Breaking Down Walls, Little Simz Opens Up On "Lotus"

Written by Chelsea Tiso

Graphic by Rebekah Witt

Little Simz is back—though, for me and my playlists, she’s never really left. Born Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, the Islington native with a penchant for honest, headbopping music, has just released her 6th studio album Lotus.

It starts gritty and cuts deep. The main single and opening track “Thief,” is a genuinely hard-hitting banger and a fantastic opener to an album. It pulls no punches, swinging straight for hypocrites and thieves while gracefully calling them out. The foundation of the song is this groovy and gritty bass guitar that almost acts as an echoing backing vocal at certain parts of the chorus. It feels like an outburst of frustration that gradually gets explored through the other songs in the album. 

“Flood” maintains that biting bass theme present throughout the album, this time like a motorcycle revving along. These two songs, like the rest of the album, make me think of her as the UK’s princess. She is quintessentially British: all parts courage, determination, and a fusion of the cultures she grew up around. Dare I say, she is one of the legends of our times. 

Saying that, I wasn’t particularly drawn to “Young” when I heard it as a single because of how childish it sounded. Talk about missing the point on the first listen! I’ve since grown to enjoy this track because of its tongue-in-cheek instrumental and Simz’s whiny tone. The switch flips at the next track, and I immediately break into a little two-step. “Only” is one of my favourites on this album because of its Brazilian influences and the gorgeous serenade of Lydia Kitto throughout. The lyricism of Little Simz throughout is potent, sharp, and oh-so-reverent. 

We then turn to the funky “Free,” Simz’s second single on this record. Its message is clear and personally relatable. Purpose, love, and the notion of being free are eloquently rapped over this classically inspired, buttery R&B track. With double entendres peppered throughout the track, there’s no denying Simz’s expansive lyricism. 
Whilst I’m not too keen on the verses of “Blood,” purely because I’m not a fan of conversational songs, the majority of the album ticks all the right boxes for me. I relate to it as a young black working woman and seriously appreciate its references to music I grew up listening to. But more than anything, Lotus, both the album in its totality and its title track, is raw. Not every album and not every artist is able to delicately balance the grief, sadness, and beauty of living, overlaying just good music. Little Simz has, unsurprisingly, done it again.