#Review, Sevyn Streeter – Girl Disrupted

Sevyn Streeter’s debut album, “Girl Disrupted,” plain and simply showcased the talent, ability, and race we’ve all seen her release throughout the years in one whole package. Fans have been waiting on Sevyn’s debut album since the release of her EP “Call Me Crazy” in 2013.

The 13-track album is full of R&B, and has features from fellow artists like Dave East, The-Dream, August Alsina, Ty Dolla $ign, Jeremih, and more. Giving us current and 90’s R&B; this debut was a good step for Sevyn creatively.

Tracklist

1. Livin

2. Present Situation ft. The-Dream

3. My Love For You

4. Anything U Want ft. Wiz Khalifa, Jeremih, Ty Dolla $ign

5. Ol Skool ft. Jeremih, DeJ Loaf

6. Soon As I Get Home

7. Before I Do

8. Been a Minute ft. August Alsina

9. Translation

10. Peace Sign ft. Dave East

11. Fallen ft. Ty Dolla $ign, Cam Wallace

12. How Many

13. Everything In Me

From the first track, “Livin’,” Sevyn talked about overcoming depression, a serious topic that is often overlooked in the black community.

“[Intro]
When I first started this journey of writing this album, all I thought of was just making, you know, good songs. “I want the drums to be like this, and the keys to be like this, and the guitar to be like this,” and then I came across this title, “Girl Disrupted,” and I loved it so much, but little did I know that that shit was actually gonna happen to me in life for real. And so here I am, you know, towards the end of finishing my album, creating my album, and then that’s where I went through probably the most craziest shit I ever went through in my whole entire life. (Suffer with depression, I suffer with depression) So this album for me is more than just music, it’s more than just music. Love, loyalty, and liberation. Girl Disrupted.”

“[Verse 1]
I lost a fight with my heart/ I lost my way in the dark/ On a roller coaster, up and down/ But look at me now, look at me now

[Pre-Chorus 1]
Got the whole world looking at me, feeling crazy/ Hard times in my feelings, suffocating/ Our love take a credit, like they made me/ I’ve been waiting on this moment for a long time/ And I’mma be damned if I let ’em count me out”

The open and honest truth in her intro alone tells you that this album is extremely personal, and a product she’s most proud of. Throughout the entire album, the R&B/Soul core is kept. Going from “Livin’” to the next track, “Present Situation;” Sevyn bears her soul. The listener is connected to the worlds and voice. As simple as the lyrics are in “Livin’”, it’s the impact and words that make the statement. The lyrics are relatable, especially to anyone that has dealt with depression. Suffocating your your own thoughts, doubts, emotions, etc, being afraid of this dark space.

“Girl Disrupted” shows a good side of seeing who Sevyn is as a person, not just an artist. The tracks go from deep mental music, to sensual (“Saving My Love For You”) to having fun with love kind of vibes (“Anything You Want”). She does all this through current and old school R&B vibes, even sampling Aaliyah for her song “Before I Do.”

One song in particular that is relevant to the current state of relationships, or lack-there-of, is her song “Translation.” She calls out the hypocrisy in society. “Everybody grown lil it’s time to have a conversation.” It’s a song after any and everybody’s heart that has failed in the talking phase or a relationship. Communication is key, and throughout the album; Sevyn has communicated who she is and what she was going through with the album.

[Intro]
“I mean, so what you really mad about, like for real?/ Cause you say its something but you ain’t saying nothing and you Saying stuff/ But you ain’t saying nothing/ Everybody grown ’til its time to have a conversation”

[Verse 1]
“Your volume kinda high/ See you at a ten, need you at a five/ I already know what you’d do if I came home same time as you at night/ I ain’t do shit, why you picking fights?/ Won’t you open up, boy, what’s on your mind?/ Trying to read your mind, it’s a waste of time/ Let go of your pride/ Cause any other time, I would lose my patience, oh baby/ Any other time, I would lose my interest, oh baby/ Any other situation, I would just say fuck it, go and get a new bag, a new man, a new issue, yeah”

However, as much as I love R&B, this album is slow, and took me awhile to fully appreciate it. I believe that if “Call Me Crazy” and “Girl Disrupted” were combined, it would be the perfect album. “Girl Disrupted” is very traditional in terms of sound, and I would have loved to see more variety in her selection of tracks. We’ve seen Sevyn dance her ass off, as well as sing her ass off, so we know she can handle upbeat tempo R&B songs. That’s what the album was lacking, at least 3 more fast songs to balance it all out, because there is a segment where its slow song, after slow song, after slow song. We know Sevyn has it in her, so it won’t be hard to bring out of her.

The most upbeat songs off the album are “Anything You Want” and “Soon As I Get Home,” which is a sample of the hit song by Faith Evans. Although a sample, Sevyn made it her own (which needs to be a single and needs a video). The trick will be to see how Sevyn will go about promoting this album, and releasing singles. She hasn’t released a single off the album in awhile, but “Before I Do” has done extremely well on the R&B charts.

The state of R&B, real R&B, is poor. We have artists like Sevyn, Tank, K. Michelle, Ro James, and more, that are helping keep the heartbeat alive, and as long as true talent shines through; R&B will always have home.