Little Simz - Lotus

  by Zena Grieg

published: 8 / 7 / 2025

---

Brit and Mercury award winning, Islington-born rapper Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo aka Little Simz has released her sixth album. Produced by Miles Clinton James with innovative string arrangements by Rosie Danvers, ‘Lotus’ is an eclectic mix of hip-hop songs traversing funk, rock, Latin rhythms, soul and jazz, enhanced by engaging storytelling. The album explores deeply personal themes of betrayal and resilience, following an acrimonious break-up with Little Simz’s former producer. Highlights of the thirteen-track collection include: the opener, explosive ‘Thief' with its distorted guitar riffs and biting, accusatory chorus: ”Thief/And you know what it means/… Selling lies, selling dreams”; ritualistic ‘Flood’, featuring Moonchild Sanelly and Obongjayar; the playful ‘Young’: jazz and Latino-beat inflected ‘Only’; ‘Free’ with its defiant lines of resilience; the haunting spoken-word piece ‘Hollow’ with its delicate string accompaniment starkly counterpointing the in-your-face lyrics: “They love bomb you to start, then/Cuff you by the heart, then/Watch you fall apart, then”; ‘Blood’ with a searing emotive interplay between Little Simz and Wretch 32 and a resonating chorus by Cashh; the layered, powerful, epic title track, featuring Michael Kiwanuka and Yussef Dayes, with its powerful message of rebirth after pain; sparse, piano- and beat-led ‘Lonely’, accentuating the vulnerability in the lyrics: “Tryna make an album means baring my whole truth/Unpacking the fuckery I’m trying to heal through/Imagine telling it all to somebody you trust/Then that same somebody then holds it against you”; and the album closer ‘Blue’ with Little Simz’s lines on overcoming despair and detachment neatly complemented by Sampha’s expressive vocals. Impressionistic, authentic, at times achingly raw, ‘Lotus’ is an adventurous, experimental album which leaves the listener wanting more.

Track Listing:-

1 Thief
2 Flood
3 Young
4 Only
5 Free
6 Peace
7 Hollow
8 Lion
9 Enough
10 Blood
11 Lotus
12 Lonely
13 Blue

Band Links:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Simz
https://www.facebook.com/LittleSimz
https://x.com/littlesimz
https://www.instagram.com/littlesimz/?hl=en

Play in YouTube:-

Have a Listen:-

Post A Comment

---

Comment

Name

your name

Location

ie London, UK

Submit

Check box to submit

Adam Coxon
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson

Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart

Malcolm Carter
Marie Hazelwood
Mark Rowland
Nick Dent-Robinson
Nicky Crewe
Nige Nudds
Philamonjaro
Richard Lewis
Shirley Procter
Spencer Robertshaw
Steev Burgess
Steve Kinrade

Steve Miles
Tommy Gunnarsson
Zena Grieg