She’s ethereal over live instrumentation, as on her first EP, Clear, and on “Let It Go,” an acoustic guitar radiates over subtle, programmed percussion. Opener “Let It Go,” though, is its most emotional, and comes closest to tapping into the frankness and introspection of Walker’s older music. “My Affection” is the EP’s most fun moment, allowing Walker and PARTYNEXTDOOR to feed off one another’s boasts about growing and glowing up, huffing and sighing over incessant, rhythmic ringing. Lines like, “Days gettin’ longer/And drugs been gettin’ hard to find,” on “My Affection,” or “I want to give in but scared to rely,” on “Deeper,” show traces of her usual thoughtfulness, but they arrive buried in scattered or shallow ideas about romance, fear, and regret. Walker can be incredibly direct, telling a lover that they’re passionless, that they’re out of their league, or that they’re missed with precision and poetry. Her verses, though, are rarely as tight and clear as in her previous work. Walker’s vocals are as pristine as ever when she leans into them, and her rap-like cadences on “White Tee” and “My Affection” are cute and bouncy. That’s not to say her talents are fully deployed here, either. Still, Walker vividly embodies the role-“I throw my lil’ fits, I talk my lil’ shit, and I always be getting my way,” she purrs-while his cool act feels uninspired. They’re a stronger pairing on “White Tee,” where Walker meets NO1’s Nav-ish vocal with a sing-talking performance as a money-hungry sex kitten. ![]() On “SWV,” he meets Walker’s delicate trills with flat, Auto-Tuned singing, taking up space she could have used to expound on the loose ideas around wealth, isolation, and desire in her first verse. New York newcomer NO1-NOAH appears on both the sensual “SWV” and “White Tee,” and doesn’t add much to either. ![]() On Life on Earth, three out of five tracks have features, all by men, but the guests are less captivating. Her vulnerability drew out some of the most tender and understanding bars from a man who’s been rapping about women for more than a decade. Walker’s first big hit was the remix to “ Girls Need Love,” a gentle antidote to slut-shaming, which earned its popularity with a Drake assist.
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