Described as “the internet’s most rebellious underground rap queen,” by Dazed back in 2016, Tommy Genesis has been making music known for its experimental style and hypersexual, aggressive verses.
On her self-titled second LP, Tommy Genesis constructs her own sound and vision — by steering clear of genre-conforming and creating eclectic music that is somewhat difficult to put into a specific category —she has created a thoroughly cohesive album. From the second you hit play, each song flows effortlessly into one and another it’s hard to even distinguish when one track ends and another begins.
The album opens up with the dancehall and reggae influenced ‘God Sent,’ falling short at just under a minute, she describes focusing on herself without needing someone else to please her — “Calling my phone like you know, you wouldn’t leave it alone / But I’ve been on my God Sent, in love with my surroundings,’ she sings. Bad Boy, the third track on the album, acts in my eyes as a homage to M.I.A, who has frequently praised Genesis in the past. The track features Bollywood-influenced style production accompanied by explosive trap beats.
On ‘100 Bad,’ she teams up with pop-star Charli XCX to deliver a provocative, boss-filled anthem. Speaking on her collaboration with Charli, she describes her as “an amazing artist.
“She just gushes talent. I sent her ‘100 Bad’ because the song needed a new powerful force, and she absolutely killed it… She really did her thing.”
The two common themes that run throughout Genesis’ discography are sexuality and empowerment. Two tracks on the album, ‘Daddy’ and ‘Play With It’ are riddled with sex-talk, and she will be the first person to admit that.
But it’s on the second half of the album where she erases any pre-conceptions you may have made of her during the first. On “Drive,” she turns down the tempo and delivers a sweet and mellow masterpiece that’ll have you riding down Route 66 with the roof down. Genesis repeatedly shows her diversity and the extent of her creativity on this album — “It’s Ok,” an emotional and nostalgic version of events with production so hypnotic and ethereal, it’s almost as if she has sampled a Beach House track.
“Miami,” the last song on the record, mixes trap with tribal funk to present a summery and indulgent treat which further highlights her effortlessness in crossing over genres so seemingly. Despite releasing four songs prior to the album’s release, with them being so lyrically and sonically different, it was impossible to expect what Genesis might deliver as a full body of work. On her second LP — she defines and creates her own genre and perfectly executes it. It may seem confusing and intimating at first, but the quicker you start taking it for what it is — the easier it’ll be to consume.
Stream Tommy Genesis on Spotify.
By Nick Lowe