Halle Bailey rose to fame for being half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle then starring as Ariel in “The Little Mermaid (2023)” and Nettie, the sister of the main character Celie, in “The Color Purple (2023).” On Oct. 24, she debuted her solo album ”‘love?…or something like it” after almost three years of teasing solo music.
The album comes after a tumultuous relationship with twitch streamer Darryl Dwayne Granberry Jr., publicly known as DDG. “Love?…or something like it” gives listeners her perspective of the relationship and a walk-through of her first experience with what she perceived as love.
Bailey begins her album with “intro," the track sets a fairytale-like theme for the album going forward. The narrative track includes angelic-like background vocals and ethereal string instrumentals.
The first full song on the album “overtime” serves as a narrative introduction while sung from a third-person perspective. Bailey acknowledges her naivety at the start of her past relationship. Expressing how broken trust has shifted her priorities from love to focusing on herself, and as a result, men will have to work ‘overtime’ for her attention.
Baiely’s voice on this song takes a darker and lower edge. The production reflects this darker shift from the fairytale-like introduction. While it isn’t a standout, it does its job, pulling in the listener and hinting at the damage the relationship caused.
The next song, “know about me” featuring GloRilla, is an upbeat hip-hop/R&B track where Bailey addresses the general public’s misunderstanding of who she is. She is often labeled “innocent” and “naive” while dealing with the public’s assertions about her character.
She challenges the audience’s perception of her while slickly detailing her sexual expeditions. While it's a drastically different vibe than her previous music, she executes it well with her verse standing out, as GloRilla’s verse is underwhelming.
Out of the standard R&B tracks, “his type” immediately draws your attention as the production on the track is an ‘earworm’ with Bailey’s masterfully executed vocal layering and adlibs. The song addresses ex-girlfriends harping on the past they had with her partner and how she isn’t concerned about what happened before she came into the picture.
“heaven” is about how her lover’s sexual prowess gives her an escape from what has otherwise been Hell outside of her bedroom. The solitude and sensuality between the two make her feel special and wanted. “interlude 2” is where the relationship begins to crumble. Here, she recreates an argument that hints at infidelity and insecurity as to why the relationship is crumbling.
On “alone” featuring Mariah the Scientist, they sing about pleading for the attention of their lovers. They’re independent women who can do things alone, but the neglect from their partners makes them lonely. The vocals from Mariah and Bailey blend incredibly well on this track.
Both “back and forth” and “braveface” were released as singles earlier this year; “back and forth” is about how anger and frustration are the only signs of life in the relationship, while sex is the only other time they aren’t at odds. “braveface” is about how Bailey copes with the weight of her relationship and the world.
The Bailey sisters return on “so i can feel again”*. It's about them not wanting to be in proximity with her lover because their familiarity and memories may cause them to fall back into the relationship, which is ultimately toxic.
This song is reminiscent of earlier Chloe x Halle tracks, while sounding more mature, showcasing that the sister duo still sounds good together despite focusing on solo projects for the past couple of years.
“in your hands” was another single from the album that was originally supposed to be an interlude. The song is a final warning to her lover. Telling him that he has the power to make or break the relationship, and how he will never recover if he does.
Bailey and H.E.R. collaborate on “no warning." Bailey spoke about this song during her interview with Billboard, saying it was them talking crassly over a pretty string melody and them taking enjoyment in the petty and inflammatory games they are playing at this point in the relationship. The relationship is close to its end and consists of seeing who can piss the other off the most.
“bite your lip” is Bailey’s most vocally demanding song as well as the most vulnerable. This track is set near the relationship’s end. The relationship is in jeopardy, and she’s snapped out of indifference, realizing the end of such a major chapter in her life may be closing. It’s a last plea to try and keep things together. The guitar and build-up of her vocals add to the vulnerability of the song.
The 2nd to last track on the album, "angel," was also a single in 2023. This single was Grammy-nominated and gave the world its first taste of Bailey's solo work.
The single “because i love you” closes the album with the UK R&B singer RAYE on backup vocals, having also co-written the song. Bailey is displaying reckless behavior in response to her lover’s recklessness, but it’s all because of the love she has for him.
There are some issues with the sequencing of the album; “because i love you” should have been placed before or after “no warning,” “in your hands” should have remained an interlude and “angel” should have ended the album. Despite this, it was an extremely well-executed album.
This album showcases how Halle has developed into her own artist with hypnotic background vocals, sugary-vulnerable lyrics and impeccably executed production with only a few sequencing corrections that could have made this a nearly perfect debut album.
Rating: 4/5
