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88 --> 86 (purely due to me being extremely pedantic)

this is one of the only albums that makes me think of my dad; used to bump it on the way to work experience at the hospital with him a couple of summers ago and it was just vibes man. ctrl still sounds as good as ever tho honestly. (side note, dads are very underrated in society. if you're lucky enough that your dad is still with you, tell him you love him after reading this incredible review)

as usual, sza floats over the instrumentals where she needs to but she's great at switching voices and showcasing her vocal range really well throughout the entirety of the project. its consistency is incredibly underrated despite its obvious commercial appeal, there's a ton of gems and only a couple duds over the 49 minutes of run time. she tackles her feelings so well and talks about womanhood - dealing with men in particular.

ironically, i mentioned my dad at the start of this review which links to the voice notes/voicemails left from her grandma which are a really moving addition and gives the tracklist a more wholesome feel to it, further reinforcing the ideology of family and the issues faced by women in today's culture. a fantastic debut album