When Babyxsosa first emerged in 2018 with “Beat My Ass,” there was a chirpy, nursery-rhyme quality to the Virginia rapper-singer’s voice. She sings sweetly, her feathery vocals floating through the din like a snowflake in a gust of wind. As her profile grew, she began dabbling in ’80s-style synth-pop, plugg, and harsh industrial techno, the latter of which sounded like Yeezus compressed to 8-bit. Her voice is the one constant, cutting through the digital fog even as the music shuffles around. It feels like a sliding block puzzle operated by someone amped up on two cans of Logan Paul’s Prime energy drink.
Even for an artist prone to unexpected pivots, Babyxsosa’s new self-titled project feels like a left turn. Outside of its explosive centerpiece “Baby G,” the production is somber and stripped-back, consisting almost entirely of moody synthlines fit for a minimalist sci-fi film. That aesthetic choice puts more emphasis on Sosa’s vocals than ever, and she uses the extra space to lather her melodies in a cold, Auto-Tuned foam. It’s hard to make out the freestyled lyrics on “Introduction,” but her coos morph into ghostly wails over a yearning organ sample, her wistfulness overflowing with every breath. Babyxsosa is a radical departure from the boisterous sound she’s been tinkering with; “Beat My Ass,” this is not. She relies on these sparse vibes for the rest of the release with mixed results.
Simple vocal refrains melt into the backgrounds of songs, every element weightless and floating towards the ceiling. “Never Know/Viral” lingers on unfiltered confessions that eventually give way to Kid Cudi-style crooning. At just a little under a minute and a half, the track evaporates and leaves little time for respite before the bludgeoning, Playboi Carti-indebted “Baby G” gallops in. Then the drums and horns fade into the ether, and she’s back to singing sweet nothings on “That’s Just What They Say When They Don’t Know You Like I Know You.” The tonal whiplash is bizarre but intriguing, the bones of a romantic theme peeking through these pared-down flights of fancy. Still, the mechanics aren’t foolproof. Outside of that dizzying three-song structure, these tracks feel so raw they sometimes resemble demos more than finished statements.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
