There are exceptions - the feature by twin sisters Chloe x Halle on “Lonely Road,” her command on “Romance” to “stop leading girls to the clouds above/ it’s so distracting/ we can focus on self-love.” Yet a lot of it is muddy (like “You’re a human leech/ But you’re so good to me”). Unfortunately, other aspects of the album, particularly the writing, do not stand out as much. Her voice is arresting, and she showcases a keen ability to flawlessly maneuver her pitch and volume, alternating between gentle comfort and sheer force. “I wanna see/ I wanna see the energy within the trees/ I wanna be/ I wanna be in unity infinitely.” On “Romance,” she asks that we look at love more holistically, and calls the concept a “hoax to trick your mind.” The call-and-answer format of “Ho’ ihi Interlude” (“ho’ ihi” is the Hawaiian word for respect) shows her aiming for the things higher than herself. Yet there are moments when Willow’s age betrays her. The rebelliousness we often associate with teenagers is apparent - she often sings of different means to escape. “Oh No!!!” is alarmingly self-destructive: “I’m going to break my heart/ Because I know you won’t do it first,” she croons atop high energy thumping bass. So she holds it at arm’s length, anticipating its failure. “Hey mom, I met a boy/ He’s super sad/ But I think that I love him/ Is that bad?” she sings on “Boy.” But with love comes caveats: anxiety, doubt, naivety. She is looking into the peephole when it comes to love she is curious. It’s evident through the album that Smith is trying to unpack a mountain of themes and questions throughout more than a half-hour runtime.
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