Josie Veal
Contributing Writer
Summer may be over, but Summer Walker has arrived. There is no other way to announce the arrival of the future R&B household name. This young lady is a complete go! These past few years have witnessed the resurgence of R&B. No, not that ‘“Singin’ in the Rain” asking your lover to take you back’ R&B, but trap&B, which surfaced around the time of Kanye West’s “808s & Heartbreak.” The R&B that is soulful crooning and lyrics ripe with emotion enclosed in a hypnotic beat that was produced by God!
“Last Day of Summer” is the diary you wish you kept when you decided to be a hoe during the summer but actually ended up falling for someone. It is a testament to being in love in the 21st century. Prior to the release of this album on Oct. 19, Walker had four songs, three of which are on the album. Each tackling a different aspect of being young, sexy, being in relationships, being comfortable and growing in your sensuality, and obviously the bane of all relationships: being ignored (“Session 32”).
The album is a mix of songs reminiscent of Bryson Tiller and slowed-down tracks that show off the singer’s lyrical and vocal prowess. This young lady has impressive melodic range. Walker’s voice is like eating ice cream on the hottest day of summer. Sweet and filling, but gone in less than five minutes. Most albums are typically between 45 minutes to an hour long. At 28 minutes, Walker’s album is just a little bit longer than a five song EP, most songs not longer than two minutes and 30 seconds.
Think back to R&B songs like Lenny Williams’ “Cause I Love You” which is seven minutes long and Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing),” which is five minutes long. Granted, both included the traditional hallmark of an R&B song: someone speaking with music playing in the background. But the lyrics, the melody, the rhythm and everything about the song makes time fly. With Walker, it’s like DMing that person you like, they respond consecutively for a little while, then they ghost before you can even ask them if they want to chill. She leaves you a little frustrated and wanting more. It could be argued that the length mirrors the nature of some relationships: long enough to have you experiencing emotions, but short and ambiguous enough to have you wondering if you should refer to it as a relationship or a situationship. Furthermore, the searing nature of certain songs get straight to the point, shown in this lyric from the song “Shame”: “You don’t wanna be nobody else’s pain/ You don’t wanna be nobody else’s play/ to hide from themselves.” Is there a need to say more?
Walker’s voice has a haunting quality and packs an emotional punch, getting the message across without needing to say much, whether she is the woman serving as the universe’s retribution for her flings, past sins (“Karma”) or imploringly asking her former boo, “why don’t you tell me what she’s got on me?” on “Just Like Me.” You can hear the pain, confusion and desperation in her voice as she calls out the man in question for being ashamed of her having tattoos on her face. The battle between expectation and reality is prevalent on the album, which includes relationship expectations of sunshine and butterflies and the reality of tears, misunderstanding and hurt. It is the expectation of being with someone that fits a certain image and the reality of being attracted to someone completely different.
In “Talk Yo S**t” (voiced by the wonderful B Simone — check her Instagram, she is funny) and “Girls Need Love,” the lyrics suggest that the expectation is on women to play chaste and coy, which in reality is a deviation from the messaging and societal view of Black women and men, who historically have been viewed as possessing an insatiable sexual appetite. Like SZA’s “The Weekend,” Walker’s “Girls Need Love” forces us to think of women as having sexual agency, acting on their desires and standing in their truth even though these choices contradict societal expectations.
The album offers an array of listening experiences, whether you are looking for a new trap&B song for your night out or the gut-wrenching, crying into your pillow song or even a new song to add to your “sexy time” playlist. Walker offers an incredible and soulful debut album that not only shows off her vocal and lyrical talent but also sets her up as a force to be reckoned with in the coming years, A.K.A. a bad bitch who is a little weird! Just look at her Instagram, you will see why.
(Photo from Youtube)