Oakland-bred rapper Saweetie was among the new generation of women in hip-hop who emerged at the turn of the decade. Since her 2017 breakout single “Icy Grl,” Saweetie has earned platinum plaques for songs like “My Type,” “Tap In,” and the hit Doja Cat collab “Best Friend.”
For two years, Saweetie has been teasing the release of her long-awaited debut studio album, Pretty Bitch Music. To tide fans over until then, she released a new EP, The Single Life, out today. Since her split with Migos rapper Quavo in March 2021, Saweetie has been focused on herself and her music: she released her EP Pretty Summer Playlist: Season 1 just a few weeks after her breakup, and began creating The Single Life is a celebration of her independence.
“I’m caught in between two emotions. I’m nervous, but I’m excited because this is the most vulnerable I’ve ever been with my music,” Saweetie told Complex ahead of the project’s release. “I feel like it’s my duty to share my story with this big of a platform, so this whole year was me peeling back layers of myself.”
The EP’s six songs explore much of the wide variety of emotions one often feels when they’re newly single. On “Bo$$ Chick,” Saweetie basks in her newfound freedom with a co-sign from legendary Bay Area rapper E-40. Tracks like “Handle My Truth” and “No Reception,” meanwhile, see Saweetie looking inward as she prepares to move forward from her relationship.
“BO$$ CHICK” is similarly confident, in a more overt way and it’s less warm, more hot. Buoyant bass and a pulsing tick keeps the pace up, but Saweetie doesn’t need it – her delivery propels the track along. It’s autobiographical, Saweetie telling the story of how she became the eponymous “BO$$ CHICK,” “Queen of the Bay Area,” and then slipping effortlessly from punch into a savagely pitying tone to address her haters - “deep down in your heart, you wanna be like this.”
As much as THE SINGLE LIFE is a statement of power, though, it also boasts some of Saweetie’s most open writing as well. Previously infamous for her magical knack for virality and her constant ride-along content. but after a year off social media, we’re a lot less exposed to Saweetie on the daily. So to hear the likes of “HANDLE MY TRUTH” and “NO RECEPTION” straight away, dark, polished and emotional, feels like a reward. This clean sweep that closes THE SINGLE LIFE is a standout run from Saweetie, blending hurt feelings with anger and that classic tonic, her infectious confidence. “MEMORABLE” in particular wrestles with that uncomfortable middle ground when you’re not sure either of you want more, negotiating the currency of sex with Saweetie’s emotional undercurrent running through. On the surface it’s complete control, but Saweetie adds the nuance.
THE SINGLE LIFE is a short listen, but Saweetie has built a little microcosm of her sound: sexy, effortless, authentic, and aspirational – the ingredients that constitute her mantra ‘pretty bitch music’. THE SINGLE LIFE is another fine helping, but it’s only enough to satiate fans for a moment before the anticipation and excitement for a full-length returns. And as the EP closes, she does promise - “PBM [Pretty Bitch Music] is on the way”. (Read More Here).
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