Summer Walker - Heart Of A Woman

Ever since her breakthrough 2018 mixtape “Last Day of Summer”, I have enjoyed Summer Walker’s blend of modern day R&B with a strong 1990s influence. Her evocative lyricism along with her soft but effective voice takes the listener on a journey through love’s ups and downs. With early comparisons to Lauryn Hill, Summer has carved out a lane for herself in contemporary R&B and is arguably the second-most popular female R&B singer behind Sza (Beyoncé notwithstanding of course).

Her new single “Heart Of A Woman”, the lead single from her upcoming third album “Finally Over It” just came out yesterday and is an instant must-listen to all of those late night R&B slow jam lovers out there. The production is simple and instantly evokes the memory of Brandy’s 1998 classic album “Never Say Never”, specifically the track “Almost Doesn’t Count”. The stacking of background vocals is something that Brandy is a master of and I loved the use of it in this song in an obvious nod to the R&B legend.

At 28, Summer Walker is entering a new phase in her career. After successful mixtapes, EPs, and two full length albums, Summer has enough R&B and crossover pop hits for a greatest hits album at this point. Utilizing her turbulent personal life as fuel for her music, the listener gets a deeper look into her psyche, which is something that so many of her peers are unable to do effectively. As she nears 30, it’s nice to see Summer focus on her R&B sound instead of trying to chase a pop hit. While “Heart Of A Woman” surely won’t top the Hot 100, it should debut and chart high on the adult R&B and main R&B charts, which is just fine with me.