too. What the album largely revolves around is the topic of ‘the Artist V the Industry’. This comes as no surprise when the last year has been the most turbulent of her career so far, with the cancellation of her US tour and the firing of her manager, Robert Swerdlow.

The opener, ‘Angel’, aptly describes the hamster-wheel for music that new artists are subject to, and that labels don’t often value music beyond numbers and monetary returns. “They don't care if your mental is on the brink of somethin' dark. As long as you're cuttin' somebody's payslip. And sendin' their kids to private school in a spaceship…I refuse to be on a slave ship, give me all my masters and lower your wages”. I can’t help but also think she references the double standard for Black artists with “fuck the politics, I'm goin' Meghan on you neeks”. It would be the second mention of Meghan Markle in recent music after Stormzy also referenced her in his recent album. 

‘Gorilla' has the sort of bad b energy that her viral track 'Venom/ gave the internet. Simz, and no doubt her trusty producer Inflo, have a real understanding of her tone and can manipulate it to suit any vibe. Moving through to ‘Silhouette’ which is accompanied, as is most of the album, by the angelic voice of Cleo Sol. It has some references to Simz’s relationship with God, something she later comes back to with track “X”. On which not only does she speak of God, but also of the reality of being a Black artist, and perhaps her biggest revelation; “mentally takin' back my power and I'm signin' out, respectfully”. Another theme brought through to ‘Heart on Fire’ “Devil works hard, but the business works harder. I’ve vowed from now to work smarter”

‘Broken' feels very personal and is a story that feels personal to me and I’m sure many other first-generation immigrant listeners; “twenty-one, landed in London with hardly any funds… “twenty-seven, tryna get back to bein' twenty-one… Cause nothing's changed, still no money, but more things to pay for”. Only Simz could come through with a seven-minute track and keep me captivated for its entirety. 

"This album feels like the start of a different path for her career, almost a way of purging herself of all the wrong assumptions and mistakes she made..."

‘No Merci’ is the biggest tell-all and explains how turbulent the last year has been. Artists owning the rights to their music is a tale as old as time, often with huge related scandals like the Taylor Swift / Scooter Braun situation. ‘They want you rushin' life decisions over a three-course meal. Next thing you know, you're doin' three tours… You ain't in the studio with me, but want commission. And if I wanna release my art, I need permission’.

It ends on an optimistic note, with ‘Control’: a straightforward and rather sweet love song, backed only by piano. This album feels like the start of a different path for her career, almost a way of purging herself of all the wrong assumptions and mistakes she made in the start of her career, and looking forward to a new future. I for one, can’t wait to see what’s next.

NO THANK YOU is out now

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More about: Little Simz