Photo Credit: pitchfork.com
In a time of pressure, Shygirl releases ALIAS, an EP all about relieving tension. The seven-track album was released on November 20th and exhibits the electronic pop club music that has been scarce this year. This year displays a new tide of music showing Black women taking their sexual autonomy back.
Shygirl does not hold back the sexual self-indulgence she feels and is unapologetic in the hedonist actions she describes. The heart thumping sexual anthems liberate Shygirl and represent the new flow of women taking control of their sexuality. In her song “SIREN,” she describes herself saying, “Oh, you know she’s a wild one /Know you’ll set him free /You’re a siren on the rocks /Calling you into the deep.”
It is Shygirl’s world and we’re just living in it. The themes all revolve around her and what she wants to do. She boasts about her body, how much of a freak in the sheets she is, and what you can do for her, not the other way around. Her sexual agency is overpowering and intoxicating, just like her beats. The songs are shamelessly scandalous and upbeat, they give the listener the energy of going out to a club with your friends and dancing all night.
In her song “SLIME,” she sings, “She tore it, look at that slime/That silk smooth dirty whine/Every inch she moves what’s mine/She’s for the streets, b*tch (And that’s fine)/She’s for the streets, b*tch (Mm).” The lyrics radiate party culture, and many listeners cannot wait until hey can hear her in the club for the first time.
Covid-19 had many people turn to listening to music loud at home or in their cars, amping up the bass to try and immerse themselves in the music as much as they can. Long time listener of Shygirl, Cory Henning says of the music, “this album was made for club kids quarantining, period.”
The album gives hope and a glimpse into the future of partying, from black women to LGBTQ+, it shows everything you can do and gives you the confidence to do it. Truly, it is one of the most energizing albums to come out this year.
The album sits alongside the Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion single “WAP,” as songs to empower women, especially black women. The wave of sexual autonomy and controlling what women want and need out of sex may be considered controversial, but it gives them the freedom of choice in their sexual activities, something black women have historically not been allowed.
