Snoh Aalegra - - ugh, those feels again

Snoh Aalegra
- ugh, those feels again
2019
Spotify

It's hard to put Snoh Aalegra into any kind of context. Sure, it's easy an somewhat accurate to call her music R&B, but at the end of the day it is so much more than that. FEELS evoked James Bond style sensuality, a slick approach to singing that can float from a dark lounge to your living room with ease. Snoh has that kind of voice that will send chills down the spine of damn near anyone. There is a sexiness to her voice that still feels incredibly powerful. She isn't fucking around with candy pop music or chasing some kind of trend, this is music that clearly matters to her. This new record continues along the same lines as the last, almost like Snoh wants to move on but just can't get these ideas out of her head. This album is far more progressive than the last. It doesn't rely so much on the cinematic and instead utilizes stripped down beats for Snoh to dance over. The album feels incredibly expansive like it could drift away at any moment if it was not for her voice tethering it to the ground. There is such a natural ease to Snoh's vocal like it was just meant to be heard. This album feels more contemporary than anything she has done in the past, but only just enough so she doesn't loose that sense of being a classic.

Now there are not the stand up and take notice songs on this record like there were on FEELS. Instead she allows to songs to flow out, bringing an element of natural progression to the album. Before you look up you've blazed through the album's 14 songs and can't help but go back for more. It's hard to impress the amount of guts it takes to put out an album like this. Snoh Aalegra could be a massive pop star, singing on hip hop hooks and diving into that Ariana Grande energy, but she so slickly avoids all that and gets straight to emotion. Each song feels like it's only hers, her vibe, her feel and nothing's allowed to penetrate that. The zero features on the record feels incredibly intentional, like Snoh wanted to ensure her voice was heard on this one. This kind of music is not for everyone, it's refined in a way that doesn't immediately make it approachable, but once you give it a chance good god does it soar. Sophomore slump be dammed Snoh Aalegra is here to stay with this album and it's time the world took notice.

9.0 out of 10