It’s imperative to allow creators to take their time, process, reflect, and experience moments within different spaces. It adds sentimental value and a level of authenticity, that creates a vibe for whatever is being curated.

I sat with this project for a while, which was cool because I had her floating in my ear for the past 5 months.

SAVE ME

.shy’s EP “Echoes of Self Love” kicks off with the intro Save Me which was accompanied by atmospheric production and an earthy delivery by .shy. She enters sweetly with her voice floating over the beat, but I found myself drowning in her hums during the bridge. The song showcases her summer hit making potential right from the start of the project, and I think she’s got the ability to make summer tunes as a lead artist or a feature. The weather is warming up here in Australia and I listened to this on my way back from the beach, and this track was nice to mellow out and breeze back home with.

Don’t Miss (I get it)

Don’t get it twisted though… this EP wasn’t all cuddle croons and shower music for you to throw on for you and your girl, .shy graced us with some attitude on a few records and I can tell she’s trying to expand her range.

This transition was clever. She went from the yearnful lust of ‘Save Me’ to seemingly soaking herself in bad intentions and hedonism with Don’t Miss U (I get it). The contrast of her whispers over a blaring bassline gives this record some personality.

This sounds like a late-night club spin. The bassline is so heavy that if you were in the club hearing this for the first time, I’m almost certain it would obstruct any chances of that bottle girl hearing any of the inebriated gibberish you’re pushing while you waste your money in VIP. All jokes aside she definitely stepped out of her comfort zone which I think is important an important step in her development.

I think artists expanding their artistry on their EPs is the equivalent of working on a Mid-Range jump shot. It may seem tedious and unnecessary given the way the game is being played now with quick gimmicks, and microwaved music, but it adds another layer to their skillset and makes them adaptable to fire from any spot.

Go Away

The video was put together well, and the quality was great, but I would HATE to be the guy that forgets to call her back. Somehow, she made dragging that body, and the visual representation of a women’s scorn look alluring.
The beat has some funk, but it’s sprinkled with lyrical honesty and perspective. You can hear her taking accountability for her actions. She’s learning at her pace and watching out for the pitfalls, but it sounds like she can’t seem to shake whoever is on her mind. This is sad girl music for sure, but as I said before--every song has a time and place. Go Away was a slow burner for me, grew on me more over time, and it should definitely be added to your playlists.

Language

This is my favorite record on the album. Shy and Zeale complemented each other well, without either of them sacrificing too much, and .shy did her thing on the hook. I think she would sound great on some beats produced by Medasin or featuring on a Ty Dolla $ign record at some point in her career. I put some people on to this EP and Language had the strongest positive feedback, with Go Away, and Save Me as the runner-ups.

Break the News

This song just made the NBA 2k21 soundtrack and I was excited for her when I heard the news. She got a little something off with this record. It’s more up-tempo, but what I’m really impressed with is the versatility for her to write something new for every sound on this project.

Overall

She won’t make the 50-40-90 club just yet, but this project has a bunch of solid makes. I believe that if she continues to grow with her talent and progressively hone her sound with each project, she can really build the right amount of buzz that her potential warrants.

Making the roster

If I had .shy on a rookie scale contract, and I had to make a biased small-ball R&B songstress starting line-up with comparable artists and veterans for .shy to learn from,

well, it would look a little like this….

Guard: HER – 50-40-90 flirter. Sets the tone with every verse and hook. Combo versatility, and superstar talent as lead or feature. (Sue Bird or Skyler Diggins)
Guard: Summer Walker – Combo guard like artistry with acoustic instrumentals and R&B vibes. Silent killer on the wing and can operate as a secondary ball-handler. Focused on love and improving the genre – R&B (Sky Diggins & Diana Taurasi)
G/F: SZA – Can crossover and step into any lane/ genre with ease. Strong fundamentals and skills developed with earlier EPs and mixtapes before coming into the league with a refined game. Took some time off but will take a deep contested 2 and bless fans with singles, just to still if she’s got it. (Maya Moore)
F: Ella Mai – Luscious low-post croons and hooks. Volume scorer with full dense projects -, her last album was 24 songs.
C: Jhene Aiko – Centrefold of the Chakras and emotional enforcer of the middle. Displays an innocent appearance, but a savage protector of the heart and 3 level scorers with R&B, Hip-hop, and Pop versatility.
6th Alina Baraz- Quietly checks into the game but will put up some quick numbers before making you remember to stop texting your exes and enjoy what pieces you have.
7th Snoh Aleagra - She’s not starting because she called Michael B Jordan for that last video and not me. (I’m a menschkeit, talk to me nicely)

I would love to hear .shy get on some Summer Walker and Alina Baraz vibes with guitar acoustic sound to compliment when she shifts to her soft tone. This was a good project and I look forward to hearing what she has come in the future.

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.shy- “Echoes of Self Love” Review

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