- Cool, calm and commanding material from the French-Algerian singer and producer.
- Sabrina Bellaouel's output rests somewhere between ambiguous and deeply personal, reflecting on her lived experience while remaining relatable and open to interpretation. On Libra, her second EP this year, the French-Algerian artist explores yet another intersection. This time, she swings between the intimate and the intangible as she looks to spirituality, astrology and sexuality for inspiration.
The record opens with "The Build Up." A spoken word sample of astrologer Fernando Prudhomme sits in the foreground as the track takes on an arresting R&B-meets-broken-beat groove. The EP continues down a similar path until it arrives at "Arab Liquor," a track about Bellaouel's experiences working in a shisha bar in London. It's my pick of the bunch, thanks to its heavy bassline and liberating lyrics: "Big floss, big notes, big hair / Big show, big bag, and big goals / Damn Libra, live it up!" Libra closes on a surprising note. "She Don't Care," the housiest moment on the EP, is sublime. Bellaoule's voice works extremely well here, and the track demonstrates more versatility, both as a vocalist and a producer, than the rest of the record. This is cool, calm and commanding material carefully balanced in a true Libra-like fashion.
Tracklist01. The Build Up
02. Float
03. Wish You Were Home
04. Solar Return feat. Gracy Hopkins
05. Arab Liquor
06. She Don't Care