Summer Walker "Still Over it" Review
Enamorado Pub/Mags First Installment!!!!
Summer Walker’s Sophomore album is by far one of the most impressive albums to have come out in the last 2 years. Within these 20 tracks on the project Summer takes us on a journey filled with poignant self-refection, pain, resentment, growth, and so many other emotions. Few albums can be this long and captivate the listeners attention like this project was able to, in the modern landscape of music. The narrative arc of this album is extremely cohesive and effective. I do not know her personally or Londononthetrack, but she was able to paint a picture with each track so well, so much so that I hate this nigga now too lol! I believe that this may be some of her best writing to date. I also believe that if her and her discography continues to produce impressive records like this and “Over It”, we will have to really consider as one of the best R&B artists of the 2010’s.
This album to me is her grieving over a broken relationship and spending a lot of time, taking us into how agenizing it was for her to go through. Which is inherently not a new groundbreaking topic for an album or media, but Summer Walker’s music and albums are loaded with so much talent, lyricism, and impressive cadences, melodies, and most importantly production!!!! To make average subject matter like infidelity, unrequited love, toxicity, and dealing with someone not good for you into a whole different level. This album sonically is very moody and dark. Almost all songs carry a certain tenor of production to them, that has become signature in her sound. Almost in the same vein of someone like Partynextdoor, she can find multiple angles of attacking beats and is never drowned out in the beat, despite how intense and hypnotic the beats can be.
Okay into the album! I have run through it roughly around 8-10times since it’s been released, and it grows on me after each time. I give it a 4.5/5. I think that towards the latter half of the album it grows a bit redundant and almost becomes a bit monotonous in its subject matter. Although sonically, the latter half of the album is much more experimental than the first 10 tracks, which are extremely reminiscent of her debut project. ‘Over It’. However, the stronger points of the album are such a highpoint that it makes any lesser aspects of the album bearable/acceptable, especially in the grand narrative she takes us on. The highest points of this album for me came after I had spent a week with the album. Once I was able to learn the words and melodies, the album really opened for me and reached a different plateau of enjoyability. For instance, I never liked the song ‘screwin’ 1on the first few listens. But after I learned the words and sat with the song for a bit, it became one of my favorites off the album and is an immediate song I gravitate towards when I want to listen to the album.
Some immediate standouts from this album to me are: No love, Bitter, throw it away, Switch a nigga out and broken promises! Also, Ciara’s Prayer hit a little too close to home and made me well up. It is extremely reaffirming and provides a sense of comfort and strength which is a nice closing track to a very emotionally charged album. All these songs couldn’t have come at a better time though! The interesting aspect of this album to me is how quickly it resonated in the hearts of others! I feel like I and so many others were going through things and needed a vehicle to process that relational trauma through. Not only did Summer provide an avenue for that but also gave us an impressive body of work! It effortlessly encapsulates the toxic and terrible ways attachment issues form in modern relationships. That push and pull that comes with becoming bonded to someone and the agony (especially through social media) that the isolation away from them and yourself brings, can be truly unbearable. She in her writing always finds the right sentences and phrasing to make the song hurt but also slap. I think of 4th baby mama when she simply repeats the lines, “What was you telling them? What was you telling me?”. And how with 10 words she easily paints a vivid picture of a relationship many of us have experienced or can empathize with.
There are moments of summer’s album where she seems very healed and has processed all the pain from her relationship, and then subsequently in the next song seem so scorned and jaded. All this fits into the arc of the album in my opinion and makes for a full raw body of work, as well as an interesting rollercoaster of feelings. This album is rich with that sort of content matter and subtext that one could easily project onto and personalize. I know that I and many others did, and I really enjoyed the album for that, but can understand why someone may be skeptical about not wanting to dive into that and rehash wounds/feelings that still may be raw. This album definitely is mainstream (she hit number 1 on billboard a few days ago!!!!) but there is an argument that is not for everybody. Some have argued that is ‘low self-esteem music’ but I want to take time to disagree with that notion. I think that is a very dismissive claim for one and I also think it heavily discredits how potent and effective the power of one’s emotions can be. Along with the solace one can find in them together with the sensation of someone mirroring back to you those same sentiments.
Vis a vis the attachment issues and notions of healing in this album. I was extremely conflicted in my thoughts of if I believed that after the album finished, was Summer Walker healed and reflecting or just hurt, and venting. I think there is both apparent in the album and the more time spent thinking on it, it became hard to differentiate the two. I think tracks like; Bitter, Throw it away, Reciprocate, You don’t know me, switch a nigga out, closure, toxic, screwin’, broken promises, session 33 and 4th baby mama. Are the ones to me that have a strong energy of hurt, resentment, discontent and someone who is trying so hard to salvage something that isn’t working for them (who among us hasn’t been there ever). But that’s well over 50% of the album, that to me has that hurt energy while the other half is more healed and introspective. Not to say that some of the songs listed do not have that duality to them! However, with lines like “mad at me, mad at my nigga. Mad at the fact he ain’t with you. Mad at the fact that it’s me”. Which is on one hand a slight at someone who had an affair with her man, and she is implying that she’s past it, and is mad she is stuck with him. Then next verse, she uses that same bridge/chorus to imply that his old flames/ex’s/babymamas that they are in the same position as her and that they are mad at her and her nigga. Mad at the fact he ain’t with them.
Which on the first side seems like someone who is bitter and tired and wants to be done with the issue, and then on the other someone deeply attached and is territorial over someone who isn’t good for them. There are numerous lines/songs/themes of this duality and dichotomy laced through the project and it became hard for me to discern after listening just which one was the right answer. And honestly, after deliberating my thoughts with others and throughout days of writing it, I think the more interesting answer lies in the idea of both being possible at the same time. Holding space to process multiple emotions/feelings at once is rare in our times and takes a lot of patience and intentionality in yourself. 2
When I think about this versus other releases this year like Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, I think Walker takes the cake easily. I do not fully even know what the narrative arc of Loverboy was, also the music was very underwhelming. and often vapid at times. Most modern albums to me feel just like a collection of songs and often have no narrative structure. Not to say that an album needs one to be good. I think Roddy riches’ “please excuse me for being antisocial”. Is a perfect example of lacking a narrative but still being a cohesive album. Nonetheless, Good modern albums are possible, just extremely rare. 3With streaming and playlists being so prominent the fans will gravitate to the more radio friendly hits, and this leaves crafting an album in a weird place. Incentivizing artists to just pump out trendy things instead of taking the time and effort to work on an album for albums sake and rather just keep churning out songs until one will become global or trend on tiktok.
Some of my issues with the project are the first single to come out for the album. I think if it hadn’t come out a single it would be bearable to hear in the structure of the project but because we heard it already, it becomes very skippable. Also, sometimes on certain songs I genuinely cannot understand what she is saying because she is mumbling and just doing incoherent runs i.e. (The beginning of tonight and some parts of no love). I also have a feverish distaste for the Lil Durk feature, I do not think that it fits well, and violently takes away from the song. I do not believe that R&B songs really ever need a rap feature. I think they work better without them to be frank! Also, 4th baby momma is like an out of body experience. I think she could have kept that; it was way too personal for my liking. Not to imply that music must relate to me for it to be good, it’s just that it was a bit like when that one friend is venting to you on facetime about their relationship problems and you are extremely overstimulated by it all. But besides these few issues with the project.
Summer walker has effortlessly given us two hard hitting projects back-to-back. I really look forward to hearing more from her in the future and the other artists she will bring into her world for the next album. Seeing as no one from the last project made it onto this one, one can only wonder if she will continue that trend, I am also curious as to her next album what will be the theme or even sonically where she might take it. I hope she doesn’t continue to be heartbroken over an ain’t shit nigga and can maybe explore different subject matter, so her music doesn’t become redundant. Although if she continues to produce incredible records like this, I honestly would be okay with it and learn to accept it. I believe her vocal talent alone welcomes ventures into different genres. She has the voice and cadence to carry on a blues record or even country on some Kacey Musgraves shit. Plus, her ear for collaborations and beautiful lyrics, the world is hers and I can’t wait to see where she heads with all the talent she possesses.
I think screwing was nice, I always enjoy a long 5+ minute song and/or ballad. But I think if anyone could benefit, from having a 8+ track on some Erykah Badu shit, it’s Summer Walker. She has the writing ability and ear to carry a song that long and not have it be monotonous. She could even spice it up and put a ‘/’ in the hypothetical track, if she struggles to make one cohesive long song. I also think partynextdoor should have been on the song instead of Omarion, but he was on the last project so I understand, and also Omarion wasn’t bad!
I would definitely argue that her attachment style is an anxious one. I think throughout this album we are hearing someone with; significant trust issues,
Perfect albums are rare! Within the last 10 years, in my opinion there are only maybe a handful of albums that are perfect and truly have no skips. I think this project comes close and is much better in my opinion than her debut and some artists best albums. But I do not feel comfortable giving it a 10/10 or 5/5!