“Over It” by Summer Walker

By Kinga Mozes

Summer Walker’s new album “Over It” is packed with so much emotion it has Drake in his feelings and back in the studio. The album oozes confidence in a way that is new for Walker. She has always captured raw heartache, as in the yearning lyricism of “Last Day of Summer,” but in “Over It,” she bites love back.

The album blossoms from Walker’s understanding of her worth as a woman, despite the double standards that plague modern love. This comes through on the stripped-down track “Fun Girl,” where the jarring, slightly off-key guitar strums force listeners to pay attention to her evident frustration. Walker is tired of society labeling her ambition as undesirable, while men never have to worry about their success being seen as a threat to their partner’s pride. Likewise, the well-received track “Girls Need Love” touches on how women’s sexual needs are often invalidated.

Drake’s feature, along with the other features, adds a conversational aspect, offering refreshing male perspectives. Tracks like “Playing Games” and “Just Might Be” sample her inspirations Amy Winehouse and Destiny’s Child, but are polished to fit her unique sound.

Walker’s greatest asset is her angelic vocals that shine through a masterful blend of rapping and singing. The beats are not overproduced, allowing her to create 18 distinct moods.

Walker understands the complex power dynamics of love that leave one feeling desperately vulnerable in one moment and like an independent boss in the next: the perfect sweet balance of ruined lipgloss and face tattoos.