Summer Walker remains undefeated when it comes to making good music. She is now undefeated when it comes to relationships.
STREAM
TOP 3
3. To Summer, From Cole – Audio Hug
Who had J. Cole opening up Summer Walker’s EP on their bingo card? (B*tch, put your hand down).
I hate to put a song that Summer Walker is barely on in the top 3, but J. Cole said a bunch of notable s**t in it. In “To Summer, From Cole – Audio Hug,” Cole confirms that The Fall Off is coming, that he cries a lot now that he has kids, and that he thinks Ari Lennox, SZA, and Summer are all R&B GOATs. It’s so refreshing to hear one of the best rappers in the game recognize one of the best singers in the game.
J. Cole has one of the hardest, most slept-on flows in the game today. The way he slides over this song’s soothing beat is amazing.
2. Pull Up
For anyone that doesn’t think that Summer Walker has a voice on her, listen to “Pull Up.”
“Pull Up” is gorgeous. Summer Walker’s high-pitched vocals are stunning, her composure is praiseworthy, and her honest lyrics (In the song, she talks about giving her man her mind, body, and soul as if he is Shang Tsung) are astonishing. To top things off, her outro had me feeling like there’s a such thing as black man privilege.
1. Mind Yo Mouth
Welp, it looks like Tyrone is still getting his ass kicked in 2023.
Seriously, “Mind Yo Mouth” gives me “Tyrone” vibes. In the song, which is powered by this organic instrumental and live sound, Summer Walker tells her man that he’s soft and that he needs to get up off his ass. This s**t is the ultimate ego check, and as a secure man with a job and a respectable temper, I loved every second of it.
Real men agree with Summer Walker often. She didn’t say a single lie in this f**king song.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. To Summer, From Cole – Audio Hug (5/5)
2. Hardlife (4/5)
3. How Does It Feel (4/5)
4. Mind Yo Mouth (5/5)
5. Pull Up (5/5)
6. New Type (Ft. Childish Gambino) (4/5)
7. Finding Peace (4.5/5)
8. Set Up (2017) (4/5)
9. Agayu’s Revelation (N/A)
RGM RATING
(B+)
Summer Walker is so unbelievably good, she makes extremely laidback R&B music, toxic relationships, and cussing out men sound exciting as hell.
Summer Walker’s projects are more than just a good listen; they are full-blown experiences that will move the s**t out of you. First and foremost, I think that Summer has an amazing voice. I love how she gets lost in every single instrumental she is handed, gifting us everything from high-pitched to silky to delicate vocals that will make your soul shiver. Secondly, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Summer’s unapologetic lyrics about the s**t that runs through her head in relationships. Yes, Ne-Yo and the rest of us are sick of love songs, but when created authentically and vulnerably like Summer creates them, I can’t get enough of it. Lastly, I just appreciate how critical she thinks it is to have a consistent sound. I tell people this all the time: If you want to make a classic project, you have to double, triple, and quadruple down on the sound that you do best; Summer does just that in this project. Matter of fact, CLEAR 2: SOFT LIFE EP flows so well, it almost feels like one long live performance. Summer does almost everything right here.
Why do I feel like I need to give Erykah Badu her flowers after listening to this project?
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
