Little Simz makes realness a life-or-death struggle on “Flood”

thefader.com:

Don't look now, but Yung Lean could be flirting with a tradcath reinvention. His recent appearance on the hit viral series SubwayTakes, wearing a massive crucifix and extolling the virtues of a quiet family life and decrying the "Diddy-ness" of modern partying, reflect a broader cultural shift: what was once considered liberated is increasingly seen as depraved and hollow.

It's disconcerting, even if the concerns are not entirely misplaced: the music industry is full of demons (not literal ones, conspiracy theorists, but close) who require more than just a bit of burning sage.

Little Simz is here to show the way without, you know, buying into the vibes that have helped the far-right gain more power than they already do.

Simz has been on the ghostbusting tip for years now. Five albums in, the 22-year-old artist — one of the best rappers in her age bracket and possibly working today, of any age, period — has made exorcising unwelcome presences into a cornerstone of her art. "I ain't got one threat to consider / Heaven and Earth attached on one pillar" she rapped on "Gorilla," a standout from 2023's NO THANK U. "Flood," her lead single from Lotus (out May 29), is more urgent but no less confident in its appraisal of the stakes.