Album Review: Summer Walker – Over It

****/5

Even if you haven't heard of the name Summer Walker, you can still probably recall hearing a song with the lyrics, "I just need some d**k, I just need some love. Tired of f**king with these lame n****s, baby I just need a thug." This signature song, "Girls Need Love," was featured on nearly every playlist and helped propel Walker as one of the breakout R&B acts of 2018. As we are one year removed from the release of her critically acclaimed mixtape Last days of Summer, the hype around her debut album, Over It, has never been higher.

The albums opening song begins with the sentence "Am I really that much to handle?" as Walker wishes for a man who can handle her personality without crossing the line into domestic violence. This song is a great heat check for what's to come in the later tracks.

The vast majority of the project is Walker falling in and out of a turbulent relationship. "Playing Games" uses the R&B cheat code of sampling Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" and describes how Walker goes in on her partner for not doing more to give her care and attention:

"Really want to give your all, but flex in front of your friends. How that work? Swear that you doing the most, but when you take a picture, can't post it. How that work?"

Bryson Tiller is featured and provides a reassuring male voice to calm Walker down.

The rawest cut on the album is arguably "Fun Girl," where Walker preaches about how her lifestyle of wanting to make her own money, loving whoever she pleases, and not taking s**t from anybody repels potential partners. This reveals a double standard in how we interpret attitude, like when she sings, "Guess that makes me undesirable. Guess that makes you so attractive, oh yeah. Life's unfair."

"Off of You" marks where Walker finally decides to leave her partner when it's been clear that he hasn't been listening to any of the detailed points she's been making.

It's not hard to tell that Summer Walker is from Atlanta. Her tattoos and trap-influenced subject matter resembles the many rappers from the city. Either at the beginning or the ending of her tracks, you'll hear the oh so familiar producer tag "We got London on da Track." The Atlanta producer has been a frequent collaborator for Walker and is listed as an executive producer for the project. The connection between the two feels as genuine and congruent as any other partnership between the cities rappers and their beatmakers.

The Atlanta theme also extends to the features on this project, with a sampling/re-imagining of Usher's 1997 track "You Make Me Wanna…" on the song "Come Thru" that features the iconic Usher himself. On "Just Might" Canadian singer PARTYNEXTDOOR breaks out of his hibernation to croon over the dancers at the legendary Chamblee landmark that is Follies Strip Club. Another standout track finds Walker collaborate with LoveRenaissance (LVRN) labelmate and Zone 6's own 6LACK to reflect upon their best lovers on "Like It."

To close out her album, Walker includes a bonus remix of her signature song with a special verse from the rap nomad that is Drake, which runs near identical to his singing escapades on Scorpion. Overall, Over It is 49 minutes of laser-focused attention on heartbreak and self-happiness. If a partner can't give her the love and affection she needs, she has to find it in herself to carry on. With this project, Summer Walker has positioned herself at the forefront of the contemporary hip-hop genre and Atlanta sound.

Favorite tracks: "Potential," "Come Thru," "Body," "Playing Games (Extended Version)" Ft Bryson Tiller, and "Fun Girl."

Ig: @carpizzy