The long anticipated wait for London based R&B singer Wolfie’s new 8 Ball EP has finally dropped and it was surely worth the wait. Deconstructing this EP begins with the title itself 8 Ball; an object normally associated with a fortune telling toy. Wolfie addresses the meaning behind this unique title with a short interview with The FADER noting how this EP is “sort of a diary on my feelings in the past year and a bit. The number 8 in numerology is the number of infinity, self power and material/spiritual balance, whilst an 8 ball is a fortune telling toy and [it] also refers to an 8th of the finest. That’s the inspiration: my growths, destiny and a lot of 8ths”
It’s very hard to pinpoint Wolfie’s style, considering her 8 Ball EP is laced with diverse undertones of different genres; R&B, Soul, Minimal, Tech, House, Dance, Hip-Hop and more. Wolfie’s ability to extract similarities from these genres and somehow thread them to work coherently and in harmony is the soul and essence of this EP. However, adding the complexity of her narrative flow manifested within her lyrics brings the EP to a whole new level, layering each song with the adequate amount of different genres infused together and her narrative. The result is a mix of immaculate symmetry between the different layers of each song.
The ability of this EP to hit home stems from not only Wolfie’s brilliance but the heavy-calibre of producers that helped create this EP. 8 Ball is the embodiment of well established producers work, such as Nana Rogues (consisting of Stormzy, Skepta and Wiz Khalifa) as well as Show n Prove (Tinie Tempah, Big Narstie, Lady Leshurr and Anne-Marie). If the weight of professionalism is not enough to impress anyone, this EP also features works from ADP (M.I.A, Krept and Konan).
The intricate diversity of this EP reveals itself within the different layers that compose each song. Changing is layered with a delicate and changing piano progression layered with pulsating bass and a pitched down vocal as well as injected with Wolfie’s sentimental lyrics. Changing creates the perfect break from the up-beat and lively atmosphere of other songs due to its sincerity. Contrast this with the soul and R&B flare of 100 with its hard-driven synth and subtle bass and a slightly higher pitch vocal, the EP takes on a life of its own.
Cleansing one’s musical palate is achieved within Symmetry. The summer night element is cleverly hidden through the elusive nature of the beat while revealing an intoxicating hook of energy that anyone can be addicted to. The trippy effect of Sweet and Sour creates another different and unique perspective through this journey of different layers of sound. Each production of each track is subjected to the mystery and ever changing undercurrents that transform this EP into a journey through the layers that compose all music that we hear. Wolfie has created the perfect EP to take any listener into a world of reverberating bass, delicate synth, finesse production and lyrical brilliance.
Rating: ★★★★★
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