What Is “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” and Who is Little Simz?

And No, That Isn’t A Typo.     

Simbiatu “Simbi” Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, better known by her stage name Little Simz, is a 27-year-old British-Nigerian rapper, singer, and actress. Her first studio album “A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons” was released in 2015 but her music journey started years before. On September 3rd, 2021, Simz released her newest album “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” to critical acclaim. As much as I love this album, I want to take it apart and see what makes it so good. Let’s take a deep dive into Little Simz’s “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert”. 

Background

This album is Simz’s 6th studio album and comes off of the release of her 2019 record “GREY Area”. This album helped Simz break into the mainstream, as “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” has gotten more attention, especially by popular critics such as Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop. With the release of this album, Simz also released four music videos for songs on the album. She also released a short film that shares the name of one of the songs on the record. Simz has also been featured as a performing artist on popular late night shows such as Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and James Corden. 

Contributing Artists

 *SIMBI – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Although SIMBI* would not be possible without Little Simz, she was not the only contributor to this album. SIMBI was produced by three people: Inflo, Jakwob, and Miles James. The album also has two featured artists appear. These artists are Cleo Sol, another British musician who is featured on the track “Woman,” and London based Nigerian artist Obongjayar who is featured on the track “Point and Kill”. The voice of actress Emma Corrin is also featured as a recurring character in the interludes such as “The Rapper Came to Tea,” “The Garden,” and “Gems.” Ultimately, it took many genius minds to bring “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert together” and their diverse musical influences really show on the album.

The Album Itself     

Speaking of diverse musical influences, the first track of the album, “Introvert,” is one of the most bombastic tracks but also one of the longest. This track is a grand orchestral ballad with its loud horns and haunting choir. This intimidating intro is followed by an inspiring almost slam poetry rap solo by Simz herself. During the orchestral segments, you can hear the sound of metal clashing and the roars of soldiers in battle. This track sets the tone for the entire album with similar orchestral motifs appearing in tracks such as “I love you, I hate you” and “Standing Ovation”. In contrast, the song after it, “Woman,” is classy and heavily inspired by soul and R&B. This contrast of genres demonstrates the wide variety of genres and instruments used in the album. 

The following track, “Two Worlds Apart,” is very casual and almost intoxicating with its rich bass guitar, and Simz’s slow lyrics about her relationship problems seem as if she’s falling asleep. In contrast, the track after, “I love you, I hate you,” starts with similar horns and strings from the first track and turns into Simz rapping about the complex relationship she has with her father. This track really shows how personal Simz is willing to get on this album. 

The series of tracks after, “Little Q, Pt. 1 and 2,” is told from the point of view of Simz’s cousin, Quodus, and his near death experience. The monologue in “Little Q, Pt. 1” is actually voiced by Quodus himself. The track after, “Gems” is an interlude where Emma Corrin’s character confronts Simz about her lack of confidence and it is here that we hear Simz talking instead of rapping for the first time. 

The next song, “Speed,” is more of a braggadocious rap that comes off more aggressively compared to the songs that came before. The song after, “Standing Ovation,” also somewhat talks about what Simz has achieved, but it’s in a more triumphant light. 

The song “I See You” comes after and brings more of a romantic vibe to the track list with its indie and minimalist instrumental. 

“Rollin Stone” opens with a melancholic synth verse before turning into an intimidating and tense rap track that changes again halfway to become a more aggressive trap beat. In my opinion, this track seemed kind of awkward and slows down the energy of the album. Not a bad song all things considered. Similarly, the track “Protect My Energy” takes a leap in genre with its 80s synths and fake drums, although I personally enjoyed “Protect My Energy” more.

The track after these two is “Never Make Promises,” which is another interlude. As great as the choir is, I really don’t see the point of this track. It doesn’t really add much and if it was never included, the album wouldn’t be losing much either. Thankfully, two of the best songs off the record come after.

“Point And Kill” and “Fear No Man” are some of the most unique and fun songs from this album. These two songs show off Simz’s Nigerian heritage by taking inspiration from West African music. If you love hand drums and dirty bass guitar you’ll love these two tracks.

The final two songs, “How Did You Get Here” and “Miss Understood,” wrap up the record perfectly. Simz reminisces about her journey as a young musician and her past and present relationships she has with her loved ones. The elegant piano and drums on “How Did You Get Here” really sells Simz’s emotions on this track as well as the melancholy vocals on “Miss Understood.”

To Sum It Up

This is a very solid record. The quality and diversity of the tracks is very consistent through the whole album and leaves you wanting to listen to it over and over again. Although SIMBI isn’t as experimental as some other albums coming out right now, the beautiful instrumentation and multi-layered rap verses shows that this album is not one to miss out on.