Little Simz has made big, grand statements with richly varied albums that delve deep into her psyche, her calling card as her career exploded with multiple magnum opus albums in the last decade. As impressive and diverse as those albums are, though, often her most captivating music is in her EPs, of which she has a dozen now with 'Sugar Girl'. Simz once again uses the EP format to experiment and showcase her wildly creative vision while cutting loose with some new sounds and yet another reinvention.
She sounds invigorated and at the peak of her powers on 'That's A No No'. It sounds like a rousing clarion call heralding the return of one of the greats. The beats are cavernous and juddering as she whispers, "Lost count of all the bitches I've influenced", until she cuts loose with some blistering rhymes that suggest a vengeful anger as she talks about "Snakes getting burned" with visceral burning energy.
'Open Arms' is sparse and minimal with some fluttering vocal flourishes, while 'Telephone' has a diverging alt-rock sound, but it's the final track, 'Game On', that provides the collection's most exciting moment. Premiered earlier this year live at Coachella, it's a jump-up party song that features the unmistakable vocals of JT from rap duo City Girls, who provides a high-energy, intense counterpoint to Simz' cool.
'Sugar Girl' is short but exceedingly sweet and provides another insight into the wildly inspiring creative mind of a modern musical genius. Little Simz remains untouchable.
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